I have to caveat this by saying that I didn't actually stay here in the end, but I had booked and paid for my room online. I arrived as planned and was given room 7, one of two rooms on the top floor that overlook the roof terrace, which has wonderful views down to the beach and across the bay. However, when I arrived at the room, I realised that whilst it had a private shower, the toilet was separate, and down the hall. I do like my creature comforts, even when I've paid for budget accommodation, so I went back to the reception desk to see if there were any other rooms available. There were none, and I had the last available room. So I asked if I could cancel my reservation as I wanted to stay elsewhere instead. The guy on reception said he would call the owner to come and sort things out. A while later, the lady owner arrived, a lovely lady who was keen to resolve the issue. She pointed out that the room I had chosen on booking.com was specified as having a "private shower", although I said that I hadn't realised that meant that it didn't also have a private toilet (I had assumed, rightly or wrongly, that having a private shower meant that it would also come with everything else you'd expect of a private bathroom). She understood, and agreed to refund what I had already paid for my stay.
Having by now made a quick online booking at an alternative hotel for the night, the guy on reception said he would call a taxi to get me there, so I went outside to wait for it. But minutes later, he came out to tell me that the owner wanted to drive me there herself!! What amazing service - not only had she lost the cost of that room for the night (I do hope she got another last minute reservation...), but she was also kind enough to drive me to another hotel! I was stunned, but delighted!
As for the hotel itself, here are some impressions from my brief stay. The building was obviously at one time a private home, and is the reason it seems that many people choose to stay there (as did I), due to its literary connections. I arrived to find the front door locked - I knocked, but got no response. Fortunately a couple who were also staying there arrived back just as I was trying to figure out how to get in. They pointed out the doorbell that is quite high up on the wall, to the right of the door. But as they had a key, they let me in. The hotel is basic, and has no facilities to offer breakfast. There is of course no lift/elevator, so be careful on the marble stairs if you struggle to lift your luggage. From what I saw of my room, it was bright, airy and clean. The blue painted furniture added a splash of brightness to what would otherwise be quite a stark environment. As I said, the views down to the sea from the top floor are great.
The area around the hotel isn't the most visually appealing - there was obviously another building opposite at one time that has since been demolished, but not yet replaced. But don't let that put you off, it didn't feel dangerous, and is convenient for the beach, Medina and the new part of town.
