Montrose

Montrose @ Stillorgan Rd, Dublin is student accommodation that an agency rents out through popular platforms when students are away. As a seasoned traveller, I’ve never had such a horrendous stay. It had almost none of the basic necessities: beyond a made bed and hot shower, there was no toilet brush, bath towel, dustbin, hangers, hairdryer, iron, kitchen towels or rags, or kettle. Tourists are expected to keep shared kitchen spaces clean, but how, with only a roll of toilet paper provided? The kitchen was filthy and greasy, with bins overflowing. My room was barely cleaned, and I couldn’t use the basin because its back knob malfunctioned and the water wouldn’t drain. The hallways were noisy with kitchen activity and luggage rolling past. When I asked the agent for flexibility on check-in or checkout, I got a templated list of extra charges. It’s run commercially but there’s no accountability for good service. My only thanks go to Kade, the manager, who did his best to make things less ghastly. Otherwise, I’d suggest paying a little more for a proper AirBnB. This place is a tourist trap.

The front desk staff were very kind and helpful, and it’s close to UCD. But it’s very expensive for what you get. Our room was dirty and moldy when we arrived, and the fire alarms go off almost every day or night, sometimes around 3am. That’s hazardous. If there were a real emergency, people might not take the alarm seriously, so this needs fixing immediately.

We’ve had no running water at all for almost a week, not from the sinks or toilets or anywhere. Every day brings a different answer, and still no water. There’s been almost no communication from management, no water at reception for us, and nobody even at the front desk. Montrose has other problems too: random fire alarms almost every day, a filthy kitchen being used by people who don’t pay rent or live here, and gross room conditions. The front desk staff are super nice when they’re there, and this definitely isn’t their fault. Management, fix this apartment! Worst apartment building ever. If you’re thinking of moving here, don’t.

The building is poorly maintained, and common spaces are often dirty. When my mom visited, she remarked on how unkempt the lobby and hallways were. I also didn’t realize before moving in that the “hotel-style” setup means kitchens are in shared hallways, not attached to individual rooms. You step out of your bedroom straight into a common area, which wasn’t clear on the website. We’ve gone four days without reliable running water. Two days of that were beyond Aparto’s control, but the way it’s been handled has been incredibly frustrating. Communication has been poor, and residents have had to contact managers and even Irish Water ourselves for updates. Our general manager, Emmet, has been away from the site for several days and won’t take calls. We’ve been passed between multiple people to reach him, even though he seems to be the only one able to take meaningful action, like bringing in a private water company to refill the tanks or having engineers check the tank rather than security. Updates by email have been infrequent and sometimes misleading, saying the issue was resolved while many of us still had no water. The lack of communication and accountability is a serious problem. If you’re considering Aparto, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere.