Beckett House

It’s close enough to the city centre but far enough out for a quiet night, with two cafes around the corner. One Society is particularly excellent, while Insomnia Cafe is all right too. I was glad to find somewhere affordable and brand new in such an expensive city. The magnetic keys for the various doors take a little getting used to, but are easy once you’ve figured them out. Each apartment block has a shared kitchen with all the amenities, though its door closes automatically with a pretty loud bang. There are several shared spaces, including a movie room, self-service laundry, a chill-out area with cosy seating and a billiard table. Upstairs, there’s a great rooftop terrace and study rooms.

Apart from this, it wasn’t a bad place, but I found thick black and green mold in a corner of my room. I reported it, and it wasn't treated as urgent, even though it seems pretty serious. I don't know how the room passed inspection or was assigned to me. The mold is really thick and could potentially cause respiratory issues. I don't have asthma, luckily, but sleeping in a room with that much mold was unnerving. I'm still waiting for it to be fixed.

We booked this through Airbnb as an apartment, but it turned out to be a college dorm, nothing like the listing pictures, and filthy. There was grime with hair stuck all over, and what looked like feces in one of the showers. The furniture was stained and disgusting, the fridge had open containers left by previous visitors, and there were no paper towels, napkins, or kitchen linens. The microwave sparked when used and seemed like a fire hazard. An appalling property.

At least the bed was safe and decent. Still, this was the worst of the BnBs I’ve stayed in across Ireland, where I’ve had both good and okay experiences, and I wouldn’t recommend it to tourists. The pictures on booking.com were deceptive. There was a strange smell throughout the building, and the shower had awful water pressure and wouldn't drain, leaving a sewage smell in the bathroom. There's no parking if you have a rental car, though you can leave it on the street out front overnight.