Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Aran Islands for other available Aran Islands hostels and accommodations.
Please see Aran Islands for other available Aran Islands hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Mainistir Hostel is one of the few hostels available in the Aran Islands, located on the largest island of Inis Mor. During peak season, specifically July and August, it is very important to book ahead of time.
The Location
This hostel is located atop a hill, which means you have a bit of a hike from the pier where the ferry will drop you off. On the pier, you may rent bikes, which can make your trip easier if you can manage with your luggage. There are also vans available that can assist you if the kilometer walk is too strenuous. Once you reach Mainistir Hostel, you will see the walk is well worth the beautiful ocean view.
The "city centre" is situated around the pier including a few restaurants, shops, and one grocery store that you will pass by on your way to Mainistir. You will also pass the most popular of the island's bars, Joe Watty's, which usually offers live music at night and a pleasant mix of locals and tourists.
The island is one of the few remaining places where the primary language is still Gaelic but English is also prevalent. The landscape is ideal for long walks and bike rides to megalithic forts, towering cliffs, and beaches. The weather changes fast so you will want to be prepared with numerous layers of clothes. Plus it is almost always windy!
Rooms and Bathrooms
Mainistir Hostel offers four dorm rooms with six beds in each, private double bed en-suite, private double bed, and private twin bed. A key deposit is required which means you can lock up your belongings in your room. Of course in the dorms you do have others who will be sharing that space. Therefore keep valuables with you if you are worried about them.
All dorms and shared bathrooms are kept reasonably clean. The sheets may have a stain or tear. The bathrooms offer free, hot showers with plenty of counter space, mirrors, and hooks for clothing (although, sometimes the hot water goes out, so before you take a cold shower ask the staff to fix the problem).
Common Spaces
The clean and tidy lobby offers a great place for meeting other travelers, reading, using the internet (with free wireless access), or just enjoying the view out the front windows. There are also two picnic tables out front you can enjoy a drink, meal, or smoke. Bottled water and soft drinks are available at the front desk and the friendly staff can assist you in getting a rental bicycle, van pick-up, or offer directions to the best spots on the island.
The hostel is generally quiet during the day and late at night when most are out and about. The evenings offer a nice time to chat with staff and travelers.
A complimentary breakfast is offered from 9 to 10 a.m. with coffee/tea, cereal, toast (and every other day oatmeal and/or juice).
As long as you make reservations, an amazing vegetarian dinner of Caribbean-style cuisine is made nightly by the owner, Joel. This buffet is some of the best food available on the island (and all of Ireland, if you like food other than pork and beans or fish and chips). At 8 p.m. sharp, soup is served, followed by the main course, and a freshly made dessert with coffee or tea. Feel free to bring your own wine or beer, since water is the only drink served with the meal.
Summary
It's worth mentioning that the owner doesn't like people and can be rude. And the staff are somewhat more accommodating, but also will be rude to you if you get on their bad side. Apparently the off-season is not recommended, as at this time all staff has left the island and it is just the unfriendly owner.
All and all this is a wonderful place to stay if you are trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city or if you just prefer a smaller, more intimate setting. On the Aran Islands you are likely to see sun for at least a part of the day and get some good exercise if you are up to the challenge. We met numerous fun and lively people during our week's stay at Mainistir Hostel and would recommend it to anyone!
The Location
This hostel is located atop a hill, which means you have a bit of a hike from the pier where the ferry will drop you off. On the pier, you may rent bikes, which can make your trip easier if you can manage with your luggage. There are also vans available that can assist you if the kilometer walk is too strenuous. Once you reach Mainistir Hostel, you will see the walk is well worth the beautiful ocean view.
The "city centre" is situated around the pier including a few restaurants, shops, and one grocery store that you will pass by on your way to Mainistir. You will also pass the most popular of the island's bars, Joe Watty's, which usually offers live music at night and a pleasant mix of locals and tourists.
The island is one of the few remaining places where the primary language is still Gaelic but English is also prevalent. The landscape is ideal for long walks and bike rides to megalithic forts, towering cliffs, and beaches. The weather changes fast so you will want to be prepared with numerous layers of clothes. Plus it is almost always windy!
Rooms and Bathrooms
Mainistir Hostel offers four dorm rooms with six beds in each, private double bed en-suite, private double bed, and private twin bed. A key deposit is required which means you can lock up your belongings in your room. Of course in the dorms you do have others who will be sharing that space. Therefore keep valuables with you if you are worried about them.
All dorms and shared bathrooms are kept reasonably clean. The sheets may have a stain or tear. The bathrooms offer free, hot showers with plenty of counter space, mirrors, and hooks for clothing (although, sometimes the hot water goes out, so before you take a cold shower ask the staff to fix the problem).
Common Spaces
The clean and tidy lobby offers a great place for meeting other travelers, reading, using the internet (with free wireless access), or just enjoying the view out the front windows. There are also two picnic tables out front you can enjoy a drink, meal, or smoke. Bottled water and soft drinks are available at the front desk and the friendly staff can assist you in getting a rental bicycle, van pick-up, or offer directions to the best spots on the island.
The hostel is generally quiet during the day and late at night when most are out and about. The evenings offer a nice time to chat with staff and travelers.
A complimentary breakfast is offered from 9 to 10 a.m. with coffee/tea, cereal, toast (and every other day oatmeal and/or juice).
As long as you make reservations, an amazing vegetarian dinner of Caribbean-style cuisine is made nightly by the owner, Joel. This buffet is some of the best food available on the island (and all of Ireland, if you like food other than pork and beans or fish and chips). At 8 p.m. sharp, soup is served, followed by the main course, and a freshly made dessert with coffee or tea. Feel free to bring your own wine or beer, since water is the only drink served with the meal.
Summary
It's worth mentioning that the owner doesn't like people and can be rude. And the staff are somewhat more accommodating, but also will be rude to you if you get on their bad side. Apparently the off-season is not recommended, as at this time all staff has left the island and it is just the unfriendly owner.
All and all this is a wonderful place to stay if you are trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city or if you just prefer a smaller, more intimate setting. On the Aran Islands you are likely to see sun for at least a part of the day and get some good exercise if you are up to the challenge. We met numerous fun and lively people during our week's stay at Mainistir Hostel and would recommend it to anyone!
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2007
Mainistir House Hostel Details
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(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Location/Contact| Address | Mainistir, Aran Islands (Inishmore Island), County Galway, Ireland |
| Website | www.mainistirhousearan.com |
| Telephone | +353 996 1169 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Rude staff, unreasonably priced, dirty, smelly ... the list is endless By far this excuse of a hostel is the worst ive ever seen on all accounts. Firstly I think youd need your head checked if you hand over money to stay here its a kip. Not a good location. Better toilet and shower facilities at a music festival. The owner is the rudest most obnoxious man Ive ever laid eyes on. He made you feel like an inconvenience to be there even though we were after payin e50 (more than the local hotel price) to stay. We were locked out of the hostel when we returned from our evening out, our room was cold, beds so uncomfortable, tea and coffee facilities in the room were FILTHY. Breakfast was inedible and while we were barely tolerating a cup of tea we were told to leave. It was so disappointing to say the least. Let just say if I had to sleep rough or stay there for free Id be sleeping rough, not worth the hassle!! Do urself a favour and stay away from this dive!! — Lisa , Ireland (2011-06-27) Unfriendly and badly kept My friends stayed at this hostel for one night and I stayed at the campsite near it and the campsite was far better. The owner of the hostel is abrupt and mean, the hostel itself is not comfortable and can get very cold. A stay at Mainstir Hostel will ruin your holiday! — Siobhan , Ireland (2010-06-28) Unhygienic, unfriendly I stayed in a dorm bed at this hostel for a night at the end of October '09. If I had arrived earlier in the day I would have moved to another hostel however it was too late for this. Thankfully the room was clean and I felt comfortable sleeping there for a night. Apart from that, I was disappointed and upset with my experience at this hostel. Even though I had made a reservation, I had to plug the kitchen fridge in and wipe it clean to use it and the smell from the dirty saucepans in the cupboard was certainly enough to put you off eating altogether! The cereal provided for breakfast was stale and served in a dirty container. The man who greeted us and attended the front desk was not friendly and had a very short manner. I found it hard to appreciate the relaxing music and nice view in this unhygienic and tense living environment. I would strongly recommend finding places other than Mainistir House Hostel if you want to enjoy your visit to Inishmor. — Happy to go elsewhere , Australian (2009-11-03) Very cold and damp We were here for tedfest and there was no heating in the middle of winter in the dorm rooms the radiator leaked onto our clothes. There was so much damp that there was mildew on the duvets. The only good thing about it was the tea! — Madeleine Carroll , Ireland (2009-03-03) For the best (yet cheapest) food in the islands, stay here This hostel was a fabulous place to stay. Don't be put off by some of the bad reviews below -- my private room was extremely clean and decorated in a lovely way. It was also equipped with tea-making facilities, bathrobes, lamps, armchair, and magazines. And it was no more expensive than a private room in the other hostels on the islands. The owner of the hostel is a very talented cook who takes great pride in what he does. In the morning, our complementary breakfast included the most delicious brown bread and muffins straight out of the oven. The evening dinner is probably the best you can get in Ireland for that price. He even made homemade ice-cream which was served in a liqueur for dessert. He uses fresh herbs and vegetables in everything and there was more than enough of everything to eat. This dinner was the highlight of my stay and I met some interesting people in the dining room. If you're going to the islands, stay here. — Libby McGrath , Co. Cork, Ireland (2008-06-28) Love it Have stayed at this hostel multiple times. I love this hostel. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The food is great! especially the breakfast. Every time I have stayed there the service, food and accommodations have been great! cannot wait to stay there again! — frequent traveler , America (2008-06-18) Treated like Royalty I traveled London and all around the Irish Republic staying in hostels. Rule #1 -- they are not hotels, don't expect them to be like one. However from the moment we stepped in the staff were very friendly. Yes it is going to be cold on the Island, look at where you are -- in the Atlantic ocean. That is no fault of the staff. There are duvets on the beds and the owner ran around the hostel looking for a warmer room (which we never asked for). His meals at night are delicious! I didn't see any meat based soups at all, nor any fish. They do add a bit of meat based stuff -- they aren't claiming to be all vegetarian. They ask if you are so they can point stuff out, should you be a vegetarian. breakfast was actually the best breakfast i had in any hostel. All hostels i stayed in offered toast and tea. Here they served hot porridge (even had berries on the top of it one day) and a cold cereal as well. Before i left for Ireland i was terrified to stay here from all the comments on this site. But it was the best experience i had at a hostel. We were sad to leave. The staff are so awesome they become like friends. Great sense of humor. Great hostel! Oh, and they did have a lot of knowledge about the island. — Sara , Canada (2007-10-05) Well, this hostel was the worst I have been. It is dirty and stinky. The employees of hostel are not that friendly either. We stayed downstairs rooms and they are pretty bad. though for one night it was ok, but I wouldn't like to stay there longer. The upstairs rooms are nice and cosy and in the hostel's webpage the pictures are from these rooms. They really should add pictures from all the rooms to the webpage! And keeping the house clean and smile for the customers shouldn't be that difficult!
Wouldn't exactly recommend this hostel! — Heidi , Finland (2007-05-21) I stayed here for three nights in 2006, and although the four-bed dorm room was fine, the owner was an horrific snob and utterly unfriendly, unhelpful, and unhip. The food is described as "vaguely vegetarian," but at Mainistir House those are extremely relative terms. The dinners were laden with meat-based sauces, meat-based soups, and fish was served at every meal. As a vegan, I found both the breakfast and the dinner unacceptable. The veggie burger at the American Pub was a far better and much less expensive. I found that there is zero customer service here -- whatever staff -- mostly temporary blow-ins who know nothing about the Arans -- were generally invisible. The showers and toilets were unclean and usually devoid of hot water. Although the hostel is located a short distance from Kilronan, it's a very tough climb up a steep hill to get there. All in all, the craic was not good, and I will not stay there again, mostly because of the unwelcoming spirit of the place. — CaitO'R , Irish (2007-03-30) Extremely rude owner welcomed us screaming at us and made the rest of our stay very uncomfortable. He surely is a hard working man but that gives him no excuse for treating his own guests that pay him money like that! Cold water in the showers. Don't stay there unless you are badly stuck for accommodation. — Aga (2007-03-22) No doubt that this is the worse place on earth. For 50 euros (the price of the "private"bedroom for two persons), here is what we had. the most unfriendly staff I've ever seen (especially the guy called "Joël" who really should learn the meaning of the word "politeness"). a bedroom well-decorated but incredibly dirty and the beds were awfully uncomfortable. no shower working upstairs, so we had to go down on the ground floor and cross the lobby to go to the dormitories'showers. that was worth paying 50 euros to have some privacy! no keyroom and no locker (there was one but it was out of order, like the shower). breakfast is served from 8 to 9 a.m., and no exception is tolerated, so too bad for the people who have to take the ferry at 8:30 (the hostel is quite far from the harbour). Finally, the second night on the island we found a nice B&B --we were really relieved! — Caroline (2006-09-03) This was simply the worst hostel we stayed at in Ireland, a feeling shared the other guests we talked to. Even the vaunted mostly vegetarian meal wasn't very vegetarian and even for the carnivores wasn't very good, not even enough to justify the fifteen euro price. The inedible breakfast, complete with badly burned oatmeal and something apparently made of cardboard, was even worse. The place was undergoing a slow-motion rennovation of some kind, so there was lots of debris and garbage about. The renovation didn't seem to have made much progress for a while, but it did mean no showers on one floor. Why they couldn't have at least stacked the debris under a tarp instead of leaving it splayed about to destroy the view, I don't know, except that it's indicative of the general disdain the place seemed to show for paying guests -- staff behavior ranged from indifferent to rude. It was also quite chilly as the temperature was in the low teens but there no heat. It's a long walk from the ferry, and on a rainy evening you might wish for a room that felt like you were indoors. On the plus side, the room we stayed in was very nicely decorated, and the bed comfortable. Still, we can only conclude that the place maybe has the occaisional bipolar good moments either that or positive reviews are false. It's worth mentioning here that Inishmore (the island everyone visits) is a bit overblown -- there are heaps of booking agencies in Galway screaming for you to book a daytrip there. It's an hour-long bus ride to the ferry and then you just join this parade of tourists. For less money, you could explore some of the less touristed parts of the west (interior Mayo, say) for a far richer experience.
That said, there are things to see, and it's not a disappointment. Just, if you do go, be sure to stay at a different hostel (or B&B). — Felicity (2006-07-24) This was a great place to stay. Ok, the manager is not the best people person in the world but the friendly young staff more than made up for his coolness. They knew all about the island and were great company in the local pub at night. Whatever about the owner's demeanour, he is a great cook and the breakfast and dinners were wonderful. Go there. — rainer (2006-07-17) This hostel is relatively clean and the beds are comfortable -- the receptionist girl knew a lot about the island and was extremely helpful. It also has internet access, for a small fee. On the downside, the place was absolutely freezing and when we mentioned it, the manager was rude and indifferent. The walls are paper-thin and it feels like guests are not allowed in more areas than they are allowed. It is far and uphill from the harbor, so don't stay here if you have more than a bit of luggage or need to catch a ferry. The hostel in town is a much better bet. — Janna (2006-06-21) A wonderful place with great staff. Clean, bright rooms. Terrific meals. And the island is home to the friendliest people we've ever met. We're going back for a longer stay next time. — TOM & JUANITA WALSH (2006-05-13)