Amy Adejokun
Section editor
The Morgan stands at the heart of the unmissable Temple Bar, renowned for its lively nightlife. It is one of the city's most trendy establishments where it is great to stop in, have a drink, dance, or even stay. A highly contemporary and stylish boutique hotel that you're sure to fall in love with, unless the noise of Temple Bar gets to you first!
The Morgan - © Carlos Rodrigues / EASYVOYAGE
The Morgan - © Carlos Rodrigues / EASYVOYAGE
This establishment is found at the very heart of Temple Bar, on the busiest street in this small neighbourhood, which also happens to be the capital's nightlife hub. Trinity College and O'Connell Street are literally a stone's throw away and the Aircoach, which is a great way of getting to and from the city's international airport, also stops nearby.
Corridors with cream-coloured carpeting and white walls lead off to the hotel's 125 guest rooms, which look out over either the surrounding rooftops or the main road running along Temple Bar. The rooms here come in various categories, namely Standard, Deluxe, Suites (rooms, apartments, and Junior Suites), and penthouse, with the Standard rooms housed in the old wing and the Deluxe in the new one. Apart from their size, the differences between these 2 categories are minimal. The Deluxe rooms come with a king size bed. The virtually all white guest rooms feature stylish decor that manages to highlight every last detail, such as the headboard, the use of cerused wood, the Stark chairs, the white marble desk, etc. The emphasis here is on making the room look as uncluttered as possible, and you'll even find that all of the amenities are tucked away in the wardrobes and cupboards. In-room amenities include a wall-mounted plasma screen television (with a keypad underneath), very discreet (though not in the Standard rooms) individual air conditioning, a very good mini bar complete with tea and coffee-making facilities, a safe, various electrical sockets, an Internet connection, a large stylish mirror, a phone, and an iron and ironing board. The frosted glass sliding doors lead through to the bathroom, where you'll find a cream-coloured marble vanity unit, a circular wash basin, a mirror high up on the wall, a large bathtub, bathrobes and slippers, a hair dryer, and a fine selection of White Company hospitality products. There are also light fittings suspended from ropes on the ceiling and the decor in the bathrooms even includes a small wooden ladder. The apartments are also furnished along the same lines: bright and minimalist, and decorated in shades of white and cream with a few splashes of colour (particularly purple). The hotel refers to these as "[email protected]". They feature 2 distinct parts: a lounge area furnished with 2 white sofas, a large plasma screen television, etc.; and the bedroom. There is also a well equipped kitchenette along one section of wall. The penthouse is also worth a look, particularly as the beautiful rooftop terrace houses a 50s-version "Airstream" straight from the USA. You really can't help but fall in love with this wonderfully charming retro aluminium caravan.
When it was built in 1998, the Morgan housed some 60 or so guest rooms, but with the addition of a new extension in 2007, it now has 125. The hotel was renovated in 2009. You'll find the hotel has 2 separate entrances side by side, one for the hotel and the other, which can be less accessible at times, providing direct access to the bar, which gets very busy during the week and even more so at weekends. You may also find the decor in the communal parts of the hotel somewhat astonishing, particularly the beautiful chandelier placed on the floor (with great effect!), or the Mona Lisa revealing her backside for all to see in one of the lifts, etc. The colours used (cream, violet, and red) blend together and contrast, creating a very tasteful effect. From day to night, the hotel transforms itself from a restaurant, providing trendy surroundings throughout the day, into a very busy bar at night. There is even a DJ in-house during the weekend (Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays), when there is an entrance fee. Beyond the bar-restaurant you'll find the Internet corner concealed behind a grey curtain, whilst to the rear lays the inner courtyard, complete with white wrought iron bench seats, leather pouffes, wooden tables, and a cream-coloured stone-paved floor - a real treat for smokers!
Breakfast is served from 7:30am to 10:00am during the week and until 10:30am at weekends in the Morgan Bar. Adjacent to the lobby, it consists of a long buffet of fruit juices, smoothies, pastries, cereals, fresh fruit, cold cuts, and cheeses down one side, and another serves an Irish breakfast down the other, with a total of 8 dishes on offer. It's very easy to move from one choice to the next. The decor here consists of zebra-print pouffes and large, deep red sofas. Just a few steps up there is a raised level furnished with dark parquet flooring, long grey bench seats, and long counters, with grey curtains dividing the space up for a tad more privacy, making it a great place to meet up with friends! Lunch and dinner are also served at the hotel, with a variety of tapas and à la carte dishes available from 12:00pm to 9:00pm. Do bear in mind that on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the bar is always heaving, despite the entrance fee, and many are refused entry. The music is also very loud. Don't forget to take a look at the award-winning (2008) cocktail list, as there's plenty of choice!
Computer and Wifi access are free of charge. You might find it difficult to sleep here given the inevitable noise, particularly at weekends.
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