Paddy's was absolutely amazing. Upon arrival, one of the hosts, David, was there to greet us at the door with a big smile and hand-drawn map of Doolin. He was without a doubt the friendliest person we met on the entire trip and was so incredibly helpful to us. He really remembered everyone and made us feel welcome at all times. Throughout the trip, he was always the person that stuck out in our minds as the ideal host. When coming back from a ferry trip to the Aran Islands, he spotted us while on a run and came up to congratulate us for making it back from the islands and asked how we enjoyed the trip! An to top it all off, he greeted guests in the morning with freshly-baked scones and a very reasonable price.
But David aside, the hostel itself is great. We lucked out and had the room to ourselves the second night of our stay, but even if the room had been full, we would have enjoyed it. The rooms are very clean and comfortable and the bathrooms are near hotel standards (which is saying a lot for a hostel). It's very cozy and warm with a view of the stunning Irish countryside. The area is breathtaking with ferries to the Aran Islands nearby and the Cliffs of Moher within walking distance. There are cute Irish shops right down the road and Gus O'Connor's Pub (the oldest in the area) filled with the friendliest people and some of the best food around. There are two other pubs a little further down the road, and all three have a band with traditional Irish dancing every night after 9:30. There is also a chocolate shop a few shops down from the pub that has, without a doubt, the best fudge I've had in my entire life. It was sincerely magical. My friend and I stayed in nine hostels throughout Ireland, Scotland and England but Paddy's was without a doubt the best one. Even if I returned to Ireland with money to burn on a fancy hotel, I would go back to Paddy's in a heartbeat!
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