Despite my bicycle crash (see previous post) the Irish town of Dingle is pretty amazing. Therefore if you get the chance, you should absolutely go there. However, that inevitably leads to the question, "Where to stay?" Well friends, fear not, for I have the perfect answer for you: Grapevine Hostel. It's a former house, now converted to a small hostel, and is located on a side street just about a 5 minute walk from the main bus station and here's why it's awesome.

STAFF

When I first walked in on an overcast Friday afternoon, I was greeted by two guys and a girl who were all sitting down in a common room, playing around with a guitar. They quickly introduced themselves as the hosts, showed me around the place, and told me to make myself at home. For me, this was a good first impression, but there was always that question if the hospitality and laid-back attitude would continue. Turns out, it did. Throughout my stay, I was treated more like a friend than a guest or costumer. Each one of the people there was really interested to know who I was, where I had been, and what I was planning to do in Ireland. Sometimes the conversations would go on for over an hour without me noticing that any time had passed.

On top of that, they were all really hospitable. I was continually offered drinks and food, and whenever someone was playing music (which was very frequent), the other guests and I were always offered to come and join or listen in. This even culminated ultimately when I was invited, along with other guests, for a night out on the town. They all made sure we never felt like outsiders and therefore made the Dingle trip particularly enjoyable.

ATMOSPHERE

As you can imagine after reading my description of the hostel staff, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the whole place maintained a really nice and relaxed atmosphere. The building itself was formerly a house and it still kept that feel of being at home. There was no curfew and there was a cozy wooden living/dining room with tables and couches. The dorm rooms appeared like bedrooms and there was even a little backyard with a couple small round tables. Most of the travelers it attracted, as a result, were solo backpackers too (as opposed to large groups of obnoxious 19-year-olds), so it was really easy to meet new people.

MUSIC

Probably the most distinguishing feature of the place was the constant sound of music playing throughout the day. Most of the staff and their friends happened to be musicians, so there was always someone jamming on the guitar and occasionally singing along. Best of all was that they were all really good musicians too (not the annoying bad ones that unfortunately plague most hostels), so it was always enjoyable to hear. The most impressive part thought, has to be the wide plethora of songs they knew. I once listened for nearly two hours and never once heard one repeated. They were even able to play Sultans of Swing by the Dire Straits, solo and all. If that's not talent, I don't know what is.

PRICE

There are some hostels in Ireland, as well as the rest of Western Europe, that charge so much for a night's stay that guests have been known to drop dead of cardiac arrest upon receiving the bill. Thankfully this is not one of those places. I stayed there over a weekend and it was just 18 euro per night. This included a free breakfast as well, 24 hour reception, a common kitchen for everyone to use, a place to lack bikes, and towels for borrowing.

LOCATION

The final icing on the cake has to be the spot the hostel is located. It's just about a 5 minute walk from the town's bus station and is on a small quiet side street that connects to the main road that runs through the city. It's only minutes from everything going on in the small town, but tucked away just enough to escape the commotion if you want. Also, it is right next door to a bike rental, two doors away from a nice little (albeit slightly overpriced) cafe, and across the street from a bookshop.

Right next door. Plus the owner is an awesome guy too.