Ho(s)tel Review: Kinlay House, Galway, Ireland

Let me put this out there first, because a). it makes me look brave and adventurous and b). it has bearing on the opinons presented in this review.  I have never stayed in a hostel.  Like, ever.  I never even had to go to sleepaway camp, unless you count Space Camp, in which case it was kind of like a hostel but shaped like a big rocket.  In any case, I have always considered the plausibility of my staying in one somewhere near the Never-gonna-happen List, sandwiched between walking across hot coals and going to an Earth, Wind & Fire concert.  When I’m a traveler, I want the surety of a clean place to lay my head and a mold-free shower I won’t be sharing with strangers.  They may have set the bar too high at Kinlay House, but so far the hostel experience gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up.

The Galway outpost of Kinlay House (there’s also one in Dublin and one in Cork) is located smack dab in the heart of the university town, one block from the train station, one block from about a thousand pubs and so annoyingly obvious at one corner of enormous Eyre Square that we walked right by it – twice.  In essence, you can’t miss the place, and it’s primo position at the pulsating hub of Galway’s lively village scene makes it a prime and inexpensive choice if you’re staying in the city.  Plus the international scene in the main lounge, from the Australian working the desk to the group of French students hanging all over the couches, made it a charming mini-model UN – a nice touch to make sure you remember you’re actually nowhere near home.

Amenities abound here, including free WiFi, a TV room (which we peered in twice daily to find the TV on but no one home…), free breakfast, free luggage storage, laundry and no curfew in the main lounge (for those who’ve spent a wee bit too long at the King’s Head and want to grab a few board games before stumbling to their dormitories).  Of primary concern to me was the breakfast, which though assessed as a “typical hostel breakfast…cereal and toast,” can be expanded on mornings the self-service kitchen is open to include hot food like eggs…or whatever else you can come up with.  

The dining room’s only downside is probably the large Last Supper-inspired painting that covers the entire back wall, which is completely indecipherable and slightly unnerving if you’re sitting beneath it.  Oh, and also maybe that there’s no jam for the toast. (Come ON…)

Like any hotel, there’s a variety of room types, from summer-camp-style dorms and shared bathrooms to en-suite private rooms, which we opted for and which I won’t invite jealousy by posting a photo of it’s awesomeness.  Suffice to say the room was clean, the bed was comfortable, the linens and towels clean, the hallway quiet and the door amply securable.  I noticed a severe lack of power outlets, which is slightly appalling in our Technology Age, as well as a shower whose tiled floor was on equal level with the rest of the bathroom, which means water will pool readily across the expanse as you wash up, but such are the things we put up with on the road.  For €30 per person it  was more than acceptable. 

Aside from all Galway has to offer in and of itself, one of the best things about the city is that it’s an ideal hub for exploring the surrounding central western coast of Ireland, and Kinlay House makes that triply easy for it’s guests:

1.  The bus stop/train station, as mentioned, are a block away and run transportation literally all over Ireland, from small neighboring towns (nothing like a rainy afternoon in Gort) to Dublin, Limerick, Sligo, Kerry, you name it.
2. Tours running to Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands and the Burren pick up literally across the street from the hostel, which
3. Kinlay House Reception will book for you at fantastically discounted rates.  My seasoned advice? GO FOR IT.

In summary I can look back on my first hostel experience with positivity and nostalgia.  Well, except for that freaky mural.

Kinlay House has been rated by Lonely Planet and Hostelworld.com as one of Ireland’s best hostels the past several years.  Rates vary by season and accommodation type.

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