The Old Dispensary

For our needs, the place was fine: the room was reasonably priced when we traveled, clean and comfortable for the two of us, and all we really needed for a night or two. It’s basically a rented bedroom with very limited amenities, though. Room #1 was spacious, the bedding was new and cozy, and the location was handy for Kinsale restaurants, pubs, and the waterfront. There was a coffee maker and a small fridge with milk and water. We got an email with the key access code, so getting in was straightforward, despite confusion mentioned in other reviews. There are LOTS OF STAIRS, including an old, uneven outside staircase with limited handrails, then more steps inside to reach most rooms. The website doesn't mention this. There’s no host on site, no breakfast, no chairs in the room, and no shared area to relax in, so you’re on your own. That suited us, but others might be surprised. Housekeeping wasn’t clearly explained either. We had two mugs and two water glasses, and by day two we would have liked them cleaned or replaced, but there was nobody to ask.

The only complaint, and I really mean the only one, was the TV reception. It was unwatchable. There’s so much to do and see in Kinsale, though, who has time for TV? We’ll definitely stay again, and I’d highly recommend it 👍🏼 The location was excellent, close to shops and restaurants, and the rooms were clean and quiet. Email replies were quick, and we got a door key code. We never saw any staff, but didn’t need to, everything had been provided, including tea and coffee and an iron. The shower had lovely water pressure too.

We ended up finding somewhere else to stay at the last minute because we never got the key safe code and couldn't reach the owner. We emailed after arriving and called four times, with no reply. The owner later said the message had gone through Booking.com, but it never appeared in our app. A quick call within an hour or two could have sorted it out, and there needs to be a way to reach someone when this happens. We had missed an email about check-in being between 4 and 6, and we wrote at 5:50. Since we'd already paid and hadn't checked in, I would have thought someone might wonder if there was a problem and get in touch. Instead, the email response had an unbelievable attitude. At 10 o'clock he offered to come and “personally show us it on our phone,” and said this wasn't the first time it had happened. If we'd caused the problem, I'd own that, but we've used Booking.com for years and the other hotels on this trip were all fine. It doesn't seem like he cares much about customer service, and this is a sure way to lose business.

The room felt like someone had ticked design boxes without trying to imagine what a stay here would actually be like. Maybe the building was glorious in the 17th century, but this was 2022. We were in Room 5, up six flights and 76 indoor steps, after another 20 steps to the front door. There's no lift, and no emergency exit from the room, so a fire downstairs would be frightening. The room itself looked pretty, though the finishes and furniture felt cheap. The bed hurt my back within minutes, and I had to swap sides with my much smaller wife. The windows open inward from the ceiling. You need them open for a breeze in the hottest part of the building, but light comes in through the gaps, one shade was broken, and rain can get inside. The shower door won't close and the drain is slow, so watch how much water you use. Water was left on the floor because the owners didn't reply to us. The second shower head's metal fitting sits right in the middle and hits me in the face, so I had to stand to one side and use the other head. There was nowhere for toiletries except the floor, and the only place for an electric toothbrush was upright on the bathroom chair rail. To dry my hair, I had to move a nightstand to reach the plug, then stand behind the bed by the only mirror near an outlet. There are no luggage stands either, so bags stay on the floor unless you unpack into closed shelves.