GetSetJetSet

I like the Merrion, but it's been a few years since I was last in Dublin, has anything new opened up? I believe the Shelbourne was recently renovated. Any opinions or is the Merrion still my best bet?

paul2

The Merrion is my favourite as its so central and has Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud next door.You can walk in a few minutes to Grafton Street via St.Stephens Green.
The Four Seasons is in Ballsbridge,a short drive to the city centre.
The Ritz Carlton is out at Powerscourt near Enniskerry County Wicklow(just south of Dublin) which is a bit of a haul to the city but might be ok depending on how long you want to spend in the city centre.
Enjoy your trip!

GetSetJetSet

I definitely want to be walking distance to the bars on Grafton Street. No new centrally located hotels have opened up recently? What are some good places to drink these days? Do people still go to Lillie's?

paul2

No new hotel in the city centre that comes near to The Merrion. Nostalgia aside, i'm not sure about The Shelbourne. The bar is good though. Yes, Lillies is still going. If you do stay at The Merrion ask the concierge if they can get you into The Library at Lillies, I had a fun night there quite recently when a well known band did an impromtu session of their hits! Feel free to PM me as you plan your trip.

rfrost

Another vote for the Merrion.

vuittonsofstyle

Well, it's OK, the Merrion, and yes, I love Patrick Guilbaud's, but let's face it, the hotel is in desperate need of a face-lift. I know this is difficult for it, as it is a Grade 1 Listed Building, so they need permission to change their mind, but when you look at the peeling paint on the exterior, whilst sitting in the courtyard, you ask yourself why they are not doing this up instead of investing millions in the new wing they are creating from the building on the right, which they just bought. This will be trendy, modern stuff - a bit like what the Connaught has done by building a 33-room new wing. It will make them money of course (hopefully) as they will be selling smart penthouses to fund it, and a spa extension, but...... I look at the rooms and suites and yes, they are historic, sort of (not the furniture, though, which is pretty tacky), but bathrooms are in dire need of a refurb and altho0ugh service is quite good here, if you add everything together - food, service, comfort etc - you feel a little cheated by the experience, IMHO.

The Shelbourne - no. Great, historic name now run by an indifferent chain. Forget it.

The Clarence, now owned by the same people who own FS Dublin (Quinlan) is verging on a complete renovation and very contemporary addition, but it looks as though nothing has begun as yet, and in the interim, the hotel is not performing as well as it used to. Good location, though, for the bars of Temple Bar.

Four Seasons is a 10 minute cab away and is a great option, but not if you want to stroll out of your hotel and into a pint of Guinness at a local hostelry (though the Ice bar is where the Dubliners congregate, soooo....)

The R-C Powerscourt is a terrific hotel/resort, but not if you are intent on delving into the depths of Dublin's alcohol options, although their in-house bar is decidedly authentic - McGills - with great bands. Better suited, probably to a summer resort break.

paul2

I beleive the entire hotel will be completely renovated (within planning laws for historic buildings) to coincide with the new wing. In the meantime, I still think its the best place to stay if you just want to walk everywhere. Financing this project will not be a problem for the owners and I think it will be amazing when completed.

I agree. The Shelbourne Bar has a nice atmosphere though.

The contemporary addition is not going to start any time soon or possibly ever! The adjacent buildings have been acquired but i can see the plans being changed over the next few years....unfortunately. The restaurant "The Tea Room" has been awful recently. The Octagon bar with its oak panelled walls is very pleasant.
The ice bar is pretty good and the location,as you say, is not far from the city. I'm not a fan of the restaurant though.

Thats good to hear, Its in a beautiful area, just a bit too far from the city to suit a city break.

If you scroll down this link there are some Pics of top suites at FS Dublin, The Merrion and The Clarence:
http://www.elitetraveler.com/~resour...TS_Ireland.pdf

mstraveler

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Stayed at the FS last August. Lovely and peaceful, but not in the thick of things. We hopped the bus outside of the hotel into town, but if you want to be near the action, this would only be a good option if you want to cab to and from the quiet.

GetSetJetSet

Went with the Merrion, perhaps they will reward my loyalty with a free upgrade . Now I just have to remember all the bars I used to frequent.

fourseasonsguy1

Planning a trip for the end of October or the beginning of November. Is what I've read on the Dublin posts I've read still current? Is it worth flying to Dublin just for a weekend from Nice? Never been to Dublin, but just want a leisurely weekend and to explore the town. Always been a big fan of FS in general, and am not the kind to mind a 20 minute walk or to take city transit, but the Merrion seems to be rather nice as well.

the_outcast

Have stayed at the Westbury a couple of times and that's the only place I have stayed at in Dublin. For location it can't be beat, 30 second walk to Grafton St. From speaking to those who have stayed there, the Merrion is probably a shade above it but the Westbury is very good too.

The Powerscourt is no longer a Ritz, but it's 20 miles from Dublin anyway, and is more of a conference / destination hotel. In my opinion, it's not an option for Dublin at all.

vuittonsofstyle

Four Seasons is only around 10-15 mins by hotel car from the centre and is by far the best option - two great bars, very good spa and a nice dining room with good service. I also quite like The Merrion, but some of the rooms can be a tad tired or oddly decorated, as it is an historic, listed building. Very central and with a really, really good Michelin restaurant (which you should pre-book).

ThudAndBlunder

8th and 22nd November are rugby weekends, and the FS is right in the thick of it, so that might be a consideration for you. Otherwise, all the observations are broadly current.

Honestly, if I was here for my first weekend, I'd pick the Merrion on location. If the FS was amazing, that could sway the vote, but I don't think anyone is going to argue that this is one of the 'destination' Four Seasons.

FlyerEC

+1
We were just there during the hurling championships & again couple weeks after . Best stay at Merrion or somewhere else in town , if rooms are still available ..
Now we ' ll keep in mind other major Irish sports besides the rugby season .

RichardInSF

Currently staying at the Merrion. The two rooms I've seen (a junior suite and an entry level suite that I was ultimately upgraded to) have apparently just recently finished renovation and they no longer look tired, it's just the design that gives one that impression.

If service is the best test of whether a hotel is truly luxury, then the Merrion definitely qualifies. Both service and service recovery have been very good so far and people really give you a strong sense that they like what they do and are there to make your stay an enjoyable one.

It's still the physical plant that is a bit of a negative. The furniture, presumably new, looks kind of like an afterthought. Lamps are all 12 watt CFL's, although they are looking into changing that. The TV sets are el-cheapo. The shower in my entry-level suite had space to be larger but they put up glass to cut out that area, leading to wasted space. Amazingly, the washbasins do not have mixer faucets.

There is lots of good here. The Virtuoso amenity is a free lunch or dinner, and a very decent meal it is. Few hotels allow that amenity meal to be taken at dinnertime. Free internet is included. The Virtuoso included breakfast can be served by room service for an extra E5. You should probably do this since the restaurant breakfast is decent but decidedly unexceptional.

Amenities are Asprey. Seems good quality to me but for those of you into natural ingredients only, they don't qualify.

There is one other decision they have made which I find troubling. All HVAC is centrally controlled. They have set their system (and tell guests that they have done so) so that the A/C will never go below 18C and the heat will never go above 21C. I have no problem with the 18C lower level but think the 21C upper level is way too restrictive. Fortunately, if you turn the heat up to max temo, they appear to go a bit higher than the claimed 21C as it feels warmer.

This is my first stay in Dublin but if I return, the Merrion would be my first choice. However, if the Westin was less than half the price I was originally quoted here for a standard room (as was the case for the dates of this stay), I might be tempted to try an upgraded Westin room.

Edited two days later:

Housekeeping needs some work. One of the minor annoyances that a great hotel gets right, for example, is telling the staff that if a multi-night guest does a little re-arrangement, don't put it back to "standard" every time you enter the room. Today, the room cleaner turned off the heat so I returned to a cold room. I do not expect this in a luxury hotel. If there's two people in the room, they leave two sets of towels. Period. If you ask for extra, the next time the room is cleaned, the extras are removed.