A Barcelona Hostel You Will Love

When traveling to a big city like Barcelona, you want where you stay to be comfortable. After hours of walking around, the perfect Barcelona hostel has space for you to kick up your feet. From the dorm beds to lobby to the second floor common area where nightly movie nights are held, Unite Hostel was one of the most comfortable hostels I’ve ever stayed at.

Several months ago before the full Corona Virus outbreak, I went to Barcelona with Alex from East Coast Contessa. While I had been to Barcelona a few times before, I knew there were things I still hadn’t seen. Plus it’s always fun to revisit places with new people.

The beauty of a hostel

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If you are a regular blog reader, you’ll know that I often stay in hostels when I travel. While I also love hotels, hostels allow people on a budget to create beautiful travel memories. As a teacher, I’ve been able to afford traveling to some of the coolest places simply because I chose to stay in a hostel.

Hostels, though, provide something more than just a low-cost place to stay. They create an environment that would be hard to replicate in a typical hotel. They are a space where people from all over the world gather. Over my four years of living in Europe, I’ve actually befriended people I met while washing dishes in the hostel kitchen or lounging in the living room. I’m still connected with some of them today.

Unite Hotel definitely had that vibe and I loved it. The second floor common area was an enticing place to chill out after a long day of exploring the city. Movie nights are hosted nightly in this space. The basement kitchen and dining area was also a place where I struck up conversations with strangers.

The location

Part of Barcelona’s charm is having the beach right beside you. As someone who didn’t grow up near the beach, I usually take every opportunity I have to visit them when I can. Unite Hostel is within walking distance of the beach.

Like most big cities, it’s almost impossible to get around Barcelona without some sort of transportation. Luckily the Ciutadella metro stop is only a few blocks away. Additionally, there are several bus lines that stop right in front of the hostel.

The room

Alex and I stayed in an 8-person dorm room. Each bed had a locker space where you could lock up any valuable items. You did, however, have to bring your own lock. Luckily since I’ve stayed in countless hostels over the years, I already had a few from past travels that I remembered to bring.

Linens were provided but towels were not. However the cost was only a few euros. If you’re someone who has mostly stayed in hotels, paying for a towel may shock you.

This space had one toilet and one shower, with two sinks in the room. The only thing I would change about this room is that set-up. Imagine eight girls trying to all get in the bathroom and shower every morning … it’s chaotic. I think at least two showers would have been more helpful.

The common areas

The second floor common area was probably my favorite part of this Barcelona hostel. In addition to it being well-decorated, it was so comfy to just hang out in! They had the cutest swings to sit in and the comfiest bean bag chairs.

This space is where they show movies every night. After a long day of exploring the city, it was nice to relax and watch a good movie.

The other common space was the rooftop. We didn’t spend much time since it was cold. I imagine that in the summers, that place is full of guests!

You also can’t beat the view of Barcelona from up here either!

Breakfast

Another thing I loved about Unite Hostel was breakfast in the morning. While it’s not free, it’s also not very expensive. We enjoyed breakfast on our last morning in the hostel.

We also cooked in this space several of the nights we spent in Barcelona. Shopping for groceries and cooking is always such a great way to save some money while traveling. You definitely don’t have to eat every meal at an expensive restaurant if you don’t want to!