I stayed 1 night at this hotel, when I arrived late in the evening by train from Madrid, in my way to Ceuta and Morocco. The hotel is located in front of the train station, and adjacent to the bus station. The Algeciras seaport is also at a walking distance from the hotel (~15 min walk). I booked online a twin room single use with breakfast, and I was surprised when I opened the door to find a large room with 2 twin beds. However, the room was facing the main street and the traffic noise can be heard slightly. The hotel lobby is beautiful and I liked the layout of the stairs in the center of the building. My main complaint is that the breakfast is served a little bit late at 8:00 a.m. as I had to leave early in the morning to take the ferry heading to Ceuta. Also I noticed very few guests in the hotel and this may be due to the current economic crisis in Spain. The other complaint is that the main entrance to the port is closed and taxi drivers have to make a long detour to drop you at the boarding area, thus increasing the travel time and the taxi fare. From what I heard from cab drivers, the city mayor is very stubborn and is refusing to open the main entrance despite repeated complaints from the taxi drivers.

We were not expecting much in Algeciras, a stopover en route to Morocco but the Octavio was delightful. Old world charm and hospitality. The day manager was helpful, spoke good english and there were no problems using the free internet service for as long as we wanted. The hotel is in a perfect location for the train, bus from parts of Spain and the ferries to Tangiers. It is a minutes walk from the train/bus terminal and 10 minutes to the ferry terminal. It was quiet at night and the bed comfortable. The breakfast was great and the value for money excellent. The only complaint was towels left behind from the previous guest behind the bathroom door.

We found this hotel to be just fine, despite some of the negative comments from other reviewers. Its location can't be beat - for bus, train or ferry travel; and for exploring the city, though there isn't much to see. We stayed two nights as we arrived by ferry from Morocco one day and then the following day, did a day trip to Gibraltar. Breakfast was included in our room cost. It was quite adequate - fried eggs, bacon, toast, pastries, juice, etc.

En route from Morrocco during the Volcano hiatus we found this hotel to be charming. After an intitial reception that left us thinking we had stumbled into a Fawlty Towers episode the hotel was an oasis of peace and comfort. Despite the bus station's proximity you can't hear any noise. The dinner was tasty and good value and they served breakfast early to allow the numerous refugees to eat before catching the 7.30 bus/train combo out of town.