With all the hotels (and one hostel) I have stayed in, this one must have been the rowdiest... Ok, look, Miss Pinky and I were on a budget. So I had to pick the cheapest but also near to the City Centre... The Generator Hostel was in our price range and it wasn't too far from the City Centre (about a 15 minute walk). I can't remember the price per night as I booked it as a package deal with www.travelrepublic.co.uk (but they do mention how much the flight is when pre-booking).
From the airport you can either take a local bus 16 but you will need to change or walk along River Liffey to Smithfield Square. If you can't be bothered to walk or get another local bus then take the 747 airlink coach. It's the 11th stop you need to get off. Once you get off, cross the river (mind you the traffic is a little weird because the traffic lights and crossings are not at both ends (if that makes sense)... Anyway, you need to turn right (don't go straight) and it's the second alleyway / side street that you need to enter. You will see Smithfield Square right in front of you. It's a magnificent scene. And you can see that the hostel used to be a factory from it's massive chimney. :D
Once we checked in at reception who I thought were helpful but not really that friendly. I've been to a lot hotels and they always have a welcoming face, politely spoken and you can easily ask questions. But at this hostel, I didn't feel welcomed at all. Sour faces. They seem to be tired and under pressure. (There was only one guy during the evening shift who seemed very friendly and bubbly!)... With a big hostel like this, they should have more reception staff!
When we got to our room the reception staff had given us a room with 2 bunk beds. I had booked a twin en-suite room! Reception never said we would be having bunk beds!! We even checked the bathroom which had no towels... *SHOCK*. I was expecting towels, so I hadn't brought one with me :( ... On their website it says twin rooms and private rooms will have towels... Well, anyone staying here, and will be sharing with other people make sure you bring a towel. At reception you can hire a towel for €2 or purchase one for €6... Obviously we hired one each!
The only good thing about the room was the artwork. The bunk beds were ok since they had their own lights and plugs at one end of the bed... Ah, there's also something different about this hostel... you need to make your own bed! i.e. put the bed linen on the mattress :P
If you plan to have a drink at the bar check out the chandeliers. They are so pretty. Also the bar serves the cheapest drinks around Dublin!!
If you plan to use the free wi-fi the best signal you can get is in the lounge area, the worse is in the rooms... You'll get one bar if you're lucky!
There isn't much shopping you can do around the area, but there are restaurants/ cafes, a few pubs and a local supermarket... and a Chinese gift store. You cannot bring any alcohol into the rooms by the way...
The one bad thing about the rooms as well is that you can hear your neighbours. So just be aware of how much noise they'll be! Plus the thump, thump thump sound of the music from the bar if you want an early night in!
The hostel is suitable for all types of travellers but are probably best suited for young teenagers / adults (I'm young, but not that young)... Plus if you need a good nights sleep, don't go here...
My geeky rating: 2.5/5
Good points:
- Very easy to get to
- Cheap drinks
- Suitable for the younger generation
- Cheap to stay in
Bad points:
- Unfriendly staff
- Bad wi-fi signal in rooms (you will need to ask reception for the password)
- No towels (as I booked a twin room and wasn't aware!!)
- Nowhere to hang clothing (a shelf would have been sufficient with a couple of hangers - like in Travelodge) Miss Pinky and I used the back of the bunk beds to hang my coat and towel!
- Noisy nights and mornings
Other points:
- Be aware of having to share with other people - well it is a hostel!
- Your swipe card lets you enter the building so you don't have to keep buzzing for reception all the time
Website: www.generatorhostels.com/en/dublin
From the airport you can either take a local bus 16 but you will need to change or walk along River Liffey to Smithfield Square. If you can't be bothered to walk or get another local bus then take the 747 airlink coach. It's the 11th stop you need to get off. Once you get off, cross the river (mind you the traffic is a little weird because the traffic lights and crossings are not at both ends (if that makes sense)... Anyway, you need to turn right (don't go straight) and it's the second alleyway / side street that you need to enter. You will see Smithfield Square right in front of you. It's a magnificent scene. And you can see that the hostel used to be a factory from it's massive chimney. :D
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| Re-using this picture - I cropped it this time ^^ |
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| Generator Dublin flag |
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| The Generator Hostel at night |
Once we checked in at reception who I thought were helpful but not really that friendly. I've been to a lot hotels and they always have a welcoming face, politely spoken and you can easily ask questions. But at this hostel, I didn't feel welcomed at all. Sour faces. They seem to be tired and under pressure. (There was only one guy during the evening shift who seemed very friendly and bubbly!)... With a big hostel like this, they should have more reception staff!
When we got to our room the reception staff had given us a room with 2 bunk beds. I had booked a twin en-suite room! Reception never said we would be having bunk beds!! We even checked the bathroom which had no towels... *SHOCK*. I was expecting towels, so I hadn't brought one with me :( ... On their website it says twin rooms and private rooms will have towels... Well, anyone staying here, and will be sharing with other people make sure you bring a towel. At reception you can hire a towel for €2 or purchase one for €6... Obviously we hired one each!
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| Our bunk beds... sorry for the mess, we slept in them before I took pictures :P |
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| I like the artwork!! ^^ |
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| I also like the chandliers made of Jameson bottles! Cool! |
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| Lounge area |
The one bad thing about the rooms as well is that you can hear your neighbours. So just be aware of how much noise they'll be! Plus the thump, thump thump sound of the music from the bar if you want an early night in!
The hostel is suitable for all types of travellers but are probably best suited for young teenagers / adults (I'm young, but not that young)... Plus if you need a good nights sleep, don't go here...
My geeky rating: 2.5/5
Good points:
- Very easy to get to
- Cheap drinks
- Suitable for the younger generation
- Cheap to stay in
Bad points:
- Unfriendly staff
- Bad wi-fi signal in rooms (you will need to ask reception for the password)
- No towels (as I booked a twin room and wasn't aware!!)
- Nowhere to hang clothing (a shelf would have been sufficient with a couple of hangers - like in Travelodge) Miss Pinky and I used the back of the bunk beds to hang my coat and towel!
- Noisy nights and mornings
Other points:
- Be aware of having to share with other people - well it is a hostel!
- Your swipe card lets you enter the building so you don't have to keep buzzing for reception all the time
Website: www.generatorhostels.com/en/dublin
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p.s. The receptionist marked on her survey form that I was Japanese under the nationality section!! How impolite for not even asking... I'm British!!
