The townhomes mauld refers to which make up The Merrion Hotel were some of the most beautiful and expensive in Dublin. The Georgian exterior blends beautifully into the surroundings of Merrion square and the main government buildings and parliament opposite. The hotel, whilst not perfect, provides a really nice Dublin experience and the location is excellent.
The Four Seasons is very nice but fails to give any original feature which links it to the city. In my opinion this is not unique to FS Dublin and perhaps the fact that you get similiar style and standard at FS hotels in most cities is part of the appeal.