The Dawson Hotel

Loved the location of this hostel, near to all sights, theatres and amenities. The staff are amazing! Friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable, they honestly made my stay. The hostel itself was clean and comfortable, the housekeepers do a great job. Price-wise it was more than reasonable too. A gem of a hostel in the heart of Dublin, can definitely recommend.

I have stayed in three Hostels in Dublin. This is by far the worst one. It is in an excellent location, but dont let that trick you. There is no breakfast. I went to microwave some soup but a party was hoarding all of the bowls to hold snacks. Steep stairs, and you will have to climb at minimum one flight of them. The room smelled like a stale fart and mildew even with no one in it. The carpets are all horribly stained. The bathroom light randomly does not work. I could go on but it's overwhelmingly a negative experience being here. I'd rather have slept under a bus stop than spent the money on this place.

This hostel has a great location, close to everything, and the staff is really friendly, but that's about it. The security is lacking, especially in the 20-bed dorms where you're surrounded by strange men, which makes the atmosphere pretty uncomfortable. For example, one of the older men shaved his beard, and all of his hair ended up scattered all over the floor, which was really unpleasant. Also, the smell in the rooms is unbearable, and there's no ventilation, making the air stale and suffocating. This is definitely not a youth hostel, the vibe is dull and not very social. The kitchen is in a deplorable state, and cleanliness is lacking. Additionally, the staff was very intrusive, checking our IDs every time we entered, even after a whole week of staying there. We also had a few minutes' delay in leaving the room, and they were really insistent and unpleasant about it. Furthermore, despite several requests regarding the smell and noise, nothing was done, and we had to put up with it for hours. Another major issue was the lack of privacy in the bathrooms, and there are no curtains for the beds, which is really awkward if you like some privacy. There was also an incident where some men in the room were praying in the middle of the room at 5 o’clock in the morning, which disturbed everyone trying to sleep. If you book a room with fewer than 20 people, it might be better, but if you're looking for a place to relax, this hostel is one to avoid. For the price of the 20 bed dorms I expected better.