The River House - Hostel

Location: The River House, Gweedore Road, Dungloe, IE

Star Rating: 2 Stars

Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 04:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Check-out: 11:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Free WiFi
• Terrace
• Garden
• Luggage storage
• Breakfast available (surcharge)
• Smoke-free property
• Free wired internet
• Wheelchair accessible parking
• Free self parking
• Wheelchair-accessible van parking

Rooms Available

• Basic Quadruple Room, Multiple Beds

  1 Double Bed, 1 Twin Bed and 1 Twin Bunk Bed

  10 sq feet

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - Flat-screen TV, digital channels, and DVD player

  Food & Drink - Free bottled water

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer

  Practical - Iron/ironing board and desk; rollaway/extra beds and free cribs/infant beds available on request

  Comfort - Daily housekeeping, heating, and portable fan

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 5 (5 Adults)

  • Shower
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • DVD player
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Bottle of water
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Portable fan
  • Bedsheets provided

• Hostel Twin - Ensuite

  2 Twin Beds

  10 sq feet

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - Flat-screen TV, digital channels, and DVD player

  Food & Drink - Free bottled water

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer

  Practical - Iron/ironing board and desk; rollaway/extra beds and free cribs/infant beds available on request

  Comfort - Daily housekeeping, heating, and portable fan

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Shower
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • DVD player
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Bottle of water
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Portable fan
  • Bedsheets provided

• Hostel Double - Ensuite

  1 Double Bed

  10 sq feet

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - Flat-screen TV, digital channels, and DVD player

  Food & Drink - Free bottled water

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer

  Practical - Iron/ironing board and desk; rollaway/extra beds and free cribs/infant beds available on request

  Comfort - Daily housekeeping, heating, and portable fan

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Shower
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • DVD player
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Bottle of water
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Portable fan
  • Bedsheets provided

Guest Reviews

• Laura (10/5): Exceptional -
• Taaffe (4/5): Very disappointing - Nothing Location and bathroom
• Perkins (10/5): Exceptional -
• Joe (8/5): Very good - Good location
• Mrmole (7/5): Good -
• Aaron (5/5): It was ok for a night stay, alittle over priced but you get what you pay for - Our stay came with breakfast,which was not on the premises but at another hotel about a 2 min walk. Bed was very uncomfortable, really thin mattress.
• Mary-joe (1/5): Bad -
• Damien (1/5): Top class shite - Leaving it Nothing
• Alexandra (1/5): Convient location....large room ...but spoit by no hot water went home a day early...no refund offer - No hot water to shower ....asked guy on death notice helpful at all Rhit water to wash ourselves
• Ernest (6/5): Pleasant -
• Jen (6/5): Clean comfy beds and delicious breakfast, but not worth the price paid for the overall standard - The whole place is in desperate need of an upgrade, it's scruffy and run down, with broken furniture and fittings, scruffy worn carpets and tired decor. The check in process and availability of staff was not great, but once he was present he was friendly and helpful. There were no blinds or curtains, so privacy was as an issue, as was being woken too early by the dawn light. While the overall cleanliness didn't feel good, the beds themselves were clean and comfortable, and we all slept well. Breakfast was provided by the hotel next door and was absolutely delicious, and the staff there were brilliant. Overall standard of the whole place was very low, needing full refurbishment and redecoration.
• Katrina (8/5): Very good - Great value for money Some elements of the property are tired and outdated
• Anthony (3/5): Poor - Leak in bathroom. Puddle of water appeared on the floor. No shampoo provided. Heating was from a plug in electric heater. Breakfast wasn't provided on site. Had to walk to a nearby hotel as the hotel was on a main Street so no guarantee of a parking space. Thankfully it wasn't raining. Breakfast was very good.
• Julia (9/5): Superb -
• Victoria (9/5): Superb - Close to everything clean and friendly as always Was cold.
• Caitlin (10/5): Affordable and worth so much more - Convenient location, close to bars and town centre and quick drives to places like Kincasslagh and Cruit Island. There wasn’t anything I can complain about, it was all absolutely fine.
• Donna (5/5): Great location and breakfast - The breakfast was fantastic It was very cold even though the staff provided two heaters
• Tracy (3/5): Walk in refrigerator - The food and staff in the sister property were exceptional as was the breakfast, we ate at the sweeney hotel as breakfast was served here not at the river house. Absolutely freezing, no hot water for first couple of days then improved when it was mentioned. Broken single bed big chip on the side, rusty screws on the carpet runner into the wet room, rusty shower curtain , and I'm guessing it was an old towel hanger. Definitely quite a few issues but addressed with management and they are going to fix them, so I'm hoping they do as this could be a little gem.
• Barnwell (10/5): Exceptional - Everything
• Kayla (6/5): Pleasant -
• Breda (3/5): Poor - Location was fine Month of january, no heating on, room was like a fridge, musty smell in the room, slept in our clothes., badly needs a revamp, timber floors held down with tape. Breakfast ok, but you would expect a pot of tea, we got two mugs of hot water and a teabag each!!
• Janet (8/5): Very comfortable stay. - Nice full breakfast. Jack was very knowledgeable & helpful.
• Vuyokazi (7/5): Pleasant and relaxing - The manager went above and beyond to make us comfortable and allowed us for requests we made to them.
• Adrian (7/5): Friendly and helpful - Jack was great and a wealth of local knowledge Not made aware of the local concert which was close to the property and noisy until the early hours on Sunday morning
• Sonja (9/5): Superb - Breakfast was varied.Very friendly and helpful staff.Good beds and big bedrooms. Our bedroom had only a curtain for the toilet and bathroom.It is a wheelchair accessible room but it doesn't give much privacy. Sitting room was fairly dark.
• Zoe (10/5): Exceptional - Everything just very laid back, very clean and chilled, was a great location for lovely walks along the water front and the town , and it felt very homely. Breakfast was beautiful.
• Colin (10/5): Exceptional -
• Francesca (10/5): Exceptional -
• Ahmed (7/5): Good - The breakfast and the staff are amazing It's good for sleep in
• Wayne (9/5): Superb -
• Joshua (9/5): Superb - Everything was excellent and the breakfast was delicious! Very friendly and lovely staff!
• Tim (8/5): Very good -
• Richard (8/5): Very good -
• George (7/5): Overall an enjoyable stay and would be happy to return. - It was a convenient location for travelling to Burton Port and the surrounding area. The staff were friendly and pleasant. The breakfast was good though a pot of tea would have been preferable to it being served in a cup. The room was advertised as a luxurious room and with a description like that it raised my expectations to expect it to be least to four star standard but is was a basic standard room without a chair though it was very clean and had a comfortable bed.
• Kah (9/5): I would recommend the River House, Dungloe. - This is like the B&B that I remember where B&B stands for bed for the night and an Irish breakfast in the morning. Very kind of Jack to give me a room upgrade. Thank you, Jack. There was tea making facilities in the room. The non- Irish lady serving breakfast was very polite and with a smile on her face. Nothing
• Teresa (8/5): Very good -
• David (4/5): hostel - powerful shower room wasn't cleaned each day basic , very basic
• Misztal (8/5): Short stay meet our expectations - Breakfast was good and staff was very polite All good
• Pamela (8/5): Very good - Very convenient to the town. Great breakfast and friendly staff. Room basic but spotlessly clean and had a very good nights sleep. Great value for money, will definitely be back.
• Val (10/5): Top class - Breakfast was unreal . Jack is legend 💪 we’ll be back soon.. Valerie & grace Nothing
• Robert (8/5): Very good -
• Bruna (8/5): Very good -
• Elizabeth (8/5): Very good - Very nice large room which we were able to share with our dog. Great shower. Comfortable bed Breakfast excellent and staff friendly and helpful Repairs needed in bathroom
• Roshan (7/5): It was wonderful staying here and the host Jack is really a good guy. He was very kind to offer us a better room on requ - The property is situated on the Main Street and has lots of restaurant options near by. It also has Lidl Aldi and convenience stores at walking distance. The rooms are a bit small in size and there is no proper wardrobe
• Antonio (2/5): Bad choice - Nothing Noisy, debatable cleanliness, smelly bed linen, sunken mattresses, walls full of drill holes, damp and mouldy ceiling in soaker room, no blind on window, no views of river as states in advertisement, lockers in the bedroom, damp smell in drawers, rusty screws sticking out, no safe for children.
• Brian (8/5): Room was good size and clean. Breakfast was good and staff were pleasant and helpful. - Location. Within a short walk of pubs, restaurants etc. Shower was not the best.
• Connie (6/5): Pleasant -
• Barbara (10/5): Exceptional - Amazing breakfast, exceeding my expectations. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. The location was perfect, and the room was spotless and cozy. Highly recommended!
• Alan (7/5): Good - Breakfast
• Stafford (7/5): Good -
• Mark (10/5): Excellent stay - Good breakfast, powerful shower, happened to get upgraded for free so was happy with that, comfy bed. It was all good.
• Roy (9/5): Great value - Excellent value and nice staff No complaints - for what o paid for
• Paula (1/5): Awful. Do not book this place. - The accommodation was simply awful. Shared horrible toilet with shower. Like a really bad hostel. Honestly, I was and still am shocked. Everything, including the breakfast, which was like being given a trolley load of the worst brand of fatty food.
• Paul (7/5): Good - Great breakfast, and large selection of foods. Staff friendly and great location Room furnishing were tired, but other than that the room was clean and as expect for the price.
• Michelle (8/5): Very good - I liked the service staff were friendly breakfast was very good and location too main street and for the price was perfect for a two night stay
• Clark (2/5): Very poor - I looked at the room, put the key back on the reception desk and left
• John (6/5): Pleasant - The breakfast was excellent. A really good fry up, plenty of toast and fresh fruit. The room we were in was very tired looking and sparse.
• Susan (9/5): Comfortable and convenient for exploring northern Co. Donegal. - The breakfast was excellent! Full Irish plus fruit, fruit juice, toast tea and coffee. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The River House is essentially a hostel and it was good to meet with other guests and have a good natter! The furnishings were a bit tired and the shower try had a huge split that had been mended but was unsightly. Having said all this, everything was spotlessly clean.
• Eoin (10/5): Exceptional -
• Muireann (10/5): Perfect for what I wanted - I enjoyed the location, the staff, the breakfast and the room. The town itself is lovely with very friendly people. Nothing
• Margaret (6/5): Very clean room although shower wall needed attention staff very friendly breakfast brillant - Breakfast was really great Staff very friendly Very clean Room was very very basic Had to ask for more towels Room above us very noisy at times you heard walking about toilet and shower being used
• Ismail (5/5): Passable - Staffp No shower gel or shampoo provided, no lift,p
• Liam (8/5): Very good - The owner was most helpful and as were the staff very enjoyable and lovely breakfast
• Alice (1/5): This B&B was the worst I have stayed in and would not be recommending it to anyone. A rip off. - The scrambled egg I had on both mornings was good. The bedroom was grim. The room was small and very narrow. It appeared to be a converted attic. There was no wardrobe, chest of drawers or mirror in the room. There was a stack of 4 lockers that one would find in gym and a steel press that had no shelving. The bed was uncomfortable and the bedside lamp was not great. The shared bathroom was in poor condition and I was only provided one towel. The WiFi also didn't work.
• Patricia (2/5): Awful. Stay away. - Property (rooms) very rundown and in bad condition. My opinion is that property needs to be closed until facilities are in livable condition for guests. Shabby, dangerous stripping across hallway carpet which necessitated stepping up and over it in order not to trip. Only one bath towel each--no hand towels. Soap dispensers in shower and in bathroom empty.separate soap pump on sink, though. Toilet tissue dispenser empty. Tissue available.on towel bar. Shower was cracked (1/2") in floor. Gaps in sealing all around shower. Bedding old and stretched out required our remaking bed multiple times. How did property go from award-winning to unlivable in three years???
• Barak (5/5): Passable -
• William (9/5): Great place to stay on a budget, clean with helpful staff. - Breakfast was good, full Irish fry, very filling! Staff were nice too, very helpful. Would recommend a stay here. Shared bathroom, but wasn’t aware before i booked.
• Jolanta (8/5): Very good - I liked the privacy and the location There was no cleaning service during my stay
• John (9/5): Very good - Location, clean , comfortable price
• Joseph (7/5): Staff were helpfull and room although basic was very clean. Would stay again. Great location. - Great location near main street and access to pubs. Breakfast couldn't be faulted. Had single room with the use of only one shared toilet for showering. Several similar rooms so access to another toilet would have been good. Wi-fi wasn't strong enough signle upstairs but was accessible at breakfast area, reception.and outside at front of building.
• Brendan (8/5): Very good - Great location Great breakfast Friendly staff
• Margaret (6/5): Pleasant - Dirty carpet, patchwork on the ceiling, pre cooked and heated breakfast . Old and dated hotel
• Paul (10/5): We'll l be back ! - Very friendly and laid back staff and management. Breakfast really was 'full Irish' The location was easy to find and central to Dungloe Everyone and everything was good 👍
• Maud (7/5): Good -
• 1966 (4/5): Disappointed - Clean bed clothes Very strong smell of cannabis throughout the building.premises used as a homeless hostel. Television in rooms use WiFi however, router seems to be switched off in evenings so no TV. Unfinished ceiling repair in room. Strong smell of leaking heating oil from oil tank outside bedroom. Usually stay in better accomodation. Lesson learned.
• Niall (3/5): A dreary, dirty overpriced place with sullen staff. - The location The rooms were dirty with mould on the ceiling. The halls were filled with clutter and with old stained carpets. The bed creaked and felt like it would fall apart. One could hear everything in adjacent rooms. The Irish breakfast was oily and made with poor quality ingredients. I’m Irish and so I have an idea about how it should taste. No choice was given on breakfast type. The reception staff were sullen and not good hosts. The reception area was almost always unmanned. Family and friends of the staff appeared to sit around in the grimy, untidy exterior seating smoking and watching everyone who came and went. No information was provided on breakfast times or the local area. It was insisted that payment was made in cash. The location is adjacent to a poor quality hostel. I will never visit this hotel again.
• Fionna (6/5): Pleasant -
• Margaret (10/5): Exceptional -
• Folarin (10/5): Exceptional - Location was good,food was excellent and room was clean and comfortable
• Santiago (9/5): Nice place to stay on a budget. - Good atmosphere, friendly staff, good value for money, clean and comfortable bed and an excellent breakfast included.
• Thomas (9/5): Superb -
• Ann (1/5): Shame on them - Absolutely nothing, after driving 3 hours we arrived with my booking reference in hand only to be told there was no room available with no explanation only it was full of Ukrainian people. Disgraceful way to treat people that has booked the premises. why have no manners to let people know the Government is paying them well to keep refugees and get themselves off booking.com
• Gerry (2/5): words cannot describe how bad it was - Awful , room wasn't cleaned on arrival, unable to lock doors, people rambling about all night, man entered my room in the middle of the night, people sleeping on sofas, see above, awful facility
• Helen (7/5): A good basic base to explore the area and a good breakfast - It was a lovely place to stay but more like a hostel than a hotel or b&b. Bedrooms were very basic but we had a small ensuite and it was dog friendly. There were 2 beds ( double and single) in each room which was great. The hot breakfast was plentiful, we didn't c realise there was a cold buffet too until the second day. I had booked two rooms, one being accessible for my mum who struggles with stairs. When we arrived only one room was available and they had put my mum and son in a different b&b which wasn't accessible. They had to phone round to find somewhere else and eventually after sorting it we arrived and they said they had no rooms, eventually they found one and I had to pay quite a lot for the new room ( which ended up being knocked off the bill at Riverhouse at the end.) I was tired after a long drive I was very cross and it took a lot of messing about to sort. My mum and son had a room at Riverhouse the next day and after a good sleep and breakfast I felt better about it. All in all it was fine but take some repellent in summer the midges were out in force.
• Daniel (8/5): had a blast🤣 - very helpful polite staff lovely breakfast value for your money
• Emmaward_ (1/5): AWFUL ACCOMMODATION, MY ROOM DID NOT RESEMBLE THE ADVERTISEMENT, SHARED BATHROOM. DON'T BOOK!!! - There was nobody at the check-in desk when I arrived, had to call a mobile number 6 times, and then when Jack finally arrived, he had given my room to someone else saying that he thought I had cancelled?!?!? I never cancelled. He put someone else in my room. I asked if it was going to be cleaned before I enter the room (remember covid19), and he said no! It was stated on my booking that I would have a "private bathroom", this was not the case, I was to share a bathroom with other people staying there. This place I assumed was a B&B, however upon arrival I realised this was a hostel, nothing wrong with hotels, but I was expecting a B&B. The room I got given had a single bed (really bad quality and not clean and very old mattress), a bedside table with a lamp with nowhere to plug it in, and an office swivel chair. No drawers or wardrobes to put my clothes into. No blinds or curtains on the windows. This was an attic room which looked like they just literally were chucking me into. After travelling from 2am in the morning, I was extremely tired. Jack's attitude wasn't interested in making sure I was ok with the room, when I then went back downstairs to say I wasn't going to stay as I wasn't happy paying to stay in a room which someone else was already in upon my arrival and having to share a bathroom which wasn't what I purchased. I decided to leave having had nowhere else to stay. Later that evening I phoned Jack and told him I will not be staying, luckily I had friends to stay with. He refused to give me a full refund even though I stayed less than an hour in the property. His attitude stinks and I would not recommend my dog to even stay in this property!!! I have to now contact my credit card company to get my money back. Jack isn't local, which was blatant to see as if he was local from Donegal, I would NEVER have been treated like this.
• Donal (9/5): peace and quiet - very central walking distance from the town made us very welcome
• Anonymous (10/5): Exceptional - Nice room and good breakfast Everything ok
• Bernadette (8/5): Happy - Friendly Later breakfast
• Margaret (10/5): Exceptional -
• Tom (9/5): Superb -
• Lorraine (5/5): Wouldn't return - The room was ok. Shower was fine. No tea bags or milk but kettle provided. The reception on arrival was very poor. We were shown to our room with a few words. In fairness I asked the girl for hairdryer and blanket which she then provided. The breakfast set up is extremely strange. It was as if all we were supposed to have was a fry. Both mornings I had to go out of my way to get bowls for cereal and OJ. I have never experienced this in accomodation in Ireland. I'm sorry but it has the feel of a glorified hostel. It's a pity as the room was actually ok just missing a few touches. And the staff acted like we were almost bothering them. Mo one came to replace towels etc in our two night stay. Few other issues which we told to manager on way out. He was apologetic at least.
• Brendan (7/5): Good - Basic room which was reflected in the price Housekeeper leaving my room unlocked all day and interfering with my bag Being locked in the room because the door lock was faulty
• James (8/5): Good pit stop on Wild Atlantic Way - Good pit stop on the wild Atlantic way. Very receptive to our pet dog. Good local restaurants.
• Léa (10/5): AMAZING - Everything was amazing. Highly recommend
• Verified traveler (10/5): - We only stayed for one night, and were upset with ourselves for not booking longer. Such a lovely stay, with restaurants and shops within walking distance.
• Verified traveler (8/5): - The property was clean and easy to find. It located near the ferry where we wanted to take the ferry to Arranmore for the day.
• Verified traveler (10/5): - Un location organizzatissima, con spazi comuni (Soggiorno e cucina) pulitissimi; Camera spaziosa e pulita bagno perfetto; possibile utilizzo della cucina per cucinare fornita di stoviglie, tegami, padelle ecc..a disposizione inoltre cereali, latte, biscotti, tè, caffe ed altro per la colazione, disponibile un computer con collegamento wi-fi, prezzo economicissimo. in altre parole fantastico complimenti ai gestori. Super super consigliato
• Will (10/5): Brilliant place really is 5 star establishment. - Absolutely fantastic place. Owner/host was brilliant. Very friendly & helpful. Room was extremely well equipped & comfortable. Place is immaculate. It is really much more than a ‘hostel’ Facilities & parking superb. Will love to go back. Thank you Will
• Adam (10/5): Perfect resting place - Perfect place for us to rest our heads while we took in the Wild Atlantic Way in Donegal. Fully recommend!

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