Westin Hotel, Dublin

...off very close to The Westin just outside Trinity College) and you also get free entry into the majority of Dublin’s attractions, I would thoroughly recommend this.

When we arrived at our stop the bus driver then directed everyone towards where they were staying, when we said ‘The Westin’ the bus driver looked impressed saying something along the lines of ‘best hotel around that is’….a taste of what was to come!

Check-in
...(if you look on The Westin website you can see pictures of The Atrium and can see that the wall is lined with windows).

The Room

We were very impressed with the room in which we stayed in, it wasn’t a huge room but was in no way inadequate and was very tastefully decorated. As we walked in there was a cupboard to our left (containing dressing gowns, a free to use safe, drawers and coat hangers with plenty of space for ... more

I stayed at The Westin, Dublin in February 2007 for a 3 night short break, and having never stayed in a five star hotel I was not disappointed….

Before flying to Dublin I had already arranged for me and my partner to have a ‘Dublin Pass’. This basically gives you transport from the airport into Dublin (we were dropped off very close to The Westin just outside Trinity College) and you also get free entry into the majority of Dublin’s attractions, I would thoroughly recommend this.

When we arrived at our stop the bus driver then directed everyone towards where they were staying, when we said ‘The Westin’ the bus driver looked impressed saying something along the lines of ‘best hotel around that is’….a taste of what was to come!

Check-in

So as we approached the hotel we were immediately impressed. A grand entrance with porters who promptly greeted us (by name of course!) and took our bags. They then directed us to the check in desk. We walked past the entrance to the ‘Exchange Restaurant’ which was attached to the hotel, and up through the lobby to the check-in desk. This was gorgeous and not at all like a normal check-in desk, but instead a roaring fire with carefully placed armchairs made it feel cosy and very sophisticated.

We were worried as check-in to our room wasn’t available for a few hours (not until 2pm) after we arrived but instead we were straight away told that was not a problem and us and our bags were quickly taken to our room.

I would like to take this moment to describe that not a single detail has been left unaccounted for in this hotel, the lift was very grand, and not only that but as soon as you step out of your lift into the hallway there is a table with things such as pads of paper, pens and a telephone, all small details but I feel that small details are what makes a five star hotel. When you reach the hallway from the lift, make sure that you look out the window (which you would think would face outside) but instead it is a window into The Atrium (if you look on The Westin website you can see pictures of The Atrium and can see that the wall is lined with windows).

The Room

We were very impressed with the room in which we stayed in, it wasn’t a huge room but was in no way inadequate and was very tastefully decorated. As we walked in there was a cupboard to our left (containing dressing gowns, a free to use safe, drawers and coat hangers with plenty of space for all our clothes and our empty suitcases to fit into). The door into our bathroom was on our left with a large desk in front of us with pens, paper, magazines, a phone, leaflets and information on the hotel and Dublin. Our bed was on our right with two bedside tables each with water bottles and one with a phone, and there was also a cabinet with a large T.V inside. It had all the usual amenities, such as a hairdryer, mini-bar and tea ad coffee making facilities. We also had a comfy armchair. We didn’t have a window but instead large double doors (which for safety reasons couldn’t be opened, this wasn’t a problem as we had air con in our room.) The doors were oddly at the top of a few steps which may sound strange but didn’t take up and room and was really quite nice I thought, our view was fantastic, right onto Trinity College and we could see people within the college playing tennis and other various activities that were happening!

The bed was described as ‘A Heavenly Bed’ and rightfully we had many sound nights of sleep in this bed!

The Bathroom

Now the bathroom I loved!!

There was plenty of room and it was all simply gorgeous! There was a large shower, and also a big bath with toilet and sink with two mirrors, one handheld and one above the sink. This bathroom really did exceed my expectations and I was amazed that it could fit all of my many many products…Makeup…Bags...Etc!!

Throughout our stay we found our rooms to be perfectly sized ( I don’t think my review really does it justice, but after 2 days of hard shopping I could easily fit the mountain of bags I had acquired with plenty of room left over, quite an achievement for any hotel in my opinion!)

Now that I have hopefully given you some idea of what the room are like I will move onto the restaurants and bars.

The Mint Bar

After we had checked in we went down here just to recharge ourselves with a bit of food and a drink, the bar is amazing! All underground and yet nicely lit, the bar staff are really helpful and the food was gorgeous. We spent a few times here, mainly after coming back from meals for a night cap but the atmosphere was always amazing! The cocktails were out of this world and it was very busy, even for a February. At night there was a live band playing very good music (a first for me to find!) and it was always very welcoming.

The Exchange Restaurant

We unfortunately never got a chance to eat here although the food looked stunning and the menu was really impressive. We sat at the bar one night, wanting a quieter night than the Mint Bar, the barman was very friendly chatting to us, but also leaving us alone when appropriate. He recommended some really good drinks which was nice and overall from what I could see form the people eating around us I wish we had eaten there as they looked like they were having a lovely time.

The Atrium Lounge

The Atrium Lounge was an extremely popular part of The Westin and because of this we never got chance to sit down here for a drink, although it was gorgeous, all soft armchairs and tables intimately placed around the room. The room itself was outstanding and I would recommend grabbing a seat if you can find one as they are quite limited. But overall my impression of this was that it was so busy because it was so good!

The Food

No matter where you decided to eat, whether in the Mint Bar or having room service (as we did on our first night) The room service was very efficient with very good food, you don’t feel like it was any worse for being room service (which you can sometimes get with room service) and we were very pleased with the quality of food and service.

Location

The Location of The Westin is one of its many strong points, right in the centre opposite shops and very close to the main centre for shopping. Temple Bar is also surprisingly close so you are within easy reach of all the top restaurant and bars.

The Staff

The Porters were incredibly helpful, always greeting you, helping you find your way around, and it wasn’t only the guests they helped but the generally public would often come to them for direction and they treated everyone like a guest. I think that this is a very important part of working in a hotel as everyone is potential business!

The Bar and Waiting Staff were always very prompt, helpful and very good with recommendations –if in doubt, ask! They portrayed true Irish hospitality!

The Concierge – we used the concierge to book and recommend all our restaurants, and although one of the restaurants we booked with made a mistake it was easily rectified with The Westin.

The Check-in Staff – They were always very friendly, making sure that you were having a good stay, welcoming you into the hotel every time you returned and chatting to you when appropriate. Check in and out were very smooth and we watched them upon check out handle a very difficult guest who I feel that they managed very well, and even she left happy!

I would also like to add that at the time of my visit to The Westin I was 18 and my partner was 20, I didn’t feel that we were treated with any less respect or given any less attention because we were younger than the other guests and this was defiantly noted as this can be one of many hotels flaws!

Overall I would recommend this hotel to anyone, and if you have any questions please ask!

Thanks for reading! 

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