The hostel, located a short walk from the town centre, was quiet and the price they offered was affordable. The staff were welcoming and friendly. I had to ring them twice as I lost my way and the receptionist was very helpful and patient. On arrival I got a free map, timetables and all the information I needed to plan my stay. My room was very pleasant and clean. I also enjoyed the atmosphere of the house, especially the big old fireplace in the lounge!

Entrance into hostel, rather confusing nobody answered the door for quite some time. proprietor not very professional wanted payment immediately with very vivid details of facilities, never explained on arrival check out time 10 am. Nobody permanently on reception, not considerate of lodgers needs, or queries.
Decor absolutely dreadful, very dated, carpet needs cleaning. Beds felt damp and ridiculous skylights which could not be opened..Location not suitable for a hostel really, its an Industrial Estate, extremely dangerous and rather secluded if walkin home at night. Was woken by proprietor in very rude manner, by opening bedroom door shouting check out time, inspite of the fact no time was mentioned on arrival. The hostel is ran in a very military style fashion, with no real consideration for guests. There is no proper form of security in the hostel as there never seems to be anyone on the reception desk, rather dangerous. Overall impression of stay was, once you paid for your stay, basically look after yourself and then get the hell out in the morning!

You would need to be desperate to stay in this place.....

We found the Harbour House Hostel mostly affordable (we paid something like 50+ Euros for a double room ensuite, which had a lovely bathroom). However, it's pros end there. It is quite a walk away from the centre of Sligo town and is located in an industrial area. One thing I also really disliked about our room was the fact that there were massive skylight windows with no option of pulling a shade over them. I found it incredibly difficult to sleep with so much of sunlight pouring in - and we were supposed to be on holiday!!

Directions were given by the receptionist and she seemed friendly enough, but it all seemed to be done in a rather robotic manner, as if rehearsed again and again. If you're looking for a warm, Irish experience, the Harbour House Hostel is not it.

We made the mistake of leaving the hostel at 12pm instead of 10am (misunderstanding on our part) and weren't allowed to use the amenities thereafter e.g. kitchen, dining hall even after we'd gotten food for ourselves. Yes, it was our fault by the book, but we thought it was rather unfriendly and unhospitable of the owner.

Overall, our stay in the Harbour House Hostel was very average. Would we recommend it to anyone else? We're not sure... we'd like to see what other places Sligo has to offer.

Was spending one night in sligo on the way to westport and stayed in the Harbour House Hostel. Had never been to a hostel before and was pleasantly surprised. Stayed in a private ensuite room and it was modern and very clean and the bathroom had an excellent shower. A little out of the town centre but only a 5 min walk. Was also staying in hostel in Wesport and it was disgusting. It had no redeeming qualities bar location and paid the same price for room with no ensuite and the communal shower was always cold.