Onefam Paralelo Barcelona Hostel Review and Information

What sets them apart?

Hostel Personality

• Community Atmosphere

Who's staying here?

• Solo Travelers
• Party Goers
• Young Backpackers
• Gap Year Travelers
• Small Groups (<8)

Insider Tip

Onefam Paralelo

Hostel One Paralelo is part of a popular European chain of hostels, but it still maintains a unique and more personalized quality. It is a great social hostel with plenty of activities and things to do. It's the perfect hostel to meet other guests as the staff go out of their way to make sure there's always something fun going on. It's a smaller hostel than you'd expect, which means you'll quickly meet everyone staying here and you'll become one big family. From the pub crawls to the nightly dinners and drinking games, this hostel stays active late into the night.

During the day there are walking tours and other events. Whether you just want to lay low and play video games with the other guests, or head out and explore the sights, there's always someone to hang out with.

The Facilities

Dorms

This hostel has dorms that sleep 2, 4, 6, or 8 people and there's space for 39 people in all. All of the dorm rooms are co-ed with about eight people sleeping on each floor. The beds are large enough and comfortable but the rooms themselves can be a bit small. This is pretty typical for a European hostel though. The hostel describes the beds as "pod" beds, and in some rooms this is accurate but in others it really just means they are bunks with a simple curtain available to each bed. All of the rooms are air conditioned.

It's best to avoid the 6 bed dorm if you can, as guests from other rooms have to pass through it to access their room. This means things can be a bit loud at night and it can be a problem if you're a light sleeper.

Private Rooms

There are a few private rooms available here if you want a little more space to yourself. There are rooms with either two twin beds or a double bed available and most use shared bathrooms down the hall. All of the rooms are air conditioned, which really helps in the warm summer evenings.

Bathrooms

Each floor has a bathroom that guests share, so there's about eight guests per toilet and shower. In general this works out, but it can be a bit crowded during the peak morning hours. The bathrooms themselves are pretty clean but do try to be one of the first to take a shower each day as the hot water is limited.

Common Areas

This hostel has three different common areas available to guests. Each area offers a different mood and style. If you just want to relax with a book in a comfortable chair, there's a place for that. If you want to party, drink, and hang out with other guests, there's a place for that, too. Finally, if you want to email friends and family back home or get some work done on the computer, there's a place for that. There's also a shared kitchen available to guests if you want to prepare your own meal, and a dining area where you can eat in a comfortable setting.

The Location

Sants-Montjuic

The Sants and Montjuic neighborhoods sit to the south of the city center, and have easy access to everywhere in Barcelona via the Metro system. The Sants area is more residential, but still has plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops. Montjuic is a scenic hill overlooking the city, and offers a more quiet area that still has terrific access to all of the best sights in town.

What's Nearby?

This hostel is located near Montjuic and the waterfront. It's about a 20 minute walk from La Rambla and a 20 to 25 minute walk from the Gothic Quarter. With public transit you can reach La Rambla in about 12 minutes and the Gothic Quarter in 15 minutes. It's about a 25 minute metro ride to Sagrada Familia. Placa Catalunya is about 15 minutes away by public transit.

Nearby Transportation

You'll likely to take the metro a lot when you stay at this hostel. The closest station, Paral-lel, is just a two minute walk away. It's along the number 3 line and is the southern terminus of the number 2 line. It's also the lower terminal for the Funicular de Montjuic, which can take you up the hill for the nice views over Barcelona.

Activities

This hostel is all about the activities. They organize daily walking tours to explore the city and nightly pub crawls with entry to many of Barcelona's most popular clubs. The staff organizes these events with enthusiasm and they keep the guests having fun and entertained. Every day you can expect to be asked, "are you going out tonight?" The evenings begin with a family style dinner (donations requested). The meals bring everybody together and get you in the mood for partying.

In addition to the many organized activities the hostel hosts, there are also many impromptu activities, like hanging out playing video games, drinking games, or movie nights. You can expect the staff to join in on the fun, and many guests say the hostel feels more like an energetic summer camp than a hostel.

• Pub Crawls
• On-site Parties
• Group Dinners
• Local Walking Tours
• Game Nights

Amenities

In addition to the free dinners and shared kitchen, this hostel has the standard amenities like Wi-Fi, security lockers, travel information, and laundry facilities. It's also got an elevator and parking for your bicycle. The common areas have games and a television and plenty of places to lounge and relax.

• Wi-Fi
• Laundry Facilities
• Self Catering Kitchen
• Bike Parking
• Air Conditioning
• Luggage Storage
• Tea & Coffee Facilities
• Elevator
• 24h Reception
• Bed Linens
• Security Lockers
• Tour & Travel Desk
• Hair Dryers
• City Maps
• Reading Light

Staff

This is one of those hostels that's really all about the staff. Sometimes it's hard to tell the staff from the guests because they get so involved and are so enthusiastic during the activities. From bringing in their own video consoles from home to play games with guests, to heading out on the town with everyone, the staff at this hostel really make you feel like part of the family. But even though they quickly become friends with all of the guests, they're still professional and able to address any concerns that might arise. The staff at this hostel are what make the experience terrific.

Heads Up

This hostel is all about the fun, but the facilities themselves are a bit dated. It is a party hostel, so you can expect all of the baggage that comes with that (noise, a little mess here and there), but if you're looking to have a good time, then this is the place.

Onefam Paralelo

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