XANASCAT hostels are facilities intended to provide accommodation, whether as a stopover, for short or longer stays, or for carrying out activities, for young people travelling individually or in groups, as well as for families, adults and organised groups, in accordance with the conditions established in Article 14 of Decree 16/2022 of 1 February on youth facilities.

Guests under the age of 16 who are not travelling as part of a group (schools, associations or organisations) must be accompanied by their legal guardian(s) or by another responsible adult who has been authorised by their legal guardian(s).

Guests aged 16 or 17 travelling unaccompanied may only stay in a hostel if they present the authorisation form for unaccompanied minors signed by their legal guardian(s), which is available here.

XANASCAT is affiliated with Hostelling International (HI), the International Youth Hostel Federation, which comprises more than 4,000 hostels in over 80 countries worldwide. To use these facilities, guests must hold valid Hostelling International membership by means of a Hostelling Card in any of its available categories: Individual, Family or Group.

In Catalonia, the Hostelling Card can be obtained online via XANASCAT’s website.

Guests who only wish to use the hostels occasionally and do not hold an annual Hostelling Card may instead pay a supplement per person per night, entitling them to use the facilities with the same rights as Hostelling Card holders. This supplement is approved and published together with the applicable rates.

Certain programme categories or groups of users may be exempt from the requirement to hold a Hostelling Card.

XANASCAT hostels accept Hostelling Cards issued by any association affiliated with Hostelling International (HI).

Length of stay

Bookings that are not linked to ACJ programmes may not exceed 14 overnight stays. However, the hostel management may authorise an extension, subject to hostel occupancy and provided that the social purpose of the facility is not compromised.

Day use without overnight accommodation

Guests wishing to use the hostel facilities without staying overnight will be charged the current day-use rate for outdoor areas and/or room hire. Such bookings are subject to hostel availability.

Allocation of beds and facilities

The allocation of rooms and communal areas is the responsibility of the management of each hostel.

XANASCAT offers the option of booking either beds in dormitories shared with other hostel guests or private-use rooms.

All hostels have rooms with specific adaptations or facilities to meet particular needs. Guests requiring one of these rooms should check availability before confirming their booking.

Groups may use the hostel's rooms and facilities for activities whenever possible, provided that such use does not interfere with the normal operation of the hostel. A prior request must be submitted, and the use of facilities must be coordinated with the person responsible for the hostel, who will allocate the available spaces to each group.

Long weekends and special periods

Special booking conditions may apply during long weekends, school holidays or other dates designated by XANASCAT as periods of special demand. These bookings may be subject to:

• Specific advance booking deadlines, minimum stay requirements and confirmation conditions. These will be notified during the booking process or posted on XANASCAT’s website.
   
• For bookings requiring special confirmation due to the advance booking period, length or timing of the stay, the parties may contractually agree to payment of three deposits:
   
• A first deposit of 10% payable at the time of booking, which is a booking guarantee and non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
   
• Two further deposits, each for 50% of the remaining balance, which will be subject to the general cancellation deadlines.

The rates applicable to hostels managed by the ACJ are approved by the ACJ’s Governing Board.

The current rates for ACJ-managed hostels are posted on XANASCAT’s website.

Shared dormitory rates

• Adult Rate (A): Applies to guests aged 30 and over.

• Youth Rate (J): Applies to guests aged 29 or under.

• Group Rate (G): Applies to formal groups of 10 or more people holding a Group Hostelling Card. This rate cannot be combined with any promotion unless expressly stated otherwise.

The Group Rate (G) also applies to organisations or bookings of 15 or more people generating a single booking and a single invoice (informal group). No member of the group or organisation may benefit from a different rate or promotion from the rest of the group, except where children under the age of 13 are included. In such cases, children over the minimum group size of 15 persons will be eligible for the age-based discount. Each member of the group or organisation must hold an Individual or Family Hostelling Card.

Private room rates

Private rooms are subject to different rates depending on the hostel, the season and the room type.

Each guest is charged individually, regardless of age.

The maximum occupancy permitted for each room must not be exceeded.

Supplements and additional services: the ACJ’s Governing Board approves the rates for supplements and additional services offered by the ACJ at each hostel according to its facilities and services. These supplements and additional services can be viewed at xanascat.gencat.cat.

Taxes

• Tourist Tax (Tax on Stays in Tourist Accommodation Establishments – IEET): In accordance with Act 12/2021 of 18 May governing the tax on stays in tourist accommodation establishments, stays at XANASCAT hostels are subject to the Catalan tourist tax. The booking confirmation includes details of the applicable tax and any exemptions, which may also be viewed on the Catalan Tax Agency’s website.

• VAT: The applicable rate of VAT will be charged according to the type of stay and the legislation in force at the time the deposit or accommodation service is paid.

The ACJ offers various discounts and promotions approved by its Governing Board, details of which are available on XANASCAT’s website.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, discounts and promotions cannot be combined.

Discounts and promotions apply exclusively to accommodation and/or catering services. They do not apply to supplements that are not included in the promotion or to taxes.

Promotional availability is limited. The ACJ reserves the right to amend or withdraw any promotion or discount in whole or in part without prior notice.

The discounts and promotions in force at the time the booking is confirmed shall apply.

For online bookings, eligibility for discounts is verified when the service is provided. This does not apply to promotional offers.

Under no circumstances may a booking benefit from a temporary promotion introduced after the booking has already been confirmed.

Anyone wishing to stay at a XANASCAT hostel managed by the ACJ must make their booking through the official booking channels provided for this purpose. Once the booking documentation has been received, the booking must be confirmed by payment of the required deposit or deposits by the specified due date.

If the booking is not confirmed within the specified period, it will be cancelled automatically without prior notice.

The deposit amount is generated automatically according to the services booked. As a general rule, a 50% deposit is required. For online bookings, the deposit will be 30%. The remaining balance for the stay is payable upon arrival at the hostel.

For bookings requiring special confirmation due to the advance booking period, length or timing of the stay, the parties may contractually agree to payment of three deposits:

• A first deposit of 10% payable at the time of booking, which is a booking guarantee and non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
   
• Two further deposits, each for 50% of the remaining balance, which will be subject to the general cancellation deadlines.

The lead guest may cancel all the services booked at any time before the stay. They will receive a refund of the amounts paid but must also compensate the ACJ for any costs incurred in relation to administration (computerised booking, sending documentation and banking procedures) and cancellation (costs arising from the cancellation of places and from the procurement of supplies required to ensure the quality of the service) in proportion to the cost of the cancelled places and subject to a minimum €10 handling fee, in accordance with the scale set out below.

The amount refunded following cancellation will depend on the date on which notice is given in relation to the arrival date, the reasons provided and any contractual obligations already assumed by the hostel at the time the cancellation is notified.

Individual and family bookings

Group bookings

The periods referred to in the above tables are calculated from 00:00 on the day the cancellation (whether in whole or in part) is notified until 00:00 on the day of arrival.

In all cases, any additional costs arising from the cancellation of activities will be added to the cancellation fees described above.

Partial cancellations of places or nights within a booking are subject to cancellation fees equivalent to those applicable to cancellation of the entire booking, based on the same time limits, and are applied proportionately to the cancelled persons or nights. However, where private rooms have been booked, no refund will be made for partial cancellation of occupants.

Individuals and families who fail to arrive on the scheduled arrival date without prior notice shall compensate the ACJ with an amount equivalent to 100% of the deposit paid.

In the case of group bookings, cancellations affecting up to 10% of the total number of persons originally booked after payment of the deposit will not incur any fee provided that the hostel is notified before arrival. Where cancellations exceed 10%, cancellation fees shall apply only to the places above that threshold in an amount equivalent to 100% of the booked stay for each cancelled place.

Where cancellation is not notified or is made during the stay, the guest shall be required to pay 100% of the booked stay, or of the remaining nights, services and/or activities booked for each cancelled place or room, unless the cancellation results from circumstances deemed to constitute force majeure. XANASCAT Area management will determine which cases qualify as force majeure.

Booking cancellations must be submitted in writing, either by email to reserves.xanascat@gencat.cat or directly to the relevant hostel.

XANASCAT recognises the following circumstances as force majeure for guests, which may constitute grounds for cancellation and exemption from cancellation fees, provided that they are requested and supported by written evidence:

• A medical certificate confirming an illness that prevents attendance.
• An accident resulting in injury that prevents attendance.
• The death of a family member.

Specific XANASCAT programmes are governed by their own general terms and conditions regarding booking procedures, reservation systems, cancellations and rates.

Use of the hostels constitutes acceptance by the guest of these General Terms and Conditions and of the Internal Regulations of each hostel.

Group leaders assume full legal and financial responsibility for their groups, including responsibility for the conduct of all participants.

Groups including minors that are not family groups and whose purpose is educational, sporting, cultural, training-related or social must comply with the legislation governing leisure and educational activities involving persons under the age of 18.

Group leaders and activity leaders are responsible for the active supervision of participants during activities, meals and leisure or rest periods. Supervision of participants in the dining room is the responsibility of the activity leaders or group leaders.

Any damage to hostel facilities during the stay shall be assessed by the person responsible for the hostel and may give rise to financial liability where appropriate.

The ACJ accepts no responsibility for guests' personal belongings unless they have been deposited at the hostel reception using the safekeeping service.

The information published through the various information channels of the hostels is provided in good faith. However, the ACJ does not warrant the completeness, accuracy, reliability, currency or absence of errors in the descriptions and information provided.

The ACJ complies with all legislation applicable to the management of youth facilities.

All hostels managed by the ACJ provide adapted accommodation for guests with reduced mobility in accordance with applicable legislation.

By law, every guest staying at a hostel must register upon arrival and provide the information required for submission to the Traveller Register for Tourist Accommodation Establishments maintained by the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police).

All guests aged 14 or over must present their national identity card or another valid identification document upon arrival at the hostel. The document will be returned immediately.

For group bookings involving minors, the person responsible for the group must sign the Declaration of Responsibility accompanying the booking, declaring that they hold all the necessary authorisations.

The ACJ has an allergy and intolerance protocol intended to ensure that meal services can be provided during stays at the hostel. Information about this protocol is provided when the booking is made.

To make sure that the protocol can be correctly implemented, the completed food allergy and intolerance form must be sent to the hostel at least a fortnight before the stay. The form must be completed by the person concerned or in the case of a minor by the person who has parental responsibility or custody of them.

Where the required information is not provided, or where a booking is made less than a fortnight before the stay, the ACJ reserves the right to decide whether to provide meals during the stay if it cannot guarantee the health and safety of the person who states that they have a food allergy or intolerance. The ACJ shall not be held liable if the person experiences an allergic reaction or intolerance of which they were already aware.

To enable people who wish to share their leisure time with their dog to enjoy their stay and to promote tourism that safeguards animals’ physical and emotional well-being, XANASCAT currently allows dogs at the following hostels:

• Cabrera de Mar
• Coma-ruga
• Deltebre
• L’Escala
• L’Espluga de Francolí
• La Molina
• La Seu d’Urgell
• La Vall d’en Bas
• Manresa
• Núria
• Olot
• Planoles
• Poblenou del Delta
• Sant Joan de les Abadesses
• Tremp
• Vic

Guests wishing to stay with their dog must state this when making their booking.

Hostels that accept dogs have a limited number of rooms specifically designated for this purpose.

Each booking may include at most two dogs. The applicable charge must be paid for each dog directly upon arrival at the hostel.

Under no circumstances will a dog be admitted unless its presence was stated in the booking and the hostel has confirmed that a suitable dog-friendly room has been allocated.

The persons responsible for the dogs must present the relevant documentation showing that each animal has been identified with a microchip. The animal must also wear an identification tag on its collar bearing the details of the person responsible for it.

Persons responsible for dogs belonging to breeds considered potentially dangerous (PDD)* must present the card certifying that they have obtained the relevant municipal licence to keep the animal.

These dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled at all times in the hostel’s indoor and outdoor communal areas, except when inside the room. Basket muzzles are recommended, as they allow the dog to open its mouth inside the muzzle while remaining closed at the front with a grille to prevent biting. Under no circumstances may a muzzle prevent the dog from opening its mouth inside it.

The use of punishment collars is not permitted on hostel premises. This includes collars that cause choking, slip collars, collars with spikes that apply pressure to the dog’s neck and collars that administer electric shocks.

The persons responsible for the animal must keep it in suitable hygienic and health conditions. Animals in poor condition, including animals that are dirty or infested with parasites, will not be accepted.

Dogs may sleep in the room with their owners, who must bring all necessary accessories, such as dog beds, water bowls and food bowls. Owners must ensure that animals do not climb onto the beds or damage the room furniture.

Animals may not be left alone in rooms, except during mealtimes. This exception does not apply during lunch on the final day of the stay. If an animal is left alone in the room during a meal, a sign indicating the presence of a dog must be hung on the outside door handle. This sign will be provided at reception. It is also recommended that the dog be kept on a lead to prevent behaviour that could cause damage to the room.

On the final day of the stay, the room must be vacated by 10:30 am. Where guests use the dining service for lunch, the hostel will provide an alternative area in which dogs may remain while families have lunch, subject to the availability of suitable spaces at the hostel. Guests may enquire about this option at reception on the day of arrival. If no such area is available, one of the persons responsible for the dog must remain with it, as the animal may not be left alone at any time inside the hostel or in its outdoor areas.

Persons responsible for animals must attend to them immediately whenever they cause disturbance to other hostel guests in order to resolve the disturbance as quickly as possible. Examples include barking, whining or situations in which a dog left alone in a room requires attention.

Dogs must always be accompanied by the persons responsible for them and kept on a lead when moving through the hostel’s communal areas.

Dogs are not permitted in the dining room or in other communal areas such as toilets, showers, play areas, cafés or other rooms. Guests should ask hostel staff which areas dogs are allowed to enter.

Animals may not be left alone in any outdoor area of the hostel or in any indoor communal area.

Animals may not be washed in bathrooms, including washbasins and showers, or in any other area of the hostel unless expressly designated for this purpose.

Persons responsible for dogs must collect and dispose of their animals’ faeces and must ensure that the room is kept in good hygienic condition.

Dogs may only use lifts when accompanied by the persons responsible for them. They may only share the lift with other guests if those guests agree.

Persons responsible for dogs undertake to comply with applicable animal protection legislation, including Legislative Decree 2/2008 of 15 April, and the legislation governing animals’ access to tourist establishments, including Article 39(a) of the Catalan Tourism Act 13/2002 of 21 June.

Persons responsible for animals shall be liable for any damage or injury caused by the animals during the stay, whether to furniture or to third parties. Any repair costs arising from such damage must be paid. A security deposit may be required where appropriate.

* PDD breeds: Akita Inu, Bullmastiff, Dobermann, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Japanese Tosa.

Guests wishing to submit a complaint, grievance or suggestion should do so by writing to the ACJ, either by email to reserves.xanascat@gencat.cat or by post to Carrer d’Aragó, 244, 08007 Barcelona, for the attention of the person responsible for the Central Reservations Office.

Official complaint forms are available at the hostels.

Data controller: Catalan Youth Agency

Contact details of the Data Protection Officer: You may contact the Data Protection Officer at dpo.acjoventut@gencat.cat.

Purpose of processing: To monitor and manage overnight stays, bookings, invoicing and notifications to the register of travellers staying at accommodation establishments.

Lawful basis: Consent of the data subject.

Disclosure to third parties: Personal data will not be disclosed to third parties unless required by law.

Rights: You have the right to access, rectify and erase your personal data, as well as to restrict or object to its processing and to request data portability.

You may withdraw your consent to the specific processing of your personal data at any time. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out on the basis of your consent before it was withdrawn.

To exercise these rights, you must contact the Data Protection Officer by email at dpo.acjoventut@gencat.cat or write to the ACJ at Carrer d’Aragó, 244, 08007 Barcelona. Your request must be submitted in writing and you must provide proof of your identity by attaching or enclosing a photocopy of your national identity card, as these rights are strictly personal.

Additional information: Further detailed information on data protection is available on the ACJ’s website. 

You may also contact the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) to lodge a complaint concerning the exercise of your rights or any other matter relating to compliance with data protection legislation. Further information is available at: APDCAT's website.