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Reviews of Kinlay House Hostel

2 out of 5
Kinlay House Hostel
2-12 Lord Edward St, Temple Bar, Dublin

Reviews

7.0

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 29 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 33 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 36 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 17 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 10 out of 125 reviews" "

6.8/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

6.0/10

Amenities

6.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Billy

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotels.com disastrous customer service.
Utter disaster. Arrived at hostel to be told that it was under renovation and no room was available. Simply not good enough from the hostel and Hotels.com.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The light in the bathroom didn't work. It was very loud: the bar in the alley behind our room would throw out beer bottles at all hours of the evening and in the morning. Could hear everything through the thin walls. It's definitely a hostel level experience. Not horrible, but not enjoyable.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Dennis

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I got some sleep at least
The service was generally acceptable, front desk were there and receptive. The room I was staying out however, smelled of sewage and was very unpleasant and barely cleaned. Plus my bed was not near a charger at all so I had to charge on a shelf, and climb down my bed and run to the alarm when it rung. The luggage storage was a pain because you had to look all around the building, outside to an alley, and back into another building. The luggage storage definitely needed to be cleaned and aired out, all I smelled was a high school gym locker. The shower and restrooms could've also used a bit of cleaning as well
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Raymond

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

4/10 Poor

Sean

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

2/10 Terrible

Nanbb

Very small nosy toilet sharer
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Joanna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The location was ideal, so close to the sights and entertainment. It was great that there is a big kitchen for everyone to use. The facility doesn’t seem to be updated in decades though. I would have liked a little shelf, light and outlet at my top bunk which tends to be standard at other less expensive hotels around Europe. Also, the facility would be improved if the mold smell in the bathrooms could somehow be dealt with.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jack

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The accommodations are Spartan but quite adequate and very reasonably priced. The staff is friendly, helpful and efficient. The area is in the heart of Dublin easy to get everywhere.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Robbie

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

4/10 Poor

Declan

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Last resort
It was my second time staying here and that is down to the extortion by hotels in these times. I checked in on line thinking it be just to collect key card when I arrived but the process took 10 mins. Had to climb 3 flights of stairs to get to my 8 bed dormitory when it had a fowl smell and evidence of condensation on the walls. The bed was the only clean place, everywhere else had dust cobwebs all around.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

6/10 Okay

Miss Lowri

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
Great stay, shame about cleanliness of ensuite.
Bathrooms need attention, paricularly the ensuite in shared dorms, main bathrooms seemed better - not what you'd expect. No toilet roll, dirty, no bin so someone left ised contacts and sanitary pad in the bathroom on the side. Not a pleasant experience. Other than the ensuite being grim, this hostel was great. Staff on reception were polite and helpful. Able to store bags in lockers if early or need to store bags after check out - super helpful. Shared spaces to relax and a friendly atmosphere.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Richard

As a budget hostel in high priced Dublin, it meets expectations. A 2-4 bed room with en-suite bath/shower would meet my needs, but only if price is paramount. Beds were well made. The ventilation for rooms leaves a lot to be desired. Management should consider an air freshener, and even better, air handling. Finding your way to a room is much easier because of guidelines painted on the floor.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Great shower, but room was warm in spite of the outside being cold. The downstairs restaurant was excellent but was also source of late night noise.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

4/10 Poor

Kristina

Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

4/10 Poor

Paul

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Filthy and unkempt.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

8/10 Good

Francis

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Location is excellent and staff helpful. A bit noisy.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

2/10 Terrible

Kaisa

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Awful! Herrendous! Felt like jail. Showers broken, mold in toilets. We couldnt stay... so we paid 187e for 5h luggage keep. But leaving was the best practise.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

6/10 Okay

Jennifer

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff were helpful and friendly. Unfortunate the heating in the room didnt work, so with it being December it was very cold
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

2/10 Terrible

Jack

Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2021

4/10 Poor

Una F

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Didn't suit the occasion.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Jaime Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Good enough for one night, but the room was really small

6/10 Okay

Not Provided

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Security is overdone, but there is a lot of talk of things going missing. Room was great for sleeping,there was a table and chair, no wardrobe, just 5 /6 hooks, 4 bunks. Spiders webs in the plumbing inches from my pillow.

4/10 Poor

Darlene

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Savvy, London, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place in the middle of town <3
Had a great stay! We stayed for 3 nights & had a really pleasant experience. The staff were really friendly and approachable. It was very quiet considering that you could come and go as you please, plus there were quite a few people staying there. It was right in the middle of the temple bar area, very close to a lot of main attractions, which made getting around the city a lot easier and cheaper! Breakfast was very simple (hot drinks, cereal, toast), but it was as much as you want, so couldn't really complain. Plus the kitchen was open all day if you're more interested in self-catering.

6/10 Okay

Emilie

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service

8/10 Good

Lizzy, Leeds UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good budget place to stay
I booked a private room with bathroom and was given a spacious room with 3 single beds. Plenty of hot water, free towel and linen. Comfy bed too. Price includes free breakfast which was toast, tea, coffee,cereals and jam. There is a communal kitchen if u want to cook or make drinks etc. I arrived early in the morning and as checkin is not until 2pm I hired a locker to put my bag in. 10 Euros deposit and 2 Euros per dag. The lock er s are in a separate building behind the hostel and have CCTV so are safe. The hostel is very central to places of interest etc. Staff are very helpful with places to go. There is a common room were you eat or watch tv etc.would stay here again.

2/10 Terrible

Amanda, Colorado Springs

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lousy place but great location
The neighborhood it's in is awesome, but that's about it. The staff didn't know what was going on half the time. If you need to lock anything up you have to go to a separate building and pay for the locker. I needed to make a call to a friend in Cork (with an Irish number) and they did not have a pay phone or one I could use to call someone. The light in the bathroom had a water leak, something must have flooded. I also had reserved a two bedroom room and they gave us a four instead.

6/10 Okay

Alexandra, Cleveland

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
cheap stay, no frills
Not the easiest to get around the hostel itself... lockers in a remote section of the building, many stairs to get to rooms, complicated keys/card/papers to get in and out of room and building, and bathrooms far from room. However, everything was very clean and organized, the staff was nice, coffee was free and breakfast was so cheap. Also located in a terrific and convenient part of downtown with great bus access.

8/10 Good

Kelly, Cams

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lone lady who enjoyed stay and would return
I stay last weekend a lady on own and I found the hostel to be well run and people always friendly and this was my first time and the breakfast was good and free,not like other places where u have to buy extra, the area is well lit and as a woman on own I felt safe and would def go back

8/10 Good

Nicolas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

4/10 Poor

ZOEY , NEW YORK

Disliked: Room comfort
Bad experience
I arrived around 10pm on Friday and they told me that they moved me to the other hostel which is 10min walk away. I was so upset because I didnt even receive any email notice. So they were willing to pay for my taxi fee from the above address to the other hostel. Bed was okay, but the bathroom sink is mini and shower facility is quite old. There is only two plugs for a 4-bed room which is inconvenient. Breakfast was okay with simply toast and milk.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Probably the best hostel I've ever stayed in. Room was clean and lockers were available close to my bed. Bathrooms were sanitary. The whole place had a great atmosphere and an even better price. Will be going back here on my next Dublin trip!

8/10 Good

John, Montreal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Downtown Dublin location
Hostel was clean and well organised.

10/10 Excellent

Barry A, Cork

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This is my first time staying in a hostel and I was amazed at how fantastic it was. I along with my 3 friends ( all 18yrs ) had a room for 4 and was able to lock it up when we were out. The location is great and we felt very safe at this hostel....will definitely stay here again and would recommend it to friends and family. Thanks to the staff, you all were great!!

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The rooms were nice, ok for a hostel, but the heating went off and on so the rooms were freezing-not very nice. No elevator, six flights of stairs. It says breakfast... but it's tea, and toast with jam or butter.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Taylor Made For The International BackPackers Need
Should you be a first time visitor to Dublin's fair city, with a desire for centrality coupled with economic concerns, look no further then the Kinlay House experience. You can scarely choose a better budget option. COnvivial & convenient in the extreme. A sound choice.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
happy out
i was very pleased with my stay :)

8/10 Good

Shelly, Charlotte, NC

Liked: Staff & service
Great location
Right next to temple bar area and Christchurch cathedral. An excellent location for walking the city. Staff was very helpful. Fresh linen on bed. Towels and lockers for 2 euros each/daily. The rooms were old and shabby, needed new flooring and fresh paint. Bathrooms were ok. It was noisy at night bc of location. Bring earplugs. Overall I would say good place for a few nights, for the price.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Simple but expected
The location is pretty close to bars and restaurants, as well as bus stops. Dublin is very walkable and the Kinlay House puts you in a good place to access most parts of the city. It was simple but clean and the service was friendly and helpful. The staff offered lockers to store our luggage in advance of checking in (though for a small fee) and booked our airport shuttle. The free breakfast was mediocre at best and the wifi was iffy in the rooms, but what can you expect? I would still recommend this place for those traveling on a budget. But beware, it will sell out for Saturday nights!

10/10 Excellent

Toni, Southampton

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place in the centre,perfect for cheap weekend
The location of Kinlay's is close to Dublin's castle and Christchurch cathedral, so very central. Very quiet nights.Breakfast was OK.We were a group of 4 youngish people and got a 4 beds room and it was clean and comfortable.reception staff was friendly and effective. The only little negative would be the bathroom and toilets which are not plentiful and not super modern or comfortable, but still OK for a hostel.I would definitely come back.

10/10 Excellent

Bumblero, Irish

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect city centre location
Could not be better.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
There are better hostels in Dublin
I can't believe this hostel won an award. Pros: the common areas were clean and the staff was friendly. Unfortunately, my room (shared 4-bed) was small and airless. It had not been cleaned for a long time, and my "roommates" had trashed the place. There was luggage and clothing all over. There were no individual lockers or bins - an easy thing that might have contributed to the room being cleaner. I had to store my suitcase in a locker located in a room off an alleyway open to the public, as there was no room at all for my suitcase in the room (at an additional 2 euro per day - and the lock was one that could easily be picked). The bathroom was unisex, the showers were push-button and WAY too hot - I got scalded. There was also no place for me to hang my clothing where they would not get wet, so I had to dress in the unisex common area when my shower was finished. Next time, I'll choose one of my tried-and-true Dublin hostels.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hostel
This is a great hostel, in the perfect spot close to temple bar and walking distance from lots of attractions while also being very close to the hop on and off bus tour. To top it off the staff are great! The rooms and facilities are clean and well kept and if you want advice on where is good for food or entertainment the staff are happy to help. We really enjoyed our stay and have no complaints!

10/10 Excellent

Alastair, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value for money
I enjoyed my time in Dublin including staying at Kinlay House hostel. I felt it was good value for money, clean and centrally located. Obviously it was not luxurious but I was interested in seeing as much of Dublin as possible and where I stayed only needed a clean bed to sleep in and somewhere to shower.

8/10 Good

ivana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

AJ, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Close to all Must-See Sights, Great Location
Fanastic hostel for the price. It's not 5-star living, but it's what you would expect from a hostel for that pricie. The staff was all nice and friendly, and my roommates were great. Awesome experience.

10/10 Excellent

Tania

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Helpful and nice staff. I met amazing people there. If one day I come back I'll definitely will choose Kinlay Hostel!!