We stayed for 5 nights. I was full of trepidation having read bad reviews about the area, grumpy staff and unpleasant rooms. Was greatly relieved when the man on reception was kind and welcoming! Not all that surprised to find that the room we were allocated didn't have any windows - correction, there were actually two windows, one in the main room and one in the bathroom, but they opened onto a light well in the centre of the building which served only to admit stale warm air and not much by way of light. Still, the bathroom and the room were pretty clean - one or two glitches during the stay with some bedlinen that was rather grubby despite having been washed and, on night 2, some small scuttling insects that I decided to ignore for my own peace of mind - never saw them again. No air con and when we visited Barcelona was scorching hot. They provided a fan which we had to keep running all night. Walls were thin but noise from neighbours not unbearable. Bathroom clean, modern and functional. Neighbourhood a bit intimidating. We stayed for the 5 nights we had booked, because overall it didn't matter much to us that we were sleeping in a box - we were exhausted anyway. Next time I'd book somewhere nicer, where we could retreat to for a siesta - I think it would have improved our holiday if we had paid more for something better.

I stayed for 7 nights with my spouse and our daughter(young adult). We were a bit hesitant and unsure of how things may turn out to be. But it was a pleasant surprise! This hostal is definitely ahead of other similar places of tourist residences and hostals in this great city. The external facade portrayed a peaceful and secure environment and the reception areas proved that aptly. We had a triple room - it was very spacious, with its own large,very clean and well maintained bathroom. There was also a private balcony. The famed La Rambla and several other popular tourist destinations are all within easy walking distances. Internet access, both wired (for folks without their laptops) and through WLAN was fast and always available.
We were very satisfied with the cleanliness and daily room services. The staff were very courteous. All in all, a very positive experience - at a very reasonable price.

Positive:
Clean
Nice hotel-staff
Near city

Negative:
Should be refurbished
The staff is not very good at English
Thin walls, hear everything that is going on in the rooms nearby..

Stayed here for 4 nights for the F1, does excactly what it says on the tin! Room was simple, twin beds, 3 chairs, big wardrobe, plenty of extra blankets, nice big "door" windows, shower room and flat screen TV.
Can be noisy at night, shut the window and it is fine! Looks in a dodgy area, but we had no problems at all. Metro is 2 minutes walk and travel cards are VERY easy for getting around! 10 mins walk to the Ramblas.
Staff were very helpful, and spoke great English too. If you want a clean room, shower and somewhere to sleep then this is brill. :D