After some initial trouble finding the hostel, as there are two oasis hotel’s in Seville we made it to the Oasis Backpackers Palace. It was tucked away down a side street within easy walking distance of most things in Seville. The shops were a quick stroll down the road and it only took 20 minutes to walk to the Plaza de Espana and the Palaces. It also had good links with the busses, in particular the bus to and from the train station. The hostel was decorated beautifully and very large, it was spread over three floors with a roof terrace. We found the hostel through hostelbookers.com where it was very highly recommended, and were not disappointed. Upon arrival we all had to hand over our passports and sign some forms which did unfortunately take a while because there were 8 of us. The staff were very friendly and helpful and made the check in process as easy as possible. They also provided us with recommendations for where to eat and maps of Seville, they offered to take us on bar crawls and other organised trips such as to a flamenco show, and even a day trip to Cádiz. We passed on these opportunities, but we did see several organised groups heading out at different times and everyone looked very well entertained.
The Bedrooms:
We were in a dormitory for twelve people, it was very elegantly decorated and well kept, nice and clean. The bunk beds each had two large lockers underneath that could be secured with a padlock, these could be purchased from the reception desk and were plenty large enough to fit a large suitcase in. The beds came already made with fresh sheets and a warm blanket, we had to take the sheets down to the reception at the end of our stay. The beds were also very comfortable, unlike some other hostel beds I have experienced. There could have been extra beds in the room, if the owners had wanted to try and maximise profit, instead the room was left spacious with enough room for us all to comfortably sit in the middle of the room and play cards or start pre-drinking. The room was accessible with a key card, we had four between the eight of us as you had to leave a €5 deposit on each one.
The Bathrooms:
For our dormitory of twelve there were two bathrooms that were accessible only to our room, which was good, no traipsing down the hallway for a shower, or fighting over one bathroom with twelve people. The bathrooms themselves were clean and well kept, they each had a shower, toilet and sink, which was plenty adequate. They were both equipped with locks too, always useful when sharing with strangers.
The Roof Terrace:
One of the highlights of the hostel was the roof terrace, which hosted barbeques every evening if you didn’t want to go out for dinner or cook your own. There were seats and sun beds, as well as a gazebo for shade, however the best of all was the pool. Not large or heated but being on the roof it was warmed by the sun most of the time, it was really nice and refreshing to sit by it after a day of exploring the city. On the top floor there was also a bar, which we made good use of, there were drinks offers on during happy hour which again we took full advantage of, as well as our vouchers for a free glass of sangria that we had all been presented with at check-in.
Other Amenities:
Wi-Fi – There was free Wi-Fi access throughout the hostel, as well as a computer area if you did not have a device with access to Wi-Fi. The signal was not always strong in the room, but everywhere else the coverage was great, which was a big plus.
Heating – There was heating and air conditioning in all of the rooms which was controlled by the reception, if you wanted to change the temperature in your room then all you had to do was go downstairs and ask. It was very nice to not have to suffer in a hot room all the time.
Vending Machines – There were vending machines located on the landings that were a lifesaver at times, one for food and one for drinks.
Dining Area – A dining area was provided with tables and chairs that you had to wipe down after use, it became a very social area at night once the roof terrace had closed. Many people gathered there for pre-drinks, we used it for our take away feast. It was a useful area to have and was also where breakfast was served each morning.
Breakfast – Breakfast was included in the price of the hostel, I didn’t personally make it to breakfast on either of the mornings that I spent at Oasis Backpackers Palace. However, the other girls said that there was a wide variety including pancakes and cereals, as well as the usual toast.
Overall I would highly recommend this hostel to anyone looking for somewhere with a friendly atmosphere and great amenities during their stay in Seville.
