Alicante · Spain
Old Town Alicante
Suspicious-review evidence
≈32 possibly bought · 166 top-rated reviews scanned
Explain how it works
We compare every 5★ review's word count against the global distribution. Hostels where unusually many top-rated reviews are suspiciously short — way under the typical length — start to look like the staff (or a boost-my-listing service) is padding the score with throwaway praise.
The detector flags reviews that are both top-rated and below a length threshold, then estimates how many of them statistically shouldn't exist. For this hostel we scanned 166 top-rated reviews and 1% were suspiciously short.
Length z-score: 5.01. A z-score measures how far this hostel's distribution of 5★ review lengths sits from the global average, in standard deviations. 0 = perfectly typical. 1–2 = slightly unusual but within normal noise. 3–5 = strongly anomalous. Anything 10+ means the pattern is so far from the global norm that it's effectively impossible to get there organically.
This is a heuristic, not a verdict — it surfaces hostels worth a second look, not proof of fraud. Read the actual reviews below and judge for yourself.
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Confirmed paidSignal trace
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Reward tied to a review
refunded at check-out. As of the time I’m writing this review
The only positive aspect of our stay was the location. Unfortunately, everything else was far below expectations and completely misrepresented in the listing on Booking.com. Upon arrival, my daughter and I were asked to pay a €50 deposit, which we were told would be refunded at check-out. As of the time I’m writing this review, we have not received the refund. The condition of the room was shocking. It was poorly maintained, smelled unpleasant, and felt unsafe. The bedroom walls were covered in mold and dampness, likely caused by water leaks from the adjacent shared bathroom. The ceiling was cracked, and the curtains were dirty. Lighting in the room was inadequate—there was only one switch located near the door, making it extremely inconvenient to navigate the room at night. There was no proper window; instead, it faced an enclosed inner area cluttered with cleaning supplies and, alarmingly, four large gas canisters—one of which was connected to the water heater. Storing gas and chemicals so close to living quarters felt dangerous and irresponsible. The shared bathroom was in very poor condition—musty, moldy, with a loose toilet seat, and an unreliable hot water supply. We could hear every sound from other guests using the facilities, including the toilet, shower, and hairdryer, as well as the boiler turning on and off throughout the night and early morning. Rest was nearly impossible. We ended up leaving early each morning and returning late just to avoid spending time in the room. We only returned briefly to shower, as the smell and atmosphere were unbearable. If this was considered a “deluxe room,” I can’t imagine what the standard rooms are like. The listing was highly misleading. The purpose of the €50 deposit remains unclear. The air conditioning was wall-mounted and not suitable to run overnight. The current rating of 8.6 on Booking.com is baffling and raises serious questions about the accuracy of reviews and listings on the platform. Do not waste your money on this place.
United Kingdom -
Reward tied to a review
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Suspiciously short
Todo
Spain -
Suspiciously short
El.personal
Italy -
Suspiciously short
Super
Poland -
Suspiciously short
Tutto
Italy -
Suspiciously short
Propres
Algeria -
Suspiciously short
Tu
France -
Suspiciously short
Todo
Spain -
Suspiciously short
L’emplacement Rien
Algeria -
Suspiciously short
Ubicación Colchones
Spain -
Suspiciously short
El ambiente
Spain -
Suspiciously short
rien Rien
Algeria -
Suspiciously short
Very comfortable
United States -
Suspiciously short
Todo estabnabine
Spain -
Suspiciously short
Everything Nothing
Norway -
Suspiciously short
Everything Nothing
Spain -
Suspiciously short
tutto fantastico
Italy -
Suspiciously short
Este in centru
United Kingdom -
Suspiciously short
Todo 100% recomendable
Spain -
Suspiciously short
Pencerede perde yoktu.
Azerbaijan -
Suspiciously short
Lage Kein Fruhstück
Germany -
Suspiciously short
Las nuevas instalaciones Nada
Spain -
Suspiciously short
Perfect location Very clean
United Kingdom -
Suspiciously short
Lo tranquilo El colchon
Spain -
Suspiciously short
Good job and locations
Japan
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