The Hostelz.com Review
Kinlay House Hostel is very large but easy to get to from the bus station. It is also the bus stop for the Aran Islands if you plan to go there and bus tours to the Cliffs of Moher or the Burren and Connemara National Park .
The Location
Kinlay is located just a hop, skip, and a jump from the main square in Galway. It is three stories high but does get filled up on weekends. If you like to party at the pubs, Kinlay's location in the Eyre Square is perfect. There is twenty-four-hour reception so you can stay out as late as you want.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms are clean and the beds are very comfortable. Doors are locked therefore there is a required key deposit. At night, our room smelled terrible but we believe that to be little fault of the hostel -- little air circulation flows through the rooms. The halls and dorms themselves are kept nice and quiet by most travelers so sleeping is possible. There are no options of private rooms and the likelihood of getting the advertised price is only available if you book in advance.
The bathrooms are down the hall and are relatively clean. Showers are hot with good water pressure. Lots of people use these so we highly recommend showering in sandals!
Common Spaces
There is a large common room for eating or chatting but we found it hard to meet anyone other than the people in our dorm room. The common room is also open all night so you can continue the party up there if you want. There is both luggage storage and safes for valuables. Expensive internet access is offered with a few computers available or free wireless if you brought your own laptop.
The kitchen is rather pathetic with few decent utensils and cookware to use. The fridges are packed as well. Plus there are a lot of people staying there with the use of one small kitchen. A complimentary breakfast is offered from 8 to 10 a.m. with toast, cereal, juice, and tea/coffee (from a machine). The dining area is pretty packed so be aware of that if there are several of you who want to sit together.
Summary
Kinlay House Hostel offers little ambiance but does have nice beds to sleep in. It is not somewhere we would want to stay more than a night or two, but for a big city it is decent.
The Location
Kinlay is located just a hop, skip, and a jump from the main square in Galway. It is three stories high but does get filled up on weekends. If you like to party at the pubs, Kinlay's location in the Eyre Square is perfect. There is twenty-four-hour reception so you can stay out as late as you want.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms are clean and the beds are very comfortable. Doors are locked therefore there is a required key deposit. At night, our room smelled terrible but we believe that to be little fault of the hostel -- little air circulation flows through the rooms. The halls and dorms themselves are kept nice and quiet by most travelers so sleeping is possible. There are no options of private rooms and the likelihood of getting the advertised price is only available if you book in advance.
The bathrooms are down the hall and are relatively clean. Showers are hot with good water pressure. Lots of people use these so we highly recommend showering in sandals!
Common Spaces
There is a large common room for eating or chatting but we found it hard to meet anyone other than the people in our dorm room. The common room is also open all night so you can continue the party up there if you want. There is both luggage storage and safes for valuables. Expensive internet access is offered with a few computers available or free wireless if you brought your own laptop.
The kitchen is rather pathetic with few decent utensils and cookware to use. The fridges are packed as well. Plus there are a lot of people staying there with the use of one small kitchen. A complimentary breakfast is offered from 8 to 10 a.m. with toast, cereal, juice, and tea/coffee (from a machine). The dining area is pretty packed so be aware of that if there are several of you who want to sit together.
Summary
Kinlay House Hostel offers little ambiance but does have nice beds to sleep in. It is not somewhere we would want to stay more than a night or two, but for a big city it is decent.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2007
Their Description
Kinlay House Hostel Galway Details
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Kinlay House Hostel Galway Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Excellent! The best hostel I've ever stayed in. The staff here are the friendliest and most helpful people, made my stay in Galway fantastic. — Phil , Australian (2012-05-05) Delighted The location could not possibly be better. Great rooms, beds, showers, and atmosphere. What more could you want. — Anonymous , Irish (2011-09-24) It was so nice and the pictures in the lunchroom and in the womens bathroom are so beautiful. The Hostel is more like a Hotel then a youth hostel. When I will be again in Galway I will stay there. It is perfect! — Meike , German (2008-08-24) Best hostel i've stayed in! Kinlay house galway was great! It was one of the best hostels we've stayed in! The location was awesome, the staff was really nice and helpful, and it was a great place to meet people and party! We loved it and would stay again! — Ashley , Canadian (2008-04-30) The location was great, right in town, and close to the bus station. However, it's noisy and my room had mold all over the walls. Bring shower-shoes for the showers. — Corey , USA (2007-05-17) Stayed in a double room in this hostel and the bed was huge and very comfortable! This is the hostel that I would choose to come to on future visits to Galway. It has an excellent location on Eyre Square and is clean with lovely common areas. It has very reasonable prices too. Great place! — Lisa (2006-07-10) Really enjoyed it. Stayed in a 4 bed en suite-- great. Nice showers too, but the floor can get pretty wet. Nice and helpful desk staff. — Rachael, USA (2006-02-21) I only stayed here one night but found absolutely no reason not to stay longer. Good location, friendly staff, and the first decent hostel breakfast of my travels!
Pros
— Well located a few minutes walk from shopping, bars, the main square, but in a quiet pocket.
— Decent breakfast with toast, cereal, juice and coffee, and nobody rationing how much you have!
— Really friendly, helpful staff, great sense of humor
— Lots of showers in the bathroom so you don't have to wait too long (even if they get a bit soggy in the mornings!)
— Elevator for those long stairs and heavy bags!
Cons
— A little bit overbearing in terms of size and the common areas don't entice a lot of socializing. — Anarae (2005-11-10) It felt very clean and safe but it was so huge that it had zero personality. The common room was basically a gigantic cafeteria, so it was tricky to meet other travelers. However the location is decent enough. I would stay there again. — Davey H. (2005-02-22) This place was pretty good. It had big common areas, Internet access, and two kitchens — but one was FILTHY. It also had a TV room, free breakfast, friendly staff, and a good location. The beds were a bit old and crappy. It was a bit scary. — T & B (2005-01-28) I haven't been here in six years. But when I was a resident I felt more at home there than I have ever felt anywhere on this globe. The Kinlay is the best hostel anywhere. It's huge and small at the same time. If you're a frequent visitor of the sh*tty hostels in the European Union, take a few nights here to extinguish your fiery hatred for those lowbrow shacks you've had to stay in while traveling around and beyond the continent. — Hobday (2004-12-23) This is a great hostel, with an elevator, a huge space to eat with lots of tables, a nice staff, and it's clean! The bed was pretty uncomfortable, but it might have just been mine. I got upgraded to an en-suite room for free, though I booked a female room and there was a guy in it the first night. The only bad thing is the shower, which is even with the toilet so the entire bathroom floor gets soaked. Downstairs is a tour agency so it's easy to book a tour to neighboring attractions. — Anonymous (2004-12-11) This is a great place, perfect because it's on a quiet corner of the square, and only a two-minute walk from everything!! There is an elevator for those heavy bags! It's near everything. — Anonymous (2004-11-19) Kinlay House is all rock and roll, especially the staff! I LOVE those night-porters! Whoo-whee!!! This is, honestly, the best hostel I've ever stayed in. — Anonymous (2004-08-08) Pretty nice. The place has nice common areas and clean rooms. Get a room that's en suite, though--even then you have to share the bathroom, and the shower is on the ground, so the bathrooms can get a bit wet. Otherwise, this hostel is very nice, and has cheap Internet access that's speedy. — Emie, FL (2004-07-07)