Poshtel Bilbao Premium Hostel

Extremely impolite receptionist! When I arrived I was ignored for like 5 minutes even though I was the only client waiting. Before arriving I got an email from the hostel which stated that I could check in from 14h, got then told that I can only check in at 15h without any apology or explanation. In general I felt treated in a quite hostile way..

I stayed at the Poshtel Hostel in Bilbao, Aug 1-6, 2023. I booked online, took specific note that the website says reception is 24 hrs, knowing my train would arrive late, at 22:21. That afternoon I messaged the hostel to say what my arrival time would be. Their immediate response was that reception closes at 22:30, no exceptions. I responded saying their website says 24 hour reception, and sent along a picture of it. They replied with a picture from their FAQ sheet where it says reception closes at 22:30. I replied that could be a problem if my train was late. They replied reception closes 22:30 as per their website. I responded that we have a problem then, because their website, main page says 24 hours, but maybe we were getting into an issue that may not happen, so perhaps the more reasonable approach is that we keep in touch and first see if the train is going to be late. They replied reception closes 2230. About 15 minutes later they replied one of the partners would wait for me. I thanked them and said I'd keep in touch. I was able to get to the hostel just on 22:30. Hostel is in a great location, walkable to most everything. Front staff know the city and try hard to be helpful with those types of questions . The hostel has been remodeled, new flooring and bathroom fixtures. Very handy to have the coffee shop / restaurant attached. The kitchen is very small, difficult to have more than 2 people in there. They have 2 half fridges. The common areas where one would normally socialize are dark and unwelcoming. The table with the bicycle seats is cool, and the eating area off the kitchen is sufficient but these areas were mostly empty during my stay. I found them uninviting due to the darkness and lack of 'community' feel to the space. It has many posters, but all to do with the rules and that the hostel is not responsible for lost items. The internet is not powerful enough to load google maps or instagram, even when sitting by the reception desk. It is much worse in the rooms. I made sure to ask about it every day, but staff were completely uninterested, citing that their computers were working so there is no problem. I did ask around, everyone was having the same experience as I was. This is NOT a place for digital nomads, or someone without data. The shower head in my 12 bed room, as well as the only other one on my floor, in the hallway bathroom, was not working properly. Water flows out in a clump, it no longer sprays. The entire floor gets wet when you shower, no matter how careful you are with the curtain, hard to keep your fresh clothes dry when getting dressed. I did let reception know, they made a note, but was not happy about it. The building next door is under construction. Jack hammer starts at 0800 and only breaks for siesta. Not possible to shut the windows, the air con was not on and there was no remote. If you need wifi, control over air con, and want that warm fuzzy feeling when you have to make a complaint, stay elsewhere. Having stayed in hostels in over 22 countries in the past 12 months, this is not the amazing experience that The Secret Garden in Quito, Zeus on the Loose in Thessaloniki, or Cheers in Istanbul bring to the table. It's not really the quality finishings that make an amazing hostel, it's the vibe and the staff. I did not find that here. Staff were certainly working hard, but I suspect they are understaffed and overworked.