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Avoid at all costs!, August 22, 2006
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Reviewer:
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Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
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Maintenance
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(1) |
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Cleanliness
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(1) |
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Facilities
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(1) |
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Atmosphere
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(1) |
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I stayed in this hostel for 1 night on a busy August holiday weekend. The hostel was closed when I arrived, but there was a sign saying to enquire at the shop across the road. I did so and paid in advance as requested. Fine so far. I then asked about the procedure for getting back in later - do I need a pass, key card, etc. I was told there was no reception or security and the outside door would be open - I'm not paranoid about security but this is just inviting trouble - anybody can walk from the street into your dorm in the middle of the night! Now I know Castletownbere isn't London or New York (BTW, I'm Irish but have been to both), but the days of leaving your front door open to all and sundry are well and truly gone - especially when it's other people and their possessions you're taking liberties with. Anyway, I decided to leave anything I valued in the car, and just left a sleeping bag on a bunk to stake my claim, and off I went.I arrived back to the hostel around 2.30am or so to a bit of a commotion. There were some other people there I recognized from my dorm. They explained that they had arrived back about a half hour earlier and found the hostel door locked! They had banged on the door and phoned the hostel owner only to get an answering machine. Eventually, one of the guys risked life and limb to climb in through an upstairs open window and opened up the place. I think the owner arrived later, but I was in bed at this stage. I noticed the pillow was quite smelly.Next morning I had a fruitless search through the toilets on two or three floors to find some toilet paper with no luck. The people in the dorm went out and bought some. I had to step over two guys sleeping on the floor of the landing outside my dorm - apparently they'd paid for a bed but didn't get one. I was then met with a shower with a blocked drain and a greasy shower mat, so had to stand in a couple of inches of someone elses filth while showering. The water level was getting dangerously close to the lip of the shower tray at this stage.I can honestly say this is the worst run accommodation (hotel, B&B, hostel or tent!) I have ever had the misfortune of staying in. The actual building is recently renovated and is well laid out and quite bright and airy. It seems to have the makings of a fine hostel with three (I think) floors and a number of dorms, with a good bathroom to each dorm. However there are some serious problems that need to be addressed here - security is non-existent, management invisible and the hygiene standards are poor. I'm only giving this place 1 star because I can't submit the review with 0 stars - I should have slept in the car.
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4 of
4 people found this review helpful
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