Formerly a hotel, Abigails Hostel still feels more like a comfortable budget hotel than a hostel. It is not oozing with character, but it has all the essentials (and then some), and that slightly institutional, chain-hotel feel can actually make a nice change for those who have temporarily had their fill of the more "authentic" backpacker hostels. The prices are some of the best in Ireland, and there are a lot of little comforts that help make your stay extra comfortable.
Located on Aston Quay right along the River Liffey, just across the river from the main bus station and O'Connell street (and the Spire of Dublin), one block from Temple Bar, and within reasonable walking to distance to pretty much everything in Dublin, you really couldn't get a better location. Being in a central area and along the river, Abigails is extremely easy to find and right in the middle of the action, yet not physically connected to some of the bars and pubs of Temple Bar as some other hostels are, meaning you can still get a good night's sleep.
The best thing about this place is that all rooms are en-suite, and the bathrooms are clean and of a comfortable size, complete with bathtub, sink, toilet, mirror, soap dishes, soap dispenser, hooks, towel racks, and shelves. The water in the shower doesn't get that hot, but it certainly isn't cold, and the bathrooms (and the hostel in general) are very heavily heated, so being cold is never a problem. Private rooms, as well as six- or eight-bed female or mixed dorms are available. All are fairly spacious and have several little bedside tables/cabinets, closets with shelves and hangers, and sometimes a desk. There are no in-room lockers, but electronic lockers are available in the reception area for a day rate.
There are two types of mattresses available: either the soft, springy kind or a very firm foam kind. You get a fresh sheet and pillowcase when you arrive and can trade them in for clean ones at any point during your stay. However, the comforters on the beds, though comfortable, are of varying levels of cleanliness. Some are spotless and seem freshly cleaned or even brand new, while others are more worn and sometimes don't smell or look too fresh. The rooms are warm and cozy. They all have double-paned windows that will block out the noise on the street and light-blocking curtains, so it's a pretty good place to get a good night's sleep.
In the reception area there are two large sitting rooms with big screen TV, big comfy couches, coffee tables, and reading materials. There are a variety of things to check out at reception such as board games, DVDs, and travel books. There is free Wi-Fi access available throughout the building, as well as two (very slow) internet computers available for guests to use for free. The atmosphere is friendly and calm but not overly social. It is easy to meet people, hang out and chat, but it is certainly not a party hostel and there is not really a feeling of "togetherness" in the hostel. You must show a passport upon check-in, and a good majority of the people seem to be potential long-termers (young foreigners doing working holidays, for example). Several locked luggage rooms are available to store your bags for free on the days you are leaving or arriving. There are also things like adaptors available at reception for a deposit, which is returned when you give it back to them.
The kitchen and dining room are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and free breakfast (toast, butter and jam, cereal and milk, coffee, tea, and juices) are served until 9:30 a.m. The kitchen is adequate, if very industrial and somewhat small for the amount of people in the hostel. There are two fridges available, but oddly there is no place to store your non-refrigerated food except for the cabinet that is very clearly marked as the "Free Food" cupboard, which can obviously lead to misunderstandings. There are several other quirks about the kitchen, including the non-working oven, the extremely hard to light stove, and the inexplicable fact that the water from the kitchen sink is apparently not ok to drink (you have to ask reception for drinking water).
The hostel has a strange key system. There are only two keys per room, so guests are required to turn in their keys when they leave the building and show their receipts when they come back in order to get the key to their rooms. However, if all the keys have already been taken, you just have to hope someone will be there (and awake) to let you into your room.
Despite its quirks, Abigails makes a great base for exploring Dublin, and though not overly social, it is probably one of the more comfortable (and reasonably priced) hostels in Europe, and certainly of the best deals in Dublin!
— Informe exclusivo de Hostelz.com
November 2008
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