SEVILLA URBANY HOSTEL

We stayed here for a couple of nights, and the best I can say is that everything was decent. Our beds and room were fairly clean, we had a space to store our bags, and the staff were friendly. The hostel is centrally located, so we were able to walk everywhere. The room cards sometimes deactivated sporadically, so we needed to go back to the front desk to have them reactivated - a hassle when we were tired at the end of the day.

I travelled walking from Barcelona to Faro, all a trip I slept in my tent in different campings or on the beach. I arrived in Sevilla late in the night really tired no place to put my tent so I chose to go to the hostel no problem at all in the morning I took my breakfast and continued my trip I left directly start to walk for join Huelva, after an hour on the road I realised I started to scratch my arms and legs it was itching like hell I understood what happened it was clearly bed bugs bit me in the night I was already far for come back to the place for complain about it. The next 4 days was horrible for me on the road walking itching everywhere nothing could calm down the pain. it was october 2012.

Everything is true and happened there. I arrived the 6th of September. I booked for 3 days, just enough to find a flat (I'm staying in Sevilla for a 6 month Erasmus). I was in the room number 202 and the bed number 6. We were 6 in the room. There is a locker for every bed and we receive a magnetic card to unlock the room door and the locker. When there is a problem with our card, one can go to the reception to fix the problem. They can make another valid card for your locker, useful if your card does not work anymore or if you lose it. At the same time, the previous card will be disabled (there are never 2 cards active for one locker). I went out on the 6th in the evening, at about 7.30pm. I put my luggage and my computer in the locker, I locked the door. I went back at about 1.30am. I could open the room's door, but not the locker's one. I went to the reception, which was closed, so I went back to my bed. In the morning, I went to the reception, told them that I couldn't open the locker. They haven't said anything, they just re-activated my card. So I could open my locker, where my computer was no more... After some "investigations", we (the police and me) have seen the locker's register, which indicates every opening and closing of my locker. We have seen that I locked my locker at 7.36pm. I had a meeting at 7.30pm, so I was already late... Moreover, the security cameras could prove when I left the room. But... We also saw that at 7.42pm, another card was created and used for MY locker. That new card got EXACTLY the same number as mine (206). It has been used few times. About 6-7 opening/closing during the period when I wasn't in the hostel. One month after, I found who had stolen my computer (you can contact me if you want the entire story), and how. The guy (thief) went to the reception and asked for: - His card (number 208) and he received MINE. So, when I tried to entered in his locker, it didn't work but he could open mine. So he took my computer. - My card (so number 206) and received it. In any case, the hostel gave MY magnetic card to somebody. They made a very big mistake that (could) cost me a computer. Even if you do everything in the right way to protect your stuff, if they don't care to whom they are giving the card, nothing is secure there. More details for people who could think I made something wrong (BUT A BIT LONG AND NOT NECESSARY): I just put my stuff in the locker, locked it, took the key with me and when I went back, my computer wasn't there anymore... The hostel was saying that I made something wrong. Here are their hypothesis and the reasons why they are wrong: - I forgot my card at the hostel. - REASON1: I wouldn't be able to enter back in room when I went back at 1.30am. Moreover, I talked with someone in the room just after entering inside, so he saw me using my card. Also, we saw on the register that I used my card to open the door. - REASON2: There is no reason that another card has been created during the time I wasn't there. - REASON3: It really was another card that was used during the time I was outside because mine was disabled and we saw on the report that another card had been created. When someone opened my locker with the new card, my card has been instantly disabled. That's why I couldn't open the locker when I went back. (The security system of the card is different for the locker and for the room's door. Making a new card for a locker does not disable the entry of the room for the previous card) - I changed my card with the one of another inhabitant of the room. - REASON2: There is no reason that another card has been created during the time I wasn't there. - REASON3: It really was another card that was used during the time I was outside because mine was disabled and we saw on the report that another card had been created. When someone opened my locker with the new card, my card has been instantly disabled. That's why I couldn't open the locker when I went back. - REASON4: When I saw that I couldn't open my locker, I tried every other ones. At least to be sure that I didn't change my card. Someone saw me doing this. - REASON5: When I went back at 1.30, we could see on the report that I used MY card to enter inside the room, and not the one of another. - I went once to the toilet and during this time I forgot my card on my bed, someone took it and stole my computer. - REASON2: There is no reason that another card has been created during the time I wasn't there. - REASON3: It really was another card that was used during the time I was outside because mine was disabled and we saw on the report that another card had been created. When someone opened my locker with the new card, my card has been instantly disabled. That's why I couldn't open the locker when I went back. - REASON6: There is no reason that a lot of opening and closing occurred when I wasn't there, and no reason that my card was disabled. - I made another card of my room, but I kept both. I forgot one of them so someone used it to unlock my locker. - REASON7: It is impossible that 2 cards are valid at the same time for the same locker. - REASON8: If it was the case, I should have paid for this new card (something like 5€), and this has never happened. - REASON9: Seriously... What is this stupid hypothesis?!? In any case, I can add that: - I didn't have any insurance for this problem so I wouldn't have ANY compensation. - This was a big problem, a big issue for me, because this computer was the most important tool for my studies, without it, I wouldn't be able to perform my Erasmus period correctly. I had to go back to Belgium to bring back another (old) one In any case, it is completely clear that it was the hostel's responsibility. Finally, I would like to say that I waste a lot of time because of their mistake and I went 7 times to the police station. With knowledge of these facts, you can book (or not).