Is it common to have homeless people staying in Dublin tourist hostels?

parc

Stayed in a hostel in Dublin recently for one night (I live abroad).

One of the nicer hostels - it's a chain and they have properties in other European cities.

I've stayed in hostels on my own a couple of times in Europe, and it has been good. I thought it would be cool - I'd meet people on holidays or maybe working remotely in Dublin.

But it turned out to be quite bizarre. The room was really noisy...people coming in drunk at 2am. I actually didn't care as I thought "it's my fault for not booking a private room someplace".

However! Around 5am this guy came into the room. He switched the light on and as I woke up he was wild-eyed and kind of just staring at me. Then he grabbed his stuff and walked out without switching the light off.

The crazy thing is, I swore I saw him on O'Connell bridge begging for money the next day!

Is this something that happens in tourist hostels in Dublin? Haven't heard of this before

corner of hells

parc wrote: »

Stayed in a hostel in Dublin recently for one night (I live abroad).

One of the nicer hostels - it's a chain and they have properties in other European cities.

I've stayed in hostels on my own a couple of times in Europe, and it has been good. I thought it would be cool - I'd meet people on holidays or maybe working remotely in Dublin.

But it turned out to be quite bizarre. The room was really noisy...people coming in drunk at 2am. I actually didn't care as I thought "it's my fault for not booking a private room someplace".

However! Around 5am this guy came into the room. He switched the light on and as I woke up he was wild-eyed and kind of just staring at me. Then he grabbed his stuff and walked out without switching the light off.

The crazy thing is, I swore I saw him on O'Connell bridge begging for money the next day!

Is this something that happens in tourist hostels in Dublin? Haven't heard of this before

That was me in the room , I wanted to book my spot on O Connell bridge early the next day.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

They have to sleep somewhere. I assume he would have paid the same rate as you

pablo128

Who said the hostel is only for tourists?

How Soon Is Now

This place isn't in Smithfield by any chance is it?

parc

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

This place isn't in Smithfield by any chance is it?

Possibly...I take it you recognise the hostel description?

parc

pablo128 wrote: »

Who said the hostel is only for tourists?

When a homeless person asks for money for a hostel, I always thought that they were for dedicated homeless hostels

Fann Linn

It is common, plus govt initiatives also have homeless families and illegal immigrants staying in hotels.

Modern Ireland.

How Soon Is Now

parc wrote: »

Possibly...I take it you recognise the hostel description?

It sounds familiar yep. I might of worked in it for 3 years....

Thinkingaboutit

Maldron?

jam_mac_jam

Why wouldn't they. It's cheap accommodation.

parc

Yeah I guess so. I just never came across it on my travels in other cities and never really thought about it.

How Soon Is Now

If it's the place It sounds like it's not a typical hostel. Isn't always the cheapest place either.

It's actually as expensive as a hotel on certain days thr week.

parc

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

If it's the place It sounds like it's not a typical hostel. Isn't always the cheapest place either.

It's actually as expensive as a hotel on certain days thr week.

Yeah it's one of the "fancy / cool" ones

How Soon Is Now

parc wrote: »

Yeah it's one of the "fancy / cool" ones

Yep so deffo the one I'm talking about.

From what I can remember they needed fair few details from customers in general who booked rooms there so to hear they took in a random guy off street doesn't sound right.

theguzman

I stayed in what is a typical middle class business type hotel in Dublin this year on what was a mid-week getaway with my girlfriend.

I was shocked to see the carryon with the local type anto and jacinta plus the brood sitting down next to us, it had been pouring rain so heavy and as I decided to take a beer with Dinner we decided to eat in the hotel. It was pretty disgusting as they were dressed up in tracksuits, total lack of etiquette or class, for them they were at home and we were like the intruders into "their space", kids screaming, met with screaming from the hoop earning wearing mother.

Anyway I had a made considerable savings to afford that break as it cost me well over €150 between dinner, breakfast and the room for the night. It left a rather disgusting taste, in my mouth to think that these people were just unceremoniously dumped in next to people like myself who were trying to have a short break. I was paying for their dinner aswell as my own that night I knew.

Church on Tuesday

parc wrote: »

Stayed in a hostel in Dublin recently for one night (I live abroad).

One of the nicer hostels - it's a chain and they have properties in other European cities.

I've stayed in hostels on my own a couple of times in Europe, and it has been good. I thought it would be cool - I'd meet people on holidays or maybe working remotely in Dublin.

But it turned out to be quite bizarre. The room was really noisy...people coming in drunk at 2am. I actually didn't care as I thought "it's my fault for not booking a private room someplace".

However! Around 5am this guy came into the room. He switched the light on and as I woke up he was wild-eyed and kind of just staring at me. Then he grabbed his stuff and walked out without switching the light off.

The crazy thing is, I swore I saw him on O'Connell bridge begging for money the next day!

Is this something that happens in tourist hostels in Dublin? Haven't heard of this before

This is why I don't do Hostels...

padd b1975

parc wrote: »

When a homeless person asks for money for a hostel, I always thought that they were for dedicated homeless hostels

I always thought they wanted to buy drugs.

Yes, it is common. About 20 years ago I went to Westport to climb Cruach Phádraig and I distinctly recall that there were homeless people staying in the hostel that night. If you're driving down Gardiner Street in Dublin mid-afternoon any day look outside many of the B&Bs/hotels/hostels there and you'll regularly see entire families sitting on the steps waiting to be allowed in to spend the night there.

Back in the 1980s there was a big Rural Resettlement Programme in operation. Time to reactivate it again to save those kids by giving them their own homes in somewhere in Ireland that is substantially cheaper than Dublin. Families get homes, state saves a fortune in temporary accommodation costs getting permanent homes outside Dublin at a fraction of the cost, parts of rural Ireland get new life.

mikemac2

Is that the Generator Hostel?

There's cheaper places in Dublin then that. If I were homeless and every cent counted I wouldn't be choosing an expensive party place like that.

The YHA place up near Mountjoy St is consistently the cheapest in Dublin. It isn't modern being an old converted convent but hey it's cheap. Less partiers too

Mrs OBumble

It was happening 11 years ago in Galway, too.

Most people were tourists, but there were a few who were mentally ill. Not immediately obvious but once I was there for a few days and had some conversations about how the FBI are tracking everyone, things clarified.

pablo128

parc wrote: »

When a homeless person asks for money for a hostel, I always thought that they were for dedicated homeless hostels

Tbh I always thought they spent the money on heroin.:pac:

Ubbquittious

I stayed in that hostel for a while when I was working in Dublin and did meet one chap in there who you could have called homeless. He was just after sorting his dole so was looking forward to getting out of there and finding a real place to live. I hadnt the heart to tell him how much I was struggling to find a place at the time despite having a full time job. That was 4 years ago I can only imagine how bad its after becoming since

Ubbquittious

Another thing I noticed was certain hostels would tell you they had no room if you walked up to reception. Yet you could book online from your phone no problem. Seems like they were trying to avoid homeless people that way hoping the homeless fellas were too scuttered or thick to be able to book the thing online.

Hammer89

parc wrote: »

When a homeless person asks for money for a hostel, I always thought that they were for dedicated homeless hostels

I think it's usually for heroin pal.

Mongfinder General

I wouldn’t put an animal in a hostel inDublin.

Fiftyfilthy

theguzman wrote: »

I stayed in what is a typical middle class business type hotel in Dublin this year on what was a mid-week getaway with my girlfriend.

I was shocked to see the carryon with the local type anto and jacinta plus the brood sitting down next to us, it had been pouring rain so heavy and as I decided to take a beer with Dinner we decided to eat in the hotel. It was pretty disgusting as they were dressed up in tracksuits, total lack of etiquette or class, for them they were at home and we were like the intruders into "their space", kids screaming, met with screaming from the hoop earning wearing mother.

Anyway I had a made considerable savings to afford that break as it cost me well over €150 between dinner, breakfast and the room for the night. It left a rather disgusting taste, in my mouth to think that these people were just unceremoniously dumped in next to people like myself who were trying to have a short break. I was paying for their dinner aswell as my own that night I knew.

See them at the outside entrance to hotels screaming at their kids, screaming on their phones and screaming at their partners whilst all smoking

Little wonder some hotels refuse to have them or mix with people that actually pay to stay there

minidazzler

There are govt schemes which pay for homeless to longterm stay in hostels. The person just has to get a fixed rate from the hostel and submit it to the social.

Ubbquittious

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Another thing I noticed was certain hostels would tell you they had no room if you walked up to reception. Yet you could book online from your phone no problem. Seems like they were trying to avoid homeless people that way hoping the homeless fellas were too scuttered or thick to be able to book the thing online.

I've encountered that in Asia. They sign deals with Agoda etc. It's a bit odd to be standing at a reception desk booking the room on your phone for half the price it says in front of you.

mikemac2

minidazzler wrote: »

There are govt schemes which pay for homeless to longterm stay in hostels. The person just has to get a fixed rate from the hostel and submit it to the social.

That’s interesting as many/most hostels Ive stayed in have rules about maximum stays. It might be 10 consecutive days for example

I believed this existed to stop people living there

Ubbquittious

mikemac2 wrote: »

That’s interesting as many/most hostels Ive stayed in have rules about maximum stays. It might be 10 consecutive days for example

I believed this existed to stop people living there

There's no shortage of hostels around so if you can keep going around to different ones and if you're willing to help out with the running of the hostel and you're a trustworthy soul you can stay in one indefinitely 'volunteering'

whisky_galore

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I wouldn’t put an animal in a hostel inDublin.

There's some animals staying in them alright, went to the shared bathrooms in one, wash hand basin full to the brim with piss.