Evelin Herrera
I wasn't comfortable with my experience at Compact. I've detailed each point below, and I hope you can evaluate them for future visitors. Check-in: • They asked me for a specific time and were extremely strict about it (they messaged me four times on WhatsApp in less than two hours). It was completely intrusive. You've just arrived from a 16-hour trip to a new country, and the last thing you want is to be pressured to be "on time" when they didn't even tell you that the check-in time was strict. • At the coliving space, check-in took 30 minutes, from finishing registration (completing forms I had already filled out online for the reservation) to being told the rules of the space. You're only in Barcelona for a few days; you don't want to waste time figuring out which trash can to use or where to hang a towel. Cleanliness: • The rooms were dirty. I stayed for a week. All the roommates changed (meaning no belongings remained), and yet there were still towels on the floor and trash that no one cleaned up (all week long). · The bathrooms were a matter of luck. Some days they were clean, and some days they weren't. Accommodation: · The coliving space is cold. You need a sweater and warm shoes, and some people even had jackets underneath. So it's not really comfortable for working (I went to rented coworking offices every day). · For sleeping, on the first day I asked if the heating could be turned on (it was 6 degrees Celsius and off). They said they would check. There was no response, and it was freezing cold that night. On the second night, I asked if they had extra blankets. "No"; "Not even from any unoccupied beds? I can return it in the morning"; "No, because they check in early." The bed next to mine in the room was empty for two or three nights. Meanwhile, it was still cold. Rules and hospitality: • One Saturday, I was cooking at 10 pm (SATURDAY, not a weekday) and they came to tell me I couldn't because it was too late. This rule wasn't mentioned anywhere when you made the reservation. • The first two days, due to jet lag, I stayed working until around 2 am. On the third day, they came to tell me I couldn't use the common areas after midnight. (I was working on my laptop, with no noise, no music, and no alcohol or anything like that). Again, this rule wasn't written anywhere in the reservation details. • Hospitality is nonexistent. There's no welcome whatsoever, and they don't even ask, "Is everything alright with your arrival? Do you need anything?" You'll probably answer no because it's the 21st century and you can find everything online. But it's basic courtesy. The only thing I appreciated, which I found extremely kind, was that one of the staff members helped me carry my suitcase up and down the stairs to and from the coliving space (3 floors). I hope you can consider improving the experience for future guests.