Clink i Lár

Breakfast wasn't worth getting up for, and the laundry was overpriced and poorly looked after. The dryer cost €7 per cycle but still left our clothes damp. Cleaning staff also took the deposit bottles we'd collected without asking. The rooms weren't cleaned properly. There was so much dust under the beds that it seemed no one had cleaned there for weeks, maybe months. The lifts were a saga too: getting from the 10th floor to the ground could take over five minutes, with doors opening and closing the whole time. The staff, though, were genuinely kind and friendly, and clearly doing their best. They probably have to apologize constantly, which may be why they're so good at it.

I've stayed in dozens of hostels around the world, and this is the worst by far. The room was filthy, with several blood stains on the mattress cover and hairs in the supposedly clean sheets we had to put on ourselves. Then there were 30 or more schoolchildren on my floor, unsupervised, screaming, banging on doors and walls, and making a racket. Staff, security, and any responsible adults did nothing, even after I asked the group to quiet down several times. They set off the fire alarm twice and denied it when confronted, with no staff or security response. The bathroom in my six-bed dorm had no shower curtain, nowhere to put clean clothes or toiletries, and no way to dry your hands. There were no dryers or paper towels, which seemed designed to make you rent a towel for €5. With no curtain and a badly sloped floor, each shower left about 2 cm of water standing across the floor. Going to the toilet during the night meant stepping into cold, dirty water. There's no fan either. They charge extra for basic things while making you do everything yourself. Check-in is on a tablet, you make your own bed with the dirty linens in the dirty room, and even asking for a top or bottom bunk costs €3. Avoid it, and don't trust the five-star reviews.

The dorms were clean, and the toilets and showers were clean too, with hot water in private cubicles. I think some dorms have ensuite bathrooms and some don't. The beds were comfortable, with long privacy curtains on the bunks, plus charging ports, a lamp, shelf, and hooks. There are big lockers in the rooms. It's a great hostel very close to Temple Bar. Security is good, with staff there 24 hours and key card access for both the building and the floors and rooms. There was plenty of seating and lots going on in the bar downstairs. I'd recommend it and stay again.

The bunks are a little short, so I had to duck to get in and out, but I still loved staying here. The location is right by the main tourist area, which makes it easy to get around on foot, especially if you don't know Ireland or the area. The staff made the biggest difference. I arrived early in the morning, completely jet-lagged, and they made me feel welcome straight away. I've stayed in lots of hostels, and I'll always appreciate how kind and helpful they were. I'd definitely recommend this place.