Shall we have a beer in an illegitimate hotel? Yes, yes, yes and yes!
days ago in Madrid a murmur is heard. A new tenant has come to town stepping strong and his revolutionary character is on everyone's lips, we are talking about Bastard Hostel .
If you are not lucky enough to meet him yet, it is a space, Come in Malasana and Chueca , which does not understand labels: it is neither a hotel, nor a hostel, nor a cultural center, nor a bar, nor a cinema, nor a restaurant. It is absolutely everything.
The dictionary says that the adjective 'bastard' means "that degenerates from its origin or nature" . And that was the purpose of this accommodation, to get out of the conventional and become a meeting point for people from Madrid and visitors.
Welcome to Bastardo, an illegitimate hotel
This cultural epicenter, whether we are guests or not, invites us to enjoy the best activities of the contemporary scene , that cover all kinds of tastes: art, music, cinema, poetry, theatrical performances, gastronomy...
#THINGS HAPPEN HERE
“ A trip it doesn't start at the gate, on the train platform, when you get in the car. It starts the moment you start to fantasize about undertaking it. When you obsessively look at a point on the map, while you compass on the net about a destination, when consulting books, guides, while chatting with other travelers or with natives about that dream place, in reality you are already on your way”, they say on their page Web.
and that has been Bastard's Philosophy from the first minute. Although he at official opening was the Wednesday May 23 They have been preparing their trip for a few weeks.
To do this, they have been organizing free events for example, a recital by Marwan to celebrate the Night of the Books which, according to Adrián Bermejo, director of Bastardo, was a complete success. "Here the cultural issue is the most important" , he tells Traveler.es.
Marwan reciting at Bastardo Hostel
As soon as it arrives, it catches my attention the huge glass of the building, which invites to browse and it awakens the desire to enter to discover what is inside. Some girls paint it with a brush.
“It is one of the interventions of #herepassings. Are Fine Arts students who are finishing their degree. The idea is that every two months they intervene in the glass to tell through art what happens inside ”, explains Ruth Enríquez, content director of Bastardo.
On Friday and Saturday nights there is a DJ until approximately 0200 hours, which animates the room from the top of the stands which is behind the bar. This grand staircase is used to accommodate the public when an event takes place such as a concert or the 'electroverbena'.
“The electroverbena is very festive and fun. It is to turn the verbena on its head, which is a very Madrid concept. How? Mixing the traditional music with electronics and with a performance , that the artist is not only singing but interacting a little with the public. We do it at 12.30 h you pray, to recover the vermouth time , and people of all ages come”, he comments Enriquez.
storytelling for children, a micro theater that raises how the life of Juana la Loca would have been with new technologies, a representation of two dancers from the National Dance Company, silent movies with live music, fashion events, book launches...
for two? This wonderful room with terrace
All of that and more will take place on the ground floor of Bastardo over the next few weeks. But always under one premise: do a nod to the classics but decontextualizing them , adapting them to this space.
At the same time, the restaurant has also been open for about three weeks and it has a quite tempting menu: homemade chicken and ham croquettes (€6.50); charcoal grilled chicken (€7) ; grilled beef burger with melted cheese, tomato, lettuce, chimichurri and country bread (€9); spinach au gratin with Havarti cheese (€4.50) ; chocolate mug cake with cookie ice cream (€4.50) ...
Almost all delicacies cooked over charcoal have been marinated 48 hours before being grilled. The restaurant is intended for lunch and dinner, where you can sit down to enjoy the dishes, both at individual tables and at longer tables to share with other visitors, while breakfasts are served in the bar area.
“ We want the people of Madrid to have at least one reason that makes them come here at least once a year. This is like our mini Slaughterhouse”, he tells us Enriquez excited.
"Yes, it's free (but we can't all fit)"
#BETTERHOME
"Bastard is very focused on millennials , both adventurers and with children” says Bermejo, director of Bastardo.
Private or shared rooms, for those traveling alone, for couples, for groups, families, with a terrace... The goal was to create unusual accommodation , and they have succeeded.
Bastardo is the definitive Madrid hostel to go with your friends
They have a room mix: the first two floors are hotel (from €18 per night), for the more adventurous; and the remaining two are hotel rooms (around €100 per night), which have towels and amenities (the third floor for families or groups and the fourth for two people).
The dorms of six , for example, are distributed around the shower , this way the bunks face the wall and you have more privacy What if they were opposite each other? As to the relatives, double beds are combined with bunk beds , always looking for the greatest possible privacy.
Each of the rooms is a tribute to a 'bastard' , to someone who did something different or transgressive in his time. Patti Smith, Luis Buñuel, Divine, Emiliano Zapata, Marie Curie, Confucius, Frida Kalho… These are some of the characters that we can find decorating the walls of the rooms.
And one of the best parts of the building is found on the top floor: a spectacular terrace with bar, tables, umbrellas, beach chairs, sand, garlands of lights to warm up the atmosphere at night and incredible views of the rest of Madrid's rooftops . Could there be a better plan to open the summer season in the capital?
Finally, in the basement there is a kitchen for those who want to prepare their own food and a laundry with a very retro decoration. Presentations made. Come, see and enjoy!
That's how it's nice to do the laundry