Just finished up a five night stay at this property and figured I would provide my thoughts if they can be of use to anyone.

The location of the property is quite good; the AirCoach bus will drop you off from the airport literally at the front door of the property (stop is the legacy "Burlington Hotel" name) and pick you up across the street for the return. The cost for the round trip fare is about 19 USD at current exchange rates. Walking from the hotel, the St. Stephen's Green area is about 15 min and similar to the DART station at Landsdowne road. If you prefer taxis there is always a lineup right in front of the hotel at all hours. Bus service running along the line from Bray up to Heuston station, along with other lines, picks up right out front.

Upon showing up from the U.S. at 9 AM local time, I inquired if I could leave my bags with the desk and then return upon proper check-in time. The desk agent instead insisted that he find an open room immediately, which he did.

The remodeled guest rooms are quite nicely finished. Hilton worked with what was their during the remodel; the designs are obviously tied into the legacy sizing and form factors. The built-in storage is very nice (an open closet and one with a door, plus several drawers) as is the desk and other furniture. The rooms have proper thick drapes which actually close fully and overlap to block out the light, which is something that I value highly and which I almost never see in U.S. Hilton properties. Bathrooms are small, the tub is tiny and the shower door is a swinging half-door which does not really seem to have any function. The showerhead is at approximately 5'6". Water pressures comes on at a very high level and then goes up to a magnitude which could be used to pressure-wash concrete.

I cannot speak to suites or any special rooms as I didn't see any. It seems that suites are located on the front corners of the building as these rooms have a large and ornate entry door.

Noise is a bit of an issue; wall sound transmission is OK but the main issue is door slamming. The building seems to have envelope airtightness issues (the revolving door in the front blows like a wind turbine in high gusts, and that air is going somewhere) so they went nuts with the weather stripping on the door frames and you have to wind up and rip on the door to get it to properly close. Thus when anyone leaves on your floor, you know it.

HVAC seems to not be controllable by the user; it is a hot water system and it is what it is. In the winter it was keeping things plenty toasty but in the summer if and when AC is needed I'm not sure how far a passive system without forced air is going to get them.

As far as other hotel facilities, the gym is pretty standard-issue DT - cardio equipment, free weights up to 20kg, a C2 rower, a cable stack, and some nautilus-type stuff. The business center is good for what one would generally need - copying and printing. The conference/ballroom facilities seem to be quite large. The lobby features both the actual bar off to the side (the "B Bar") which is nicely done and very large, and a coffee bar with barista in the main lobby.

The breakfast room is off to the side of the main lobby and is very large, nicely appointed, and well-staffed. As far as breakfast itself goes, we were issued a voucher for each morning. The stock language on the voucher mentioned only a continental breakfast (and it certainly was an option as the menu on the table offered a continental-only offering), but we were given the full breakfast as is apparently standard at Hilton properties in Ireland per the Hhonors breakfast thread. So the full breakfast was quite good: hash browns, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, sausage, black and white puddings, bacon (ham), scrambled eggs, Belgian waffles, fruits, cheeses, cold cuts, cereals with mix-ins, beverages, and probably 10 or so bakery items. It did not get tiring after 5 days and it was nice to be able to fill up each morning before heading out for a full day.

Service was very good. As Hhonors gold we were given a welcome gift of some Bailey's and shortbread cookies. We were also given a handwritten card on Christmas Day, which was a thoughtful touch. Staff in all departments were very attentive and friendly. The two guys working the lounge on Christmas Day were absolute professionals and could/should have been working in a five-star place somewhere. At breakfast, the host/ess, wait staff, and cooks all provided great service. Across the board, it seemed like everyone took their job quite seriously.

The Executive Lounge is a bit of a curiosity. It is pretty conspicuous, located right next to the elevators in the lobby. The first day we were there (Christmas Eve) there was nothing going on. There was no mention of it from the desk staff and I did not ask. The second day (Christmas), due to the holiday they were using it as their lounge for the hotel since they had closed their main bar. We went there for dinner and thus got to see the facilities. The lounge is pretty nice; it is spacious (not like Palmer House spacious, but decently sized), with a full built-in bar with four draft lines and refrigerators for bottles behind the bar, as well as full liquor. There are also refrigerators out in the main area for self-service (which were empty at the time we were there). Seating is probably for 30 or so and consists of nice leather chairs, couches, and barstools. We ordered dinner there (just sandwiches) and it was tasty and well-presented. Afterwards, out of curiosity, I asked at the front desk what the status of the lounge was. The agent replied that it was usually for their Hhonors members. I mentioned that I was one, and that's why I was curious, and he sort of mumbled some nonsense. I never saw the lounge open again in the 3 remaining days of our stay. So I feel like it goes without saying that they're still figuring that one out. But it's certainly a nice space.

Overall I felt that the property was a good value - 20,000 Hhonors points per night at that time of year, with a 5th night free bringing it down to 16k/night. Revenue rooms were going for about 90 euro all-in on the nights I was there so the redemptions weren't an exceptional deal in cents/point terms, but in absolute value (5 nights plus 10 full breakfasts for 80k points) I thought it was quite excellent for a budget trip that was sort of done on a whim.

Unfortunately when checking out I encountered the dynamic currency conversion racket, which was new to me. At the desk for check-out I was presented with an invoice in Euros (this was only for incidentals as I had booked a points stay) and asked if I wished to charge it to the card on file (my Hhonors Reserve Visa). I said absolutely as this is a no-brainer since it is my standard card for Hilton purchases and is a no forex fee card. I then was presented with receipts (one on Hilton letterhead and then another from the terminal printout) showing a converted amount to USD with a 3.5% upcharge. I was not asked to sign the receipt; it had already been processed without signature. Since I am not an expert on this subject, was in a hurry, and the amount was low, I just went on with it, but I have put in inquiries to Hilton and my CC company.

Update on DCC situation 1/15/2014: Received an email directly from Jane Igoe, the hotel administrator, explaining that this was indeed an error and that she has been working with her staff to make it clear that customers must be given a choice of currency for payment. It was a sincere response and I trust that this matter will not be an issue for future customers.

In sum, I would recommend this place for travelers on a budget looking for a good points redemption in a decent location. There are certainly some constraints on the hard product (showers, HVAC, etc.), and those who are looking to sit in the lap of luxury should go running down the street to the Shelbourne or out to the Four Seasons or whatnot. But this hotel certainly has its role. I will be curious as to the resolution of the DCC issue, and I also will be interested to hear future reports once the lounge opens. If they do a good lounge service it could add to the value significantly.