Linen House Hostel

Nightmare. In spite of reserving room two weeks in advance, we arrived to be told they were overbooked and we'd have to go to another location. We were then given wrong directions across town which we only discovered after a long walk and two fraught phone calls to the Linen House . When we eventually found the alternative accommodation (by paying for a taxi back across town) the room was small and squalid and had a small double bed instead of the twin we reserved. When we rang the hostel again to be told we had been given the wrong room number and key. After another significant wait someone arrived and showed us in to a slightly larger squalid room. I complained about the way we were treated but received nothing but a hollow apology. I also sent my complaint to the 'owner' in writing because they would not even furnish me with the name of someone I could address my complaint to. I have not been afforded the courtesy of a reply.

One word: cheap. Another good thing is that you can wake up, get out of there and visit Belfast City. The kitchen was operational, though I think there were like 28 beds or something in our dorm!!! Pretty rough but I survived. The Internet seemed to work ok.

DEFINITIVE REVIEW- I am a native of Northern Ireland, and in fact I used to live in the street next to this hostel. Over the past three years I have stayed there many times. Firstly the area. The city center is not a very safe place to be after dark, with gangs of youths (very dangerous!!!) roaming around after dark, as after 5 p.m. the entire city center closes down except for the few pubs and clubs in the area. I wouldn't advise anyone to hang around outside in the evening or at night. Police presence is zero. I know from experience. When I lived in the area last year for six months, I was attacked coming home from the pub one night and both my flat mates at the time were severely beaten. One had the teeth kicked out of his head — literally. But as for the hostel, it may be basic and the staff have never been in the least bit friendly. Toilets and shower rooms are in short supply, so be prepared to wait — if you've a weak bladder you are in trouble. Showers are a bit makeshift-looking but clean enough. The rooms are fine — as good as any hostel — they are clean and I have never gotten a rash or hives from the beds, as other reviewers have reported. It is very convenient to the gay bars and clubs, which is the only reason I stay there. I would really suggest in terms of safety and things to do that backpackers stay in one of the hostels nearer Queens University, as that area is quite lively after dark. It has lots of cafes, bars, clubs etc. and is certainly 100 percent safer than the city center post 5 p.m. I hope this helps.

This place is a dump. It has sour staff, shabby rooms, and it's dark, loud and dirty. Please save yourself — don't go.

I thought this hostel was quite nice. It had an old fashioned kind of feel. I don't know about the dorm rooms, but I was in a double room and it was really nice — TV, wardrobe, and nice wooden floors!

We had a little hassle checking in, as our booking could not be found. There were no apologies when the staff thought they had double-booked. I found the staff extremely rude. There was no interest in helping the guests or making them feel welcome. The staff came across as lifeless. The hostel's public area is shabby, but the rooms are quite acceptable. I would NEVER stay here again. It's cheap, but I rather pay more and feel good about who I give my money to. Kent St. is also very dark and unpleasant.

I liked this place overall. The rooms were really hot and it was pretty noisy outside but other then that it was great. There was a bathroom in each room, which is nice, and the kitchen is really nice too. I'm not sure about the location because we just pulled up in a van. The internet connection was a little slow, but it's cool.

This hostel is located in the north of the city. It doesn't have many facilities and the internet access is quite strange. It cannot access Hotmail or Yahoo mail. You can only go online to find information!! By the way, this hostel's shower system is not in good condition. The used water is flooded in the bathroom as there was a block where the water drains.

The hostel's okay, given its low price. It's rather shabby. There doesn't seem to be a change of linen for the beds. The door to the hostel is located in an alley that can get pretty dark at night.

This was a terrible experience. I booked a room 6 weeks ahead of time and when I showed up, they said a Paddywagon had come and taken all the beds (that they hadn't reserved) and that they couldn't fulfill my reservation. They didn't do anything to help me find a new place and they almost refused to give me back the deposit money I had put down for them to reserve the room that they didn't reserve for me. It was terrible and the guy at the desk was rude and so unhelpful. It is ridiculous that I reserved a room but when someone else came along they gave it to them, even though I definitely got there on time. It was terrible, don't go!