Amy Adejokun
Section editor
The Castle is the oldest hotel in the capital and is far more spacious than it seems from the outside. Its architecture is Georgian and some elements of the same style have since been added. In short, it is a pleasant and simple hotel.
Castle Hotel - © Alexis Bidegain/ Easypresse
Castle Hotel - © Alexis Bidegain/ Easypresse
The Castle is located opposite Hotel Belvédère, next to Montjoy square (the only official Georgian square, as seen in its symmetry), at a short distance from the James Joyce centre and the Writers' Museum. The district was one of the capital's wealthiest before the war of independence.
The street of the Castle Hotel runs into the top part of O'Connell Street, Dublin's Bond Street. A short walk will take you to Dublin's river Liffey and various shopping districts. The international airport of Dublin is just 7 mi away.
The colour of the interior is mainly light brown, with light yellow walls. The chairs, imitation leather seats and comfortable beds in the rooms are clean and simply designed. The hotel houses 130 smallish rooms altogether, which are divided into 8 categories: single rooms, double rooms (at least 170 sq ft and called 'Deluxe' if they have a king-size bed), rooms for three (three single beds), family rooms (one or two single beds and a double bed, at least 225 sq ft), rooms for four, etc. The rooms have a television (around a third of the rooms have a plasma screen television), tea and coffee-making facilities and a phone. An ironing board and an iron are also available at the reception. You should be aware that the rooms that give onto the street can be noisy (despite the double-glazing). The rooms that look onto the courtyard may not offer a spectacular view (car park), but at least they are quiet. You will probably notice that the bigger the room, the longer and narrower it is; the double rooms are at least 170 sq ft. As for the small white bathrooms, they are decent, but have very little style. Half of them are fitted with a bathtub (the others have showers), a long towel warmer, a small mirror, a washbasin, a hair-dryer and basic hospitality products. Room service is available from 8:00am until 10:00am and from 5:00pm until 9:00pm.
The Castle opened in 1809 and was renovated in 2009, (remaining open for that entire period, unlike the Gresham which closed for many years), thus making it the oldest hotel in the capital. It occupies several Georgian houses that have been joined to provide more space for the hotel structure, whose latest extension dates from 2009, so it is extremely modern. The only entrance to the hotel is through an old Georgian door. It is difficult to believe that the other seven doors of the adjoining houses, also Georgian, belong to the same U-shaped establishment. The eldest of these was built in 1769. The reception area, formerly a large sitting-room, is a vast space fitted with wall-to-wall carpet, with paintings on the walls and a geometrically moulded ceiling. On the ground floor, you will find a succession of big and comfortable communal areas: a reception area, a conference room, a sitting room and a small dining room with a magnificent Georgian fireplace. The bar, located in one of the wings of the hotel, is the largest communal area of them all: it displays a superb 200-year old fireplace (the rooms on top of it also have fireplaces). Smokers can step out onto the inner court (there are a couple of chairs and tables), which is primarily used as a parking lot. This maze-like building built over 3 or 4 floors also has two lifts.
From 7:30am until 11:00am, guests can have their breakfast in a long, narrow, underground (functional) room that has little natural lighting. Wooden chairs and tables are laid out on its dark wall-to-wall carpet, and, for ?10, you can enjoy a continental or Irish breakfast (the details of the which are given in the menu). Dinner is served from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm here. The meals which are served from 5:00 pm until 7:00pm (a choice of 6 dishes) are lighter (perfect if you want a bite before going to the theatre) than those served from 7:00pm until 9:00pm. There are a host of Irish dishes, burgers, various snacks, and... a small wine list. Lunch is only served on Fridays and Saturdays, from 12:30pm until 3.00pm.
You must pay if you want to use one of the two hotel computers, but Wifi access is free of charge.
beauty salon
The Best Western Academy Plaza is a safe bet in a good location to visit the town and have a good night's sleep. Although its style is resolutely modern, with facilities to match, there is unfortunately hardly any natural light in the various spaces, which are consequently rather yellowish.
The classical facade of the Gresham hotel, aginst which the hotel's interior pales in comparison, stands proudly on the famous street of 'O'Connell Street.' Indeed, its former glory now makes it seem outdated.
The Days Inn Talbot is next to O'Connell Street. It lacks charm, but is well-kept and very functional. You couldn't be better located for a look around the city's must-see sites: it is the perfect base for a no-frills break.
A former residence of the Saint George family, this eponymous hotel is little more than a perfectly decent guesthouse offering small, but clean and functional guest rooms. It is housed in a beautiful Georgian building, which also houses a Mauritian restaurant, and inside, you can really appreciate the mouldings, high ceilings and staircases which characterise the Georgian style.
Lynam's, on O'Connell Street, could be a charming little hotel, but it turns out to be quite the opposite, displaying a poor level of maintenance and awful service. Its only strong point is its location on Dublin's 'Bond Street'.
Between the famous Half Penny Bridge and the not-to-be-missed O'Connell Street, the Arlington O'Connell Bridge is popular both for its prime location and its very popular traditional Irish show, which attracts tourists from around the world. That's really all you need to know!
It has to be said that Michael Collins' favourite hotel is now somewhat lacking in character. A basic hotel, it is clean and functional, but with its three separate wings it is quite a labyrinth!
A brand new, functional and clean pied-a-terre: this is a possible description of the hotel located near O'Connell Street. Like all the other parts of the hotel, the beautiful bedrooms are immaculate.
Verdant countryside stretches for miles around. The Carton House's estate also stretches over two superb and very popular golf courses. This large Palladian house, Irish in style, blends old and modern features perfectly. The original building was actually the Duke of Leinster's summer residence, but now houses 18 magnificent suites.
It is not hard to see why the Merrion Hotel has been awarded the Leading Hotel of the World label! It is installed in a superb set of interconnected Georgian houses in perfect condition, and offers guests a luxurious, stylish, and comfortable place to stay at the heart of the capital. With a spa and a swimming pool, it also boasts the only restaurant in Ireland with 2 Michelin stars.
Tucked away in a posh residential area in the south of Dublin, the Four Seasons lives up to the group's famous reputation for luxury. While there is not much to do in the surrounding area, the hotel itself has plenty to fill both guests' days and evenings, whether it be in the restaurant, one of the three bars, or the superb spa and swimming pool. Unless you're in Dublin on business, in which case note that the hotel has no fewer than six meeting rooms.
A DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, The Morrison was not built in honour of the famous rock singer Jim Morrison, but it does pay tribute to Irish musicians, bands and artists. Reopened in February 2013 after 10 weeks of refurbishment, The Morrison now boasts a designer interior - a rare choice of decor in this city where most hotels are decorated in a more classic style. Add to this the delicious restaurant and the art gallery, and The Morrison is unquestionably a safe bet in Dublin.
Behind the big, tall bay windows of the luxurious and comfortable Fitzwilliam Hotel, a member of the "Preferred Hotels and Resorts" group boasting an ideal location in front of St. Stephen's Green, lies a very stylish and contemporary interior, replete with designer fittings. Apart from it's beautiful and cosy guest rooms, the real advantage of the establishment is its restaurant, which is run by Ireland's top chef from 2009.
This "Small Luxury of the World" is a charming hotel, very well located in a calmer area at the heart of the city. The rooms are romantic and very comfortable, the welcome is friendly, the food is delicious, the concierge is keen to please and the whisky bar is classy. All of this makes for a very popular establishment.
The beautiful 5-star Dylan Hotel was not built in honour of the famous rock star. No, the Dylan simply chose to take up residence in the street of the same name. Now a small hotel with 44 guest rooms, the Dylan was first a hospital, then a hotel, before becoming the Dylan Hotel. It has been welcoming guests into its entirely unique, modern and elegant interior since 2007. Far from being a chain hotel, the Dylan has a bar, restaurant and lounge, but unfortunately no well-being centre.
The Clarion, opened in 2001, is a pleasant modern hotel without much character. It is ideal for fans of hotel chains or, more generally, those looking for a good well-being centre! Apart from the massage rooms, sauna and hammam, the hotel also has a lovely large swimming pool, which is quite rare for the Irish capital. Neither too big nor too small, the Clarion Hotel enjoys a privileged location at the heart of the city centre, on the banks of the River Liffey.