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Review: Barnacles hostel, Galway & Dublin, Ireland

11/3/2013

8 Comments

 
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I feel that it’s important to start by saying now that I’m not the biggest lover of hostels, for as I age, the more I value comfort and quiet time, which most of the time you will be well short of when staying in a hostel. Typically the beds are small and cramped, and the rooms are crammed with beds and strewn with backpacker’s belongings, and most of the integrity of the buildings are managed weakly, and walls and floors are cleaned less than ideally often. With that said, perhaps I should refer to my hostel reviews as more like that of a ‘Cynic’s rant on the lesser things in travel’.
Okay, okay, I’m joking (sort of), but it is true, as you grow older, peace, quiet and comfort become top priorities when choosing travel accommodations. While I will always write with my honest opinion about a place, about an attraction or a product, I will also offer as fair judgements as I can – and as far as any and all reviews, I will always give you the good and the bad, while being fair as well. Just like with food, I don’t review food because I’m (mostly) a picky eater – however, I did once love hostels and even though I now require comfier beds and a full night’s sleep, I believe I can still offer an honest review for those readers interested in staying in a hostel.

I had the chance to stay at the popular Barnacles hostel in Galway in September, and then their Dublin location as well in October. By this time, I’ve stayed in over 50 different hostels ranging in 15 different countries over the past few years, so I have quite a bit of experience to work off of while reviewing the hostels I stay at. Instantly arriving to the Galway hostel I was impressed, because it’s so damn centrally located – right in the shopping/tourist district, yet still nice in that I only had to walk to the end of little street, take a right and cross over the bridge to escape the busier areas of town as well. The hostel staff were brilliant, fun and nice, and a good time to chat with – and helpful as well, as all hostel staff should be. My room was stuffed with beds, and for some reason each and every person had the amazing ability to come back at 4AM drunk, and then wake at 7AM fully refreshed and bouncing around the room – and so it is, the unfortunate part of staying in a part of town that’s famous for its late night pub crawls. I found that the rooms and beds were clean (which isn’t always the easiest thing to say about European hostels) and I had no issues with anything else in the hostel. It was a fine place to stay, especially if you’re interested in having an easy place to stay after a long night of drinking – but if you want to have your peace and quiet, with more than three hours of sleep, then you will want to choose elsewhere, away from the surrounding district.

I was graciously offered a three night free stay at the Dublin Barnacles as part of the TBEX (travel writer/blogger/media) Conference – which was very nice of the Barnacles crew! This hostel was also located in the busy, drinking district of Dublin – fondly enough, it’s right above the infamous Temple Bar pub. When I arrived, I cringed, thinking that I would have absolutely no sleep for the next three days, but since the building is so old, built with thick brick, the sound wasn’t too awful and sleep came relatively easy for me each night. You could obviously hear a bit of racket from the pub-goers throughout the night, but it really wasn’t too bad. The hostel was quite basic inside, and much more lax with the cleaning upkeep than the Galway location, to be honest. It has a nice common room and a full-range kitchen, which was the only place that the internet seemed to work, which incidentally forced me out of my shell, to be seen by the light of day and my fellow hostel-goers – so that was probably for the best, really, because lately, I seem to cramp myself up in my room, where I stay working for hours each day (because running this blog thing takes a whole lot more time and effort than a lot of people probably realize)

All in all, this review may sound mostly cynical, but you were warned prior to reading this article that I much prefer my comfort and my peace and quiet, but in reality, the Barnacles hostels are solid places to stay, as their locations are very, very central and overall, they’re pretty comfortable and clean (mostly).
8 Comments
Jacquie @ Must for Wanderlust link
11/3/2013 01:49:21 am

Sounds like a decent place actually! But then again I may be one of those who do like to come in at 4am & wake up for 7... Hahaha sorry :) x

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
12/11/2013 08:49:52 pm

Haha, to each their own. :) There was a time when I would stay up until the sun came up and then wake back up as the sun went down. I would do it all again the next day. Sigh, those were the good old days. As I grow older, I can barely make it to midnight without yawning a hundred times!
Enjoy life, do what you love!

Reply
Ian Phillips
11/3/2013 03:09:25 am

Here is an idea for a story. Travellers accomodation choices thru the decades
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
I want more comfort too but my wallet says keep in say 3 star range. Some older people feel almost entitled to expensive accomodation. I do not like 5 star because they are too pretentious for me. I do not like to be served and like to have some fun with the staff.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
12/11/2013 08:53:37 pm

You know what, that is a great idea for an article! I think that this type of information could be very helpful to many!
I can completely relate to staying within the three star range in regards to hotels. Once you get to the five-star hotels you tend to be paying for the looks rather than comfort. Although, with good research you can find a five-star hotel for a great price.

Reply
Ben
11/3/2013 04:54:07 pm

I had considered a hostel but discovered that many, especially in London, have upper age limits. My favorite places to stay are those small hidden gems - inexpensive and spartan - but clean and convenient. If I find one, I return again and again.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
12/11/2013 08:56:00 pm

Ah, yes! The small hidden gems are glorious to find! Many times the best of experiences are made through these type of hotel environments. Where is your favorite place to stay? It's hard for me to pinpoint my favorite, there are just too many. :)

Reply
Paula McInerney link
11/3/2013 07:56:59 pm

Just as there is this thing called 'middle aged' there is also middle ground with accommodation. We have recently stayed in a houseboat on a canal in Amsterdam, a B@B in Ghent and then a bit of a snotty guesthouse in Maastricht. We have stayed in cave houses, an old ottoman house - and all well were really very reasonably priced. Our main criteria as you said is centrality - that overrides everything.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
12/11/2013 08:58:24 pm

I think that a cave house would be an amazing experience. I would love to stay in one! An old style ottoman house would be interesting also.
It must be close to everything. Centrality is key! Where is your favorite place to stay?

Reply



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*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
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