My husband and I decided to bring our 2 young sons 9 and 5 for their first proper trek and because of many many childhood memories of daytrips to Glendalough, we chose there as our destination. I hadn't been there for maybe 20 years. A friend recommended we stay at this hostel, and because of the many nice things she had to say about it, we decided to make it an overnighter instead of a daytrip.
And are we glad! My only impression of hostels in general prior to this was reports I received from friends during my teenage years which promptly made me work very hard so I could afford to avoid them at all costs. So not knowing what to expect only that maybe things had improved, we set off with newly acquired trekking gear and a box full of easily prepared food.
Were we in for a treat! The hostel itself is set in a wonderful location, only a few minutes up the road from the visitor centre in Glendalough. The place was clean and homey. The family room we had booked was very roomy, even for our boisterous duo, with quite a large ensuite, very comfy beds with pristine linen and enough storage for our short stay. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The lady at reception made us aware that there was a party of 40 intending cooking in the self catering kitchen at 7 so we could either avoid it at this time, or use their own kitchen. I felt sure I'd have to take her up on that offer, but to our delight the large and very well kitted (if you are into higgledy piggledy) kitchen adequately accommodated not only them and us, but a few others too!
The nearest nightlife is a dark (bring a torch) but very short walk away, a small hotel with a lively bar, and a quieter more loungy area if you are with youngsters.
I'm so glad we threw caution to the wind and stayed here. It has opened a whole new way of doing things for us, and I'm about to book my next hostel trip for a few weeks time. I would highly recommend this hostel if you are travelling with small kids.