Kinlay House Cork

Unhelpful staff (we booked an en-suite room but were given a standard room -- this was not rectified despite complaining to the staff) soured my traveling companion and me to the hostel from the get-go. My opinion of the hostel plummeted further upon realizing there was a kitchen curfew, which is ridiculous, not to mention profoundly inconvenient. To say nothing of the fact that our room was full of horseflies upon checking in. Other complaints -- the taps in our sink didn't work, the bedsheets smelled vile and appeared to be unwashed, there is no lift (rendering Kinlay House a poor choice for any traveler carrying luggage), there are/were too few bowls in the kitchen. To be fair, the Wi-Fi connection is good and the kitchen itself is very nice and spacious, though it's not like we got to see much of it with that stupid curfew in place. All in all, a waste of money.

It's ok when you will only sleep there
Positive -- Very central, Airport Busstop, beds are quite good and clean. Negative -- mildewed showers, some toilets were defect for days, broken windows and shutter, bad equipped kitchen (only one cooking place was working!), broken cupboards, in general a bit cold atmosphere.

Great city centre hostel, friendly staff, good value for your €
I really liked Kinlay House -- its location, the free breakfast, the staff were very helpful. Stayed in the Dorms and had no problems! Interesting decor too.

Very impressed by staff, cleanliness, kitchen facilities, and price.
I loved my top bunk next to the window with a view over Cork. I felt safe even though there were ten strangers in the room, but people were friendly and harmless. Good toilets. The free breakfast in the big bright dining/kitchen area is a nice touch considering I only paid 16 euro for the night when all other B&Bs were booked out. I liked the staff and the internet facilities and the television room were attractive. The only drawback on the Saturday night was that people came in all hours making a lot of noise -- not so much in the room but in the washing facilities next to it. I was extremely impressed I have to say with the whole experience as I haven't shared dorm with so many people for a long time and felt apprehensive about it. However the experience was so good that I would have no problem doing it again. SMS confirmation on booking nice touch too.

Would have stayed elsewhere if we could
Kinlay House is decent enough. My friend and I lived there for about a week and a half while looking for permanent accommodation in Cork. We moved from a ten-bed to a private twin. There is a weekly rate for those staying week long at €98 per person. The Hostel advertises free breakfast. Prepare yourself for toast and jam. Period. That's all. Not exactly the breakfast of champions. Internet is ridiculously expensive. Do not pay! Go to Wired to the World on either MacCurtain or North Main Street, or either of the other two internet places on North Main, and get your internet for only €1 an hour instead of €4 an hour. We had no problem with anyone stealing our food while we were there. Plus there is a "free food" shelf where people leave their leftovers (uncooked pasta, left over dressings) which we took advantage of. We had mold growing on our rooms roof and walls. Also, heating was sporadic. The room was not well ventilated (probably causing the mold) and we had to open the window every time we returned to air out the smell that comes from close living. Security is basically nonexistent. They give you security passes, but I was never asked to see mine. I'd go to the desk and ask for the key to my room, to someone who I had never seen before, and they gave it to me, no questions asked. However, we did enjoy being next to the Shandon Bells and their out of tune ringing. They were endearing, we loved them, and if you pay a fee, you can go up and ring them yourself. Overall, it could have been worse. But I would stay elsewhere over Kinlay if there are rooms available.

The Kinlay Deception
From management to personnel, from facilities to cleanliness, this hostel is utterly unacceptable. Personnel are rude and appear to be hyper vigilant about letting the "wrong" people in the hostel. There is no sense of being welcomed. After staying for a few days I asked a staff member if he wanted me to pay for the next night then or come back later as they appeared busy. The rude answer came -- "if you want the room, you'll pay now!" The rooms can range from acceptable to utterly filthy. The first room I stayed in didn't have proper ventilation. One window was sealed shut. When I entered it that evening I was almost knocked over by the stench! Another room had mold growing on the wall. The last room I moved to was reasonably ventilated, and with nicer beds. However, the bathroom floor was never cleaned by the staff. I had to do it myself. In this same room, there was a couple that was living there long term. On one occasion they were getting it on in the bathroom. On the last night that I stayed there the couple went out with another male guest, returned loudly in the early hours of the morning. When the male of the couple left for work, the women joined the second male in his single bunk and started noisily getting it on! When I asked the manager to address the issue I was told that I would be the one to move to and pay for a private room! When I indicated it was the couple that should be required to move to and pay for a private room, I was told I wouldn't be allowed to stay another night as this "wasn't my kind of place." He was right, and I happily checked out! The free Wi-Fi they advertise is not working. The second time I inquired about it the manager, not even looking at me, indicated it would not be fixed until next year. He then rudely closed the door in my face. The internet access they offer is at 4 Euros an hour. Four times the price of most internet cafés in city centre. There is a toilet just off the dining area with an open drainpipe from the men's urinal. You'll need to hold your breath if you intend to use it! The heat is only turned on for a few hours a day. There are only two small refrigerators and one freezer for this whole facility with nearly two hundred beds. The staff had not defrosted the freezer in so long that there was more frost and ice then room to put your groceries! In summary, the Kinlay House is poorly managed, the personnel are rude, the facilities are inadequate and filthy, the advertising is false, and how they manage to maintain their license to operate as a youth hostel is utterly beyond me. I am Irish, and this place is a disgrace to our people and traditions. From first hand experience, these photos do not tell the true story of this place.

Great! Would stay there again!
When we arrived receptionist was singing and very helpful -- great sense of humor! All the staff there were friendly and very helpful! Their smiles meant a lot. The rooms were clean and inviting (we stayed there on two different occasions). We stayed in a private twin room. They had metal bunk beds that were nice and firm for a good nights sleep. I found no problems with the showers (but in any hostel you have to check all the showers out to see which one is the best). They had separate washrooms/showers for guys and girls. Breakfast was tea and toast (got a lil sick of toast but gave us an opportunity to check out lil places to eat or we brought our own food in). The kitchen and eating area is huge. We really did enjoy our stay there. I look forward to staying there again!

Well first I should say that we left early also because Cork was so disappointing, but we had no desire to stay in Kinlay Hostel for a second night. Although we booked online, when we arrived they asked us to pay again. Luckily, we avoided being charged twice. Then we were told where our room was -- although we paid the rate for a private double room, we were put into a fourteen-bed dorm. The code for the door didn't work so the room was left unlocked with no place to store valuables. When we got inside, there was someone in one of our beds and an extra cot on the floor. The room smelled a little funky as well, which is to be expected when you pack that many people into a small space. While trying to sleep, there were two other people consistently snoring all night, which I know is not the fault of the hostel, but it just added to our overall experience. The next morning, we tried to shower after the rough night, to find out that the co-ed showers sure are hot, in fact so hot that the water is scalding. Neither of us could stand it long enough to actually get clean. I wet out to find a different shower, wandering through the most confusing building I have ever been in in my towel, but to no avail. When we asked to check out early, they somehow didn't seem surprised.

In this one, kitchen was far too small! Bedroom was small but rather clean. Good point, there was a sink in the bathroom. Showers were not that bad but looked like it was high tide time each evening (flooded!) . Insignificant staff, could as well not have been there, they were like ghosts roaming here and there. Real big problem was car park, a whole complex manoeuver was necessary each time you wanted to get out of the narrow street you had taken to get to the hostel (if you were lucky enough first to find room). Then, once you had found a place, when I was there, you had to hope that none of the teenage rascals drinking beer up there spit on your windscreen or throw stones at your wings. I saw it. Too bad, for the rest of the hostel was correct. With a really good-looking common room.

A large, somewhat impersonal hostel well located in Cork. Dorms were very clean with a nice en suite bathroom. There is a small friendly bar next door and a large computer lab with reasonably priced Internet. The common area was rarely in use when I stayed there, although it does have cable TV, comfy couches and a decent small breakfast.

It was a nice hostel, except a year later I got a fraudulent charge from them on my credit card!!

This place has a great atmosphere, and the staff are very helpful. Breakfast was very basic, but nice. The dorms are very nice and very comfortable. It's a great place to stay, especially for a single traveler. Keep up the good work, guys. I can't wait to come back again.

Good in so many ways. It's big, close to Cork city centre, pubs, cafes, etc. It is affordable in what you are getting–internet access, a regular, decent hostel breakfast, 24 reception, cleanliness, and a pretty cool common space. Drawbacks include total lack of security inside the room, but the place is totally worth it. Maybe not so hot on the socializeing deptartment. But that is why Cork is just outside

It was my first experience staying at a hostel and it was great. Surprised by the bunk beds but it was clean and close to attractions. The bathroom was so small. Staff very friendly. And if you know why the bells are ringing in the middle of the night it's even better. Pennsylvania, USA