Hostal Forum Tarragona

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So, there are mixed reviews of this hostel. I think it all depends what you want. The good points: It is very centrally located next to most of the tourist attractions, just a stroll to the amphitheater and circus. Three stops on the bus from the bus station. Lot's of bars and restaurants in the s… more

So, there are mixed reviews of this hostel. I think it all depends what you want. The good points: It is very centrally located next to most of the tourist attractions, just a stroll to the amphitheater and circus. Three stops on the bus from the bus station. Lot's of bars and restaurants in the square with plenty of choice. The single room (301) was small but very clean with crisp white sheets. Friendly staff to check you in, but I guess I arrived at the right time, staff are on hand 2-6 in the afternoon so I didn't have to use the self check-in. Cleaner also very friendly. There is a social room with couch, table and chairs, water station and free coffee but nowhere to cook. The aircon was really good. The not so good points: There is some noise in the hotel, my room was next to the stairs and you could hear every step. The noise from the street wasn't too bad, I had a balcony room facing the square with restuarants directly beneath which closed around midnigt - 1am. The problem was the drunk locals at 3-5 in the morning. I was told they were the local homeless alcoholics and they did look rough. You can hear people talking in the corridor too. Another big issue is the stairs, these are very narrow and steep and there is no lift. Reception is on the first floor, so floor 3 is actually up 4 flights of these, glad I only had a very small backpack. Shared rooms are on floor 4. My biggest issue however was the tiniest bathroom I have ever seen, I couldn't even take a photo from the door to show how small it was. The handbasin was over the toilet so you need to play tetris to get seated on the toilet. The shower is barely 50 cm x 50 cm so water flowed out under the door into the bedroom. It was clean however. Would I stay here again? Yes I would. If you just want somewhere to sleep for a night or two and don't mind the stairs and noise, it is fine. Thank you Forum Tarragona for a pleasant stay.

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“With contactless check-in there is no Plan B”

The hostel itself is fine, but there is no Plan B. I had problems recalling my reservation number due to email issues and could not check in without it. I called the number three times and left messages in Spanish and English. No one called me back. I found one of the cleaning crew and they tried… more

The hostel itself is fine, but there is no Plan B. I had problems recalling my reservation number due to email issues and could not check in without it. I called the number three times and left messages in Spanish and English. No one called me back. I found one of the cleaning crew and they tried to contact as well. She said that it was Saturday and apologized. There is no one to let know that the kitchen sink had stopped up. Because the key to your locker is electronic, what happens if there’s a problem and you can’t get into the locker to get your luggage? Even if they had a reception person for a few hours, it would have been so helpful. I was not the only one confused with the location of the rooms. Two men didn’t understand it and I explained it to them. Overall, it’s fine -- there is a wonderful espresso machine -- but I won’t be staying in a contact-less place again.

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“Decent room, good location, but not recommended for long-term stays”

I stayed here for two weeks for a university program. As I was there for a while it's easiest to do a bulleted list of pros/cons: Pros: * Location: Directly on Plaça de la Font, so if you're someone who wants to be right next to restaurants, bars, clubs and shops this is for you; also close to th… more

I stayed here for two weeks for a university program. As I was there for a while it's easiest to do a bulleted list of pros/cons: Pros: * Location: Directly on Plaça de la Font, so if you're someone who wants to be right next to restaurants, bars, clubs and shops this is for you; also close to the Cathedral, the old town and the Roman ruins (amphitheater, circus, forum); a short walk from Platja del Miracle, a clean, lifeguarded beach where I was always able to find good space no matter the day or time. * I had a double room at the back of the property, whose window faced onto another flat but with a small terrace between us. Thus it was quiet and got direct sunlight most of the day. The room had an AC unit that cooled the room quickly, and also had decent shelf and hanger space given the room size (small, but that's typical of European hotel rooms, especially in old buildings). * The room was cleaned every day—towels changed every day, sheets changed every few days. Post-COVID I've come to expect the opposite—that hotel rooms will only be cleaned once a week or upon request—so that was a pleasant surprise. The cleaning staff were also very friendly and helpful. Cons: * Automated check-in—by far the biggest con. The hostel didn't send our trip coordinator, who wasn't in-country, the access code to the front door, though it was supposed to have been sent 24h before. So I arrived, the first in my group to get there, not realizing this would be needed. Eventually after waiting outside for some time another guest happened to be going inside, and let me in. The machine was wonky at first but eventually worked, at least for me; other guests checking in at the same time as the later arrivals in my group, however, had worse luck, and I'm not sure if they were ever able to reach a Forum rep to access their rooms. * No on-site staff, poorly-manned hostel phone line—we had a situation in our group later that week where a group member forgot their key in their room on their way to dinner, and ended up having to sleep in the small lobby area overnight as nobody from the Forum number provided was picking up the phone. The pin number the automated machine was requesting in order to issue a new key had never been sent to our group coordinator either, hence why the group member was never able to get a new key issued from the machine. * Other people in my university group had single rooms in the center of the property. Thus they did not ever have direct sunlight; their rooms either faced a wall or a disused lift shaft at the center of the property. This is just something for people to be aware of when they're making the bookings; the room photos on the site are not representative of most of the rooms of the property. * Accessibility: there is no lift/elevator, and it is a four-story property with steep flights of stairs between floors. If anyone in your party is disabled or otherwise has mobility or fitness issues, or if you simply have a lot of luggage, it may not be a good choice. * Tiny shower: Couldn't shower without the curtain sticking to me or without my elbow repeatedly knocking the faucet and changing the water pressure or temperature. Not a massive deal but something to be aware of, especially if anyone has sensory issues. Overall I had a good stay, but wouldn't have chosen it myself (my university booked it). I'd recommend this place at most for a couple of nights, for someone who is the kind of person who leaves early in the morning, comes back at night and only needs a bed to crash on and a private place to shower in. Even then, only if one is on a shoestring budget and really doesn't have options; for just a few more euros a night there are places in the same city area with manned reception desks, elevators, showers with folding or sliding doors, and with all rooms having some form of natural daylight.

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