Yugo Explore - Ardcairn House

The shared kitchen was good and had all the appliances you need. The rooms are big enough for one person and having your own bathroom is important. It’s student accommodation, and it works well. The city centre is about a 20-minute walk, or just a few minutes by bus, with the stop two minutes from the building. There’s laundry on site, plus bowling, a cinema, a music room, and a gym if you want things to do with friends. The staff are nice and helpful, and someone is always at reception.

I stayed for four weeks while attending a language school and paid 1332 € in total. For Dublin, I guess that’s okay. Washing and drying clothes once costs 6,7 €. There’s quite a lot to like here: a small gym with basic equipment, cinema and music rooms, two table tennis tables, one indoors and one outside, two small bowling alleys, good Wi-Fi, and a big laundry room where I never had to wait for a machine. Sometimes they even offer free food in the lobby, and the staff are very nice. The location is good too, with a quick walk to the city centre and shops and restaurants nearby. The neighborhood itself isn’t very attractive. The downside is that some facilities are worn and poorly maintained, especially the rooms and the billiard table. My room was kind of dirty when I arrived, and the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned at all. There were even leftovers in the toilet. You get a private room and bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. My mattress was really uncomfortable, but there was plenty of storage and a large desk. They provide a towel and one set of bedding. The kitchen and living room, with couches, TV, and balcony, are shared with 5-7 other people. It depends on who you’re sharing with. Mine weren’t very clean and were sometimes too noisy. There are also parties in the yard that can get very loud. It wasn’t a big problem for me because I always bring earplugs, but keep it in mind. Everyone in my flat also had water leaking from the floor into the apartment if you stepped in the wrong corner. It wasn’t much, but it was annoying, and I don’t understand why management didn’t do anything about it.

When something in my room stopped working, the team always responded quickly and helped with repairs. The cleaning and hygiene were clearly handled with care, which made living here more pleasant. Everyone was kind, clear in their communication, and ready to help whenever I needed it.

I had a great stay. It would have helped if the accommodation team had explained how the app works, since I had to figure out most of its features myself. You also need to be comfortable sharing a kitchen and doing chores. Otherwise, you may not get along well with your flatmates, and there can be tension.