Kinlay House

Great hostel! I brought my sister to Ireland in April 2014. I’ve been to Kinlay once before in a shared room and the experience wasn’t fabulous. Very tight quarters. But two years later I was back. We stayed in a private room. It was like a separate apartment/​condo. Modern, clean, and spacious! The location is perfect as well ! I’m glad I took a second chance, I would stay in that room any time I’m in Cork.

This place was very difficult to find. There’s no actual way to drive up to it, since it’s kind of in a courtyard. The directions never mentioned that and you can’t see that fish on top of the tower when it’s night time, so don’t rely on that. Street parking is available, even at 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Wifi signal was super weak, which was disappointing. Everything else was pretty much average. It’s a safe, not too shabby place to lay your head down & stay relatively close to the city center.

5 stars is a rarity for me but I must say:
Location: great
Rooms: great
Staff: great
Price: great
Having stayed in some dodgy hostels, single rooms that would be better described as cells, the room I got and the view were excellent.
For € 35 I got a single room with bunk beds, sink, plenty of shelf space and a great view. The do give you some sort of breakfast up until 9:30 but I wasn’t up that early. The place was busy, by the amount of people heading out on the Sunday morning, but I hadn’t heard anyone while in my room — no paper thin walls here.
When I travel somewhere I just need a place to sleep and this hit the spot nicely. I will definitely be coming back to cork and I will definitely be staying here.

The Kinlay House was my first EVER experience with a hostel… And I’ve gotta say, I’m a fan! For the price, it’s a great place to stay in Cork. It’s pretty close to the center of the city. Sure, the showering situation wasn’t perfect (though it wasn’t too bad!), and it was a bit cold inside… But for the price, it was just fine. My family and I split a 4-​person room, so we had a semi-​private sort of experience… So I have no idea what it’s like otherwise. They provided free toast w/​jam and tea in the morning. Nice! The kitchen seemed fairly well stocked, and we made dinner in there one evening (pasta, nothing too complicated, but it works!) The staff & other people staying at the hostel were all very friendly, and it totally made me feel comfortable staying at hostels in the future. I would definitely recommend Kinlay, and I would look to them as a place to stay in the future! They have hostels all over Ireland, so check them out :)

Perched upon the hills of Shandon outside the central part of Cork, this hostel provides lots of privacy and ensures a good night’s sleep. Yet, everything in the central area of Cork City is just a short walk away. The hostel also provides great views of Cork, and the building itself has a lot of character. It is not utilitarian as many other hostels are. The walls are painted vibrant colors and the architecture has a very rustic feel.
As for the rooms… the rooms are spacious, the beds are comfortable, and the staff is helpful and friendly. You couldn’t ask for more!

This hostel was BRILLIANT as the Aussies I met there put it! My friend and I stayed in the mixed dorm with 10 beds for € 14 a night. They provided security for our luggage while we took day trips and a breakfast of toast with jam and tea in the morning. The beds, showers and toilets were cleaned each day and the reception was more than helpful for any questions. This hostel included a free trip to Blarney Castle (which we did) and a trip to the Cliffs of Moher for € 39. Both trips leave daily. I would stay here again.

Stayed here last week. The Staff were very friendly and always around to answer my annoying Questions! Thanks! Liked the Shandon area — it’s the oldest part of the city. Hostel offers free Wi-​Fi and a small breakfast free which was great. Beds clean and comfy Would stay again

Have stayed in 1999 and 2009, couldn’t fault the staff in the slightest in either century. Had no trouble getting in or out of hostel. As for cleanliness, Damp smell when I entered the room, everything spotlessly clean but smell was off-​putting. Location is great in relation to city nightlife and thankfully not slap bang in the middle. Again every staff member was effortlessly helpful. This is a great option for doing Cork and it’s surrounds on the cheap or for somewhere just to rest the head between sessions. Free Wi-​fi. Also free tea and toast for early risers or hard partiers.