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It's obvious before one even enters Isaac's Hostel that this former wine cellar/warehouse is a favorite with hostellers the world over. Right outside the doors, we were greeted by an international community of smokers standing by the hostel's 18th-century stone walls.
The Isaac's front desk sits at the back of a cavernous entrance. Here, in a room reminiscent of a medieval dining hall, guests can help themselves to a cup of tea, use the Internet, or just lounge on one of the big, old wooden benches. More caverns and tunnels in the basement make for an atmospheric setting. Here's where hostellers can find video games, a pool table, TV lounge, guest kitchen, new self-service laundry facilities, and expansive luggage storage room. A slew of recent renovations mean that everything feels so new and clean it seems unbelievable that Isaac's is the oldest hostel in Dublin.
Isaac's has dorm rooms with six to 16 beds, as well as single, double, triple, and quad rooms. All rooms, regardless of size, are furnished with blue metal bunk beds and plaid curtains. Sheets and blankets are included, though towels are not (these can be rented at reception).
Isaac's is adjacent to an Italian restaurant/deli, a convenient, if semi-formal, place to dine. The hostel's buildings share a beautiful garden, which serves both as the hostel's smoking lounge (smoking inside all hostels was banned in 2005) and a BBQ pad during the summer months. The same company runs the Hotel Isaac's Dublin and the Jacob's Inn Dublin, as well as another hotel in Cork.
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