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Please see Belfast for other available Belfast hostels and accommodations.
Please see Belfast for other available Belfast hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Ark Hostel has a good reputation among travelers. Along the way we met several people who had stayed there and they all had good things to say. We would have to agree.
Located in the university district, very close to Botanic Station (about five minutes on foot), the hostel is only a leisurely fifteen-minute walk into the centre of Belfast. Facilities include a well-stocked kitchen, a large dining room (with only two tables), a separate TV room with comfy sofas, and an internet cafe with about ten computers. However, the internet cafe is quite expensive -- the cost is cheaper per minute the longer you use it for and it closes at 10 p.m., but there's an internet cafe back along the main street which is cheaper and open for longer.
The rooms are spacious, with lots of natural light, a beautiful breeze, and lockers for your gear. The lockers aren't big enough for your backpack but you could easily fit your day pack and any valuables in them. However, the beds are their downfall. They squeak (a lot) and you can feel the springs -- however, the bunks are very sturdy and don't shake (you can't have everything). The showers are wonderful. The girls will love them as they run hot and are big enough to shave your legs. There's room to get dressed afterwards and they have enough hooks so your stuff doesn't get wet.
To get there, exit Botanic Station and turn left. Walk three to four short blocks to the first traffic light (University Street). Turn left and it's right there on the corner. Beware if you have a old guidebook as the hostel used to be located in the other direction on University Street. But now, turn left onto University Street.
Located in the university district, very close to Botanic Station (about five minutes on foot), the hostel is only a leisurely fifteen-minute walk into the centre of Belfast. Facilities include a well-stocked kitchen, a large dining room (with only two tables), a separate TV room with comfy sofas, and an internet cafe with about ten computers. However, the internet cafe is quite expensive -- the cost is cheaper per minute the longer you use it for and it closes at 10 p.m., but there's an internet cafe back along the main street which is cheaper and open for longer.
The rooms are spacious, with lots of natural light, a beautiful breeze, and lockers for your gear. The lockers aren't big enough for your backpack but you could easily fit your day pack and any valuables in them. However, the beds are their downfall. They squeak (a lot) and you can feel the springs -- however, the bunks are very sturdy and don't shake (you can't have everything). The showers are wonderful. The girls will love them as they run hot and are big enough to shave your legs. There's room to get dressed afterwards and they have enough hooks so your stuff doesn't get wet.
To get there, exit Botanic Station and turn left. Walk three to four short blocks to the first traffic light (University Street). Turn left and it's right there on the corner. Beware if you have a old guidebook as the hostel used to be located in the other direction on University Street. But now, turn left onto University Street.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2006
Their Description
Ark Hostel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 44 University Street, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Location | |
| Website | www.arkhostel.com |
| Telephone | +44 2890329626 |
| Fax | +44 2890329647 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
good i run a travel club that go'es to the ark ever year 4 the past 6 year's and find it to be the best the staff are friendly and helpful and will go out their way to help you — john laird , scottish (2008-04-04) Good hostel This is a pretty nice hostel, friendly staff, but nothing special. It was hard to find as they had moved down the street from the address I had, and when I called to make a reservation, no one told me. We finally found it when we walked into an internet cafe to ask directions and they answered "you're here!" — Ben , USA (2007-06-02) Friendly hostel in restaurant district of town. Has a nice atmosphere and due to its small size you get to know the other guests and staff. The staff are also very helpful with booking black cab tours and suggesting things to do and see. Cooking facilities were decent and facilities generally clean. The mattresses in room two weren't well padded and you could feel the springs -- after a while you get used to it though. — Roger (Australia) (2007-03-25) Absolutely brilliant place, the staff were very friendly and helpful. Overall just a lovely wee place that I would definitely stay at again! — Rachel Lind (2006-08-22) The website I had made my booking through somehow cancelled my reservation but the staff at the Ark were nothing but amazingly helpful in sorting out the situation. I would definitely recommend this hostel to everyone, for its great location, fun atmosphere, and wonderful staff. They really helped make our stay in Belfast a great one! — Shelly (2006-07-06) This hostel is located in a fantastic location being close to good bars, cafes as well as a ten-minute walk into the city centre and bus station. The accommodation varied a lot in standard between dorms which was dissapointing, and only one shower had hot water. Having said that, the shower, beds, and linen were clean and the staff were friendly -- in fact the Where's Waldo look-alike on the front desk will happily consume your day chatting nonsense to you. All in all, not a bad hostel. The stay was fine, but it would have been appreciated if the staff hadn't allowed the gent in our dorm to bring back his new girlfriend. — Kate (2006-05-08) We stayed there for a conference at Queens University and I liked the location the best, and the staff people were very friendly. Thank you. — Frank (USA) (2005-02-26) We were in one of the private houses down the road. It was a nice little room with a bathroom in it, and the room was always well heated, which was nice after being out in the freezing cold! I'd say this is the best-situated hostel in Belfast, right beside the university and all the student bars (if you're a student and want to party. And Botanic is right next to it, too — good for restaurants. — Maire (2005-02-19) I have been in Belfast for a quite long time, over a year because of my strong Italian accent. Well, the Ark Hostel is definitely the best hostel you can find in Belfast and nearby, so I give it five stars. It is clean, which is very important, and the Australian staff are safely under the control of Paula, whom you can always trust. :-)) — Luca (2004-11-05) My partner and I just stayed the night here (October 2004). We found the (double en suite) room to be immaculately clean. The staff were nice and the location can't be beat. The mattresses were a bit pokey but other than that it was a very pleasant stay. They even allowed us to bring in our cat! That's getting rarer these days. I'd definitely recommend The Ark, especially for the price. — Randy (2004-10-21) The hostel is well-located, with nice staff and a nice kitchen. Everything else is not as good. There's only one shower!!! Only one toilet!!! Not too much is clean, and the common areas are too small and not comfortable. The beds are okay, although the dorms are really small (claustrophobic). If you can, go anywhere else. — Andres (2004-08-29) We stayed two nights--and they were completely awful!!! For six dorms (about 36 people) there is only one toilet and only one shower; neither are clean. The queue was a nice place to meet people. The tiny TV place is completly dirty, and the sofa is unacceptable. The kitchen was OK--little, but clean. They have coffee and tea facilities. The girl at the desk is really nice. The luggage storage is ridiculous--you can leave your belongings at the desk and you (or whoever) can have it without saying anything. It sucks! There's a 2 pm curfew. — Saray (2004-08-28) Friendly, helpful staff. We stayed here one night and found it quite nice. We were in one of their private houses down the road from the main building, and had a 7-bed room all to ourselves!! There was a nice kitchen and common room downstairs, although the kitchen seemed to be missing a few things. The mattresses were really comfortable, and it was a relatively quiet neighborhood. I'm not sure what the main building was like but it seemed nice. I would recommend it! — Avalon (2004-06-30)