For the second day of my short, last-minute trip to Dublin, I really needed to be in the centre of the city as I had a lot of stuff to do and so it made sense to complete my quest to stay in 3 Hilton hotels during December and January and claim my free £50 Visa card as a reward, by staying at the Hilton Hotel Dublin: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/DUBDUHN-Hilton-Dublin-hotel/index.do
As usual I went into the Hilton website - http://hhonors.hilton.com via Quidco in order to get my 6% cashback. I do recommend becoming a member of HiltonHonors because of the occasional little perks it can give you, please read further for more details. My booking went through OK and speedily as usual, and I was pleased to see that despite booking only 2 days before arrival, I was able to bag a Queen-size bedded room. Unfortunately because of the late booking it did cost me a bit more than usual at just over £100 as I had to accept a fully flexible rate. But at least my confirmation print-out was OK this time, no glitches.
Check-in:
I'd requested an early check-in on the booking form and arrived at the hotel by taxi at about 10.45. The hotel has a large reception area which looks rather dark with lots of dark stained wood panelling, yet the atmosphere was very welcoming and attractive. There's quite a bi of greenery in the reception and lobby area so it is a pleasant first impression.
I had a lot of stuff to do in Dublin during the day and didn't really have time to hang around. Obviously although they take your early check-in request into account, they can't guarantee it and it turned out my room was not yet ready but would be free in about an hour. However, I was very impressed at the efficient way in which the receptionist dealt with the situation. We processed all the check-in paperwork and she got the porter to store my bag in the luggage room for free - so I was able to get on with my day without having to worry about that. On my return 90 minutes later, my room was ready, the receptionist remembered who I was and just handed me my cardkey and fetched my luggage. Very quick. She told me I had a particularly nice room...
Room:
Well, I was keen to see my room as you can imagine. My room was situated on the 4th floor and as soon as I got out the lift I noticed a sign saying "Club Floor" - and a distinctly more "plush" appearance to the hallways/furnishings than normal, very thick carpet for a start. Fortunately once again the cardkey worked (don't you just hate it when you have to go all the way back to Reception when it doesn't?) I entered the room and was immediately impressed at its appearance. It was about 28m squared (according to research) and very tastefully furnished with thick carpet, fashionable chaise-longue type couch, nice stylish desk with very comfy swivel-ergonomic chair plenty of storage space with hangars and some very chic and effective lighting fitments, including a well lit full length mirror. It was obvious that I had been given a room upgrade.
Definitely a step above what I was expecting. There was a pleasant view out the window over the Grand Canal which is at the back of the hotel and lots of natural light (an absolute must for me, nothing more dismal than having to put the lights on in the middle of the day...) The bathroom was full of the usual La Source goodies, including a couple of extra tubes of bath stuff and the towels were super-soft and abundant. Make up mirror very useful to have too. Everything was spotlessly clean as far as I could make out.
The big plus point for me was that there was a HUGE flat screen tv which I could watch while doing my violin practice and strangely enough it seemed to have a lot more free channels available than the Airport Hilton I had stayed at the previous night. There was also a Sony Playstation, but I'm not into them so didn't use it, but I guess it would make the hotel family friendly for many! Best of all - on the coffee table by the chaise longue was a note saying "compliments of the Hilton" in front of a half bottle of red wine and a box containing 2 truffles, one milk chocolate and the other white choccy. Obviously for the purposes of writing a full review, I had to research the quality of these items and I am pleased to say that they all lived up to my highest personal expectations.
I DID have to hunt for the hairdryer though, iron and ironing board were easy to find but the hairdryer was hidden in the drawer beneath the desk - and attached so you couldn't take it out. Fortunately there was a mirror right next to the desk so I didn't have to totally dislocate my neck trying to do the vital "Hair and Makeup Routine." But it was a bit awkward and a wall mounted dryer would have been more convenient. Full information about the hotel facilities was on the desk as well as internet wi-fi info (which I didn't use.) Incidentally, there isn't a fitness club in the hotel but access is organisd to one nearby.
I love reading and relaxing in bed, and all the extra cushions which were arranged on the incredibly comfy queen-sized bed, made it really a pleasure to chill out in the room. Naturally I slept like a log - almost missing my ludicrously early alarm call in the morning and once again, no problems with external noise.
One minor niggle, when it came to having a bath - there was only one dial controlling the water supply and temperature to both the power shower and the bath. It was quite high up the wall which made it difficult to work when you were lying in the bath without half kneeling, half standing up. This meant that when you twisted the dial just a fraction too far, it turned the shower on, so you suddenly got a blast of cold water all over your nice dry hair! Whatever happened to old fashioned bath taps?!
Food:
After I got back from my concert/post concert stuff, I found that I had a serious case of the munchies and wandered down to the bar. It had a very social and lively atmosphere, and luckily no loud so called background music so people could actually hear themselves talk. Lots of locals having a drink/bite to eat and obviously a popular venue. I ordered a Hilton Burger, which arrived quickly and was absolutely delicious. Freshly fried chips, big juicy burger with melted cheese, fresh crispy salad and a flavoursome sesame seed bun. Definitely worth the £5 I paid for it. However, when I said to put it on my room bill, the bartender said he couldn't as I had used my Visa debit to pay for the room. There hadn't been a problem doing the same thing in the other Dublin Hilton as you sign the form on arrival saying you will meet any costs charged to the card. I was on such a high from the concert though, that I didn't have the energy to argue so just paid in cash, slight blip in the good experience though.
I had to leave early the next morning at 6.00am, no time for breakfast, but did take a peek into the restaurant and saw a very nice room with all the usual goodies being set out for brekky. A kind staff member offered me a couple of pain au chocolat to eat in the airport bus...
Location:
I chose this hotel, not just because it would get me the cash bonus, but also because of its excellent location. It is situated on the banks of the Grand Canal in the south side of Dublin and was especially convenient for me because the National Concert Hall is only a few minutes walk away. Additionally, you only need to turn right out of the hotel, and then right again on the main road to come to a junction on Harcourt Road where, if you turn right, you just keep walking and will be in the heart of the City in about 15 minutes. Even better, at the junction is Harcourt tram stop where you can pick up a tram into the centre: You buy your ticket at the platform and a single is €1.25 but much better value is a day ticket for €5 with unlimited travel. The trams are all pram and wheelchair accessible. Also, I have to say that Dublin is overrun with taxis, no problem in hailing one on the street, even at 2300 on a Friday evening!
From my personal point of view, I was pleased that the hotel was situated away from the often rowdy centre of town, yet at the same time I could walk into the City so quickly. It isalso a safe area to walk around in late at night/early morning, another plus point if you are on your own and in my case carrying around a very valuable 18th century violin! Additional useful info is that on the corner of Claremont Place about 25m from the hotel, there is a convenience store open til late, handy for that desparate chocolate fix.
Check-out: Alarm wake up call was as ordered. I don't do mornings so the quick check-out that the Hilton offers was a godsend. No hassle, all sorted in 30 seconds. The receptionist gave me clear directions to the nearby Airport bus stop - just turn left, walk along the canal and turn right at first main road - stop right in front of me. Only €7 to the airport and a bus every 15 minutes. The ubiquitous taxis were everywhere even at that hour and no fewer than 3 stopped at the bus-stop to ask if they could take me to the Airport!
Conclusion:
This is a very good hotel, in a convenient location which I would recommend for anyone spending a few days in Dublin but who doesn't want to be in the busiest and noisiest part. A really nice place to stay.
More details
Value for Money
Good
Quality of Facilities
Good
Family Friendly
Average
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