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Review: Litton Lane Hostel, Dublin

The cozy exterior of Litton Lane Hostel

Would you be interested in staying at a hostel that was once a recording studio for the likes of U2, David Bowie and Van Morrison? That’s Dublin’s Litton Lane Hostel, a gem of a find right in Dublin City Center. The building was bought out and turned into a hostel, but the spirit of the recording studio still remains in the brightly colored murals of former musicians that line the walls. The abstract heads of Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton watch carefully over you as you dine in the sunny breakfast room, and David Bowie welcomes you up the stairwell toward the dorms.

In actuality, very little recording studio stuff remains in this hostel, so if you’re looking for a glimpse of the fancy life of the Irish recording industry, you might seek out a working recording studio for that. Nonetheless, the hostel is charming, clean and has a great location, just off the Quays near the River Liffey in the center of Dublin.

The breakfast room is bright and cheery

Hostel amenities at Litton Lane are fairly standard, as far as European hostels go. Hot water, 24-hour access (with security card), bunk beds and duvets and a self-service kitchen are all available. Plus, they (like many Irish hostels) do a decent toast-and-jam breakfast that is included. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll gulp down the vast amounts of tea left out all day to drown out the chilly Irish weather.

Litton Lane Hostel also offers a few unusual perks. They do free walking tours of Dublin for hostel guests everyday and, if you’re a musician or fancy yourself one, bring your guitar and play in the common room for a free night’s stay. That’s pretty awesome. Finally, they do have free wifi in the common room, so if you’ve got a laptop, there’s no problem checking your email, getting in touch with family or making tomorrow’s reservations.

I’ve stayed at Litton Lane Hostel on several occasions and always liked the vibe. As a solo traveler, it can sometimes prove problematic to meet people in larger backpacker hostels, but Litton Lane is cozy and friendly and, everytime I’ve stayed there, I’ve met and gone out with new friends. My only complaint was about the ladies bathrooms. While very clean, the three shower stalls were simply out in the open, making it very difficult to get in and out while retaining an ounce of dignity.

Litton Lane Hostel is located on Litton Lane (surprise!), a small laneway that runs off of Bachelors Walk (the Quays), right around the corner from Dublin’s busiest street, O’Connell St. It’s only a short walk to the Temple Bar nightlife area, 7 minutes walk to the bus & train stations, and there are tons of restaurants and pubs nearby.