I have been to the Avalon recently. I had a twin room with ensuite shower and toilet. The bathroom was disgusting. It smelled like a wet towel after three weeks in the backpack.The breakfast is a joke. All you get is a paperbag with a muffin, a small yoghurt, a small package of orange-juice and a banana. Coffee is o.k.I payed about 75 Euro per night, which is by far too much. The location itself is ok. Most of the interesting places in Dublin are within walking distance.There is a bus stop close to the Avalon. Usually you get from there to the airport quite easy. In my case the busses didn´t stop due to a sports event in town. I had to take a taxi to the airport for 28 Euro!
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(Review ID: 4012)
Great hostel and great location!, September 4, 2002
Reviewer:
Paul Roberts
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I agree with Straw from Vancouver, Canada. I don't know if the other reviews are reviewing the same hostel but most of them are very much the opposite of what I experienced there just weeks ago. The only thing is that the hostel staff is not that great and not everything is explained to you. The computers are off limits after 1am or so and the staff is usually surfing porn on them after that and then rudely tell you that you can get something out of the vending machines, but the area is off limits after 1am. Globetrotters is by the far a better place to stay and very close to O'Connell St/Bridge, Trinity College and Temple Bar.
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(Review ID: 4013)
a dump with the worst staff ever!, August 1, 2002
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they screwed up our reservations. We had a room that shared a single bathroom with all others on the floor. Room had a broken window blowing cold air over my bunk, no heat in March and it was COLD!!! Bathroom was out of toilet paper - desk staff was rude and hostile and told us to find some ourselves from another bathroom on another floor. The "great breakfast" was a miserable stale muffin, warm yogurt - vegetarian breakfast - they just take out the yogurt! Go to Globetrotters!!!!
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3 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4014)
Don't believe the hype!, July 23, 2002
Reviewer:
niamh
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Went there based on its top-5 hostel rating a few years ago. No wonder it fell off the list! I fully agree its a homeless shelter with a pretty good breakfast. (Most) staff were unhelpful and rude, stuffing up our booking, then double booking beds so 1 friend was kicked out of her bed at 3am (yes by a homeless guy!) Bathrooms were dirty and the showers TOO hot!! From other backpackers Globetrotters is the best. Avalon is a satisfactory hostel and not the worst ever - but not all it is said to be by the website!
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(Review ID: 4015)
Nasty, February 14, 2002
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I was only there for 2 nights..the people are rude and the bathrooms are so nasty. It is like a homeless shelter..people living there for weeks at a time. Really gross but if you are only there for 1 or 2 nights you can suffer through the grime.
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(Review ID: 4016)
Don't believe the other reviews!, December 1, 2001
Reviewer:
Straw
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I don't know if the other people who submitted reviews are used to staying in the Hilton or if they are from a rival hostel but - I have been here almost three weeks now. After going to almost a half a dozen hostels in Dub. I think this one is BY FAR THE BEST so far. The showers are a bit cramped but other than that the only complaint might be that they can actually be TOO HOT! Believe me that is amazing in Dubin where 9 out of 10 places have cold showers. The breakfast is second only to the Globetrotters, muffins, orange juce, good coffee, yogurt, banana. Someone wrote that they don't have any place to sit and no lounge but that is simply not true , there are tons of tables and chairs, TWO TV rooms (with cable), THREE pool tables (50p), computers (a little expensive), arcade games, sofas.... I mean what more could you want except maybe a partridge in a pear tree (or a bar)? Also the location is just fine! South you have the Bleeding Horse (Oscar Wild's favorite pub) and just north, Temple Bar. Almost every bus in town stops right in front of it. Security is good, efficient but not excessive. But if you are arriving on the weekend you better book WEEKS in advance, and even then... Ask for a 12 bed dorm with a bed on the second level. The rooms are two levels and the second level is split again so really it is almost like a twin (plus they look cool). If you don't like this place, try the Globetrotter, if they have finished renovating, I think it'll meet your highest expectations (for a higher price of course).
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5 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4017)
A sort of homeless shelter, July 22, 2001
Reviewer:
Maya
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Not so good. 28-bed room resembles a homeless shelter with lots of shiftless types. Smaller rooms are better, but still a bit cramped. Kitchen's all right and bathrooms are fairly clean (with fairly good pressure). Lots of families and school groups along with the occasional bum. Location's not so great, a bit of a stroll away from the centre of town with some not-so nice areas in between. There are better places to stay in town than this one.
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(Review ID: 4018)
too cramped, poor kitchen, no lounge, June 7, 2001
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location is ok, luggage storageonly mixed dorms (no female dorms)toilet/shower cubicles are tiny, no space to movedorms are too crampedkitchen facilities poor and not very cleannowhere quiet to sit, no lounge etc., only the noisy kitchennice cafe
