Pros:
very new & clean, very close to town
Cons:
lacking in character & atmosphere
Rhiannon07
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
At the time of my stay (early July 2008) this hostel was very new - I got the impression that it had only opened that summer. Parts of the hostel were not quite finished (e.g. there was still plastering to be done in some of the toilets), though this has probably since been addressed. The owner seemed a bit overwhelmed by the task of running a hostel and a guesthouse (next door - also not completed), and was always in a hurry. However, he was always friendly and helpful to us wherever he could be.
The hostel is fairly small, with modern furnishings, and was very clean. The rooms are a decent size, and there are some comfortable sofas in the dining area. The kitchen however is surprisingly small for the size of the hostel (any more than 3 people at a time & you are stepping on each other) & at the time was not very well equipped at all. The kitchen closes at 10pm sharp - when I mean closed, I mean the door is shut & locked. There is no possibility of getting a cup of tea or a glass of water after 10, which is very frustrating. Ontop of that, all the windows and the door to the outdoor table are locked too. To be quite frank, sitting in there in the evening was not an enjoyable experience, we felt like we were sitting in a prison & had to go out for a walk. This seemed to be a rather obsessive adherence to health & safety regulations rather than the owner's personal preference, and may change in time.
We were unlucky I think to witness some unpleasant scenes during our stay. The owner & the manager exchanged harsh words (to put it politely) on a couple of occasions, supposedly out of our earshot, which I can put down to stress above anything. There was an unpleasant event one evening due to a late arriving group of tourists, who were verbally abused by both the owner and the manager fro being late. The guests were remarkably relaxed about the whole event, but my 2 friends and I who were up to witness it were unfortunate enough to be involved by having both owner and manager venting their frustrations upon us. This reflects the unprofessional attitude the way the whole situation was managed.I am hesitant to completely disregard this hostel. It has positive attributes, and is in a good location. Given time, once the owner & manager have found their feet, this may be a fine hostel to stay in. I am sure there are other guests who found little fault in their stay. We only stayed for a few nights, but my overall impression is not a good one. If I return to Portree I will be staying in the Independent Backpackers round the corner.
