BUG Review
Ireland's first independent travellers' hostel is hidden behind Busárus and it gets a bit of noise from the Dart train. It is a clean hostel that features a big reception/lounge area that usually has live music on Friday nights. It also has a good kitchen and a small courtyard area.
Price Dorm bed €14-26 Single room €34-41 Double/twin room €62-76
Prices include breakfast Prices are in euro and are inclusive of all taxes.
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Reception Open 24 hours
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All ages, good staff, doors were loud, October 9, 2004
Reviewer:
Shelley Ann
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
I stayed in a single room two weeks ago. This was my first big hostel -- very loud with the doors opening and closing all night, but the bed was fine and bedding was clean. The bathroom got a bit smelly by the wee hours.The central location was ultra convenient, but a waitress in a nearby pub said the area was a little sketchy at night. I appreciated that I could lock my backpack up for one euro (and 10 euro refundable deposit) even when I hadn't stayed there for a week. LOVED seeing ALL AGES of hostelers there. (I'm 41)Smiling staff, e-mail access, and an Internet Cafe right next door. The worst thing was those freaking loud doors. All in all, it was fun. I'd stay again.
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(Review ID: 4056)
Decent Place, but Institutional, April 16, 2004
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
I stayed in April for 5 nights.Positives: I felt the neighborhood was very despite the rumors. I stayed out late, and never felt unsafe returning to the hostel. The place is run pretty well, it was acceptably clean, the kitchen is big and nicely-equipped. I didn't experience any trouble will the train noise. This place has character and good atmosphere; tons of people hanging out downstairs to talk to and meet. The linens seemed clean enough. It's located in a convenient location, next to lots of other hostels. The negatives: My two main complaints: #1: The dorm showers were cold. They are the type of showers where have no control over the temperature--just one button that you have to keep pushing every 30 seconds for the water to keep running. They weren't even warm. #2: The place is rather institutional. The staff were nice, but not particularly welcoming. You need a card to get into both the main door to the rooms, and into your room. I soon found this method to be rather annoying. You have to check in each day to reactivate your card, and even then, the card often didn't work, and I had to keep returning to the front desk to get it fixed. And with this system, I didn't feel more secure, because the main door to the dorms never closes properly behind you, so anyone could very easily walk right in past the very busy front desk area. And during the hours that they clean the place, the housekeeping staff leaves all the dorm doors wide open for 3 1/2 hours, even when not cleaning the rooms, so again, anyone could walk in the main door and into the rooms. Keep your important stuff w/ you or pay to lock it up. They lock you out of your rooms for 3 1/2 hours during the day to clean, which was somewhat frustrating. Bottom line: If you're looking for people to meet/atmosphere, and a place to get a decent night's sleep, you'll be satisfied here, but there are other places that are cheaper and less institutional-feeling in the neighborhood worth checking out.
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5 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4057)
great place... definitely recommend, December 5, 2003
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
issac's has been my favorite hostel so far.... its a good deal for the price.... rooms were pretty standard, but it was just a nice atmosphere.... felt very safe there... you get your own key to your room and there's a locker room to store your luggage during the day. bathrooms were clean and never had to queue.... 24 hour reception but the common area kinda closes down around 11pm which isn't so fun...met great ppl there and definitely recommend it to others!
2 of
2 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4058)
okay, but not the best I ever stayed at, November 27, 2003
Reviewer:
Annemaart
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
I went to Dublin last year and stayed there here for 3 nights. The staff was pretty nice, I remember, and helped us to try and find a room in crowded Galway. The location was okay, most sights in walking distance. However, I didn't like the fact that, because they had not managed to get our beds ready on time, we had to place our bags in a locker and pay for it. Also, when we booked an extra night and had to be moved to another room, they placed us not in another 4 bed female dorm but in an 8 bed mixed dorm, and didn't warn me about this. My travelcompanion has astma, so I'd booked us into a smaller dorm on purpose. Needless to say that night was not too pleasant for her. Last, but not least, the showers were cold.
1 of
2 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4059)
booked one night stayed a month, September 28, 2003
Reviewer:
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n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
we ended up staying in isaacs hostel as we missed our bus to glaway but we had such a great time we ended up staying a month. We were told we could only book four days at a time but it was no problem to extend your stay after the four days. the hostel reception gets very busy in the evening but its great for meeting lot's of different people from all over the worlds. great place to hang out in the city for a while
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(Review ID: 4060)
cheap hostel with cosy athmosphere, September 28, 2003
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n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
very nice hostel. very cheap price.staff were nice and friendly.
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(Review ID: 4061)
Fantastic, September 28, 2003
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n/a
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n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
great hostel in the heat of the city. very cheap but basic accommodation no frills. the staff were very friendly and helpful with advise on what to do and where to go for cheap beer:)))
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(Review ID: 4062)
Good - but not as good as it thinks it is, August 22, 2003
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
A charasmatic and friendly hostel, it's location is a little seedy but it's secure (you need to carry your booking receipt around if you're coming in late). The trains don't run at night so noise is only a problem if you want to sleep in. You have to push your way through a smoke-filled lobby and queue at reception to get attention, but the overworked staff are very friendly.Breakfast does not consist of muffins, it consists of one single muffin and they don't provide enough for all the guests, so if you turn up after 9 you might go hungry. You also have to pay for luggage storage if you check-in before 2.30pm.I also have a gripe about my room- there was a small window to the corridor above the door. Whenever anyone turned the corridor light on at night, it woke up everyone in the room, and you have to get up, go out the room and turn it off again unless you enjoy the noctural glow of a 60W bulb.Oh yes, and for some reason there were no mirrors anywhere. Why??? Otherwise it's clean and comfortable and you get an ISIC discount if you ask when you check in.
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1 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4063)
Typical urban hostel, July 26, 2003
Reviewer:
Nick Scott
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
I picked Isaacs because of -2- reasons:1- It was next to the bus station-2- All the nearby hostels were booked (ie Globetrotters, etc).I knew it had bad reviews, but it was my only choice.To summarize: The fridge was shutdown because a strange fungus sent 3 kids to the hospital, they were out of blankets/sheets/pillows, the shower was full of "glory holes", the train passed NEXT to my window, and the lobby doubled as a disco, making it hard just to register.However, the staff was extremely friendly. In fact, the hostel was originally booked, but the clerk scanned the records for nearly an hour, and found me an unused reservation. Also helped me with my gear, directions, email, and a few others things.
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(Review ID: 4064)
top hostel, June 1, 2003
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
Cheap, clean, secure and staff were great!what more could you ask for?
