Dooblin Sleeps

I got a request for a hotel in Dublin. I've got 2.

First up is The Clarence, which is owned by U2. Centrally located in Temple Bar right on the Liffey, The Clarence was one of the first establishments to bring hipness to the neighborhood. No two rooms in this hotel are alike. Each is decorated in one of the hotel's five signature colours (crimson, royal blue, amethyst, gold and chocolate) and contains Shaker-style furniture, specially crafted beds with Egyptian linens and spacious white tiled bathrooms with pedestal sinks and oak cabinets. The Octagon Bar off the lobby is still one of the hippest (and priciest) pubs in Temple Bar (important note: the Irish are not very good with mixing specialty drinks, ESPECIALLY margaritas, so don't waste your money on them here!) The restaurant, The Tea Room, is great for an occasion and features upscale Irish food with a continental twist based around all fresh ingredients. After dinner, check out the basement club called The Kitchen where the likes of U2 pals like Kylie have been known to shake it into the wee hours. Renovated in 1995, this used to be an affordable design hotel to stay in prior to the introduction of the Euro. Now, a basic room will set you back a steep 325 euros (but check the website for specials - the rate drops quite a bit in Winter especially).




Next up is The Morrison, located across the Liffey on the north side, a bit further west of the Clarence. Also a design hotel, The Morrison's interior is a mix of high ceilings with pale white walls, original art, stone floors and beautiful grey hand crafted Irish carpets. The beds are plush and the room service is delish! Rooms at the Morrison tend to run about 100 euro less than the Clarence and also post great deals on their websites. They also keep their bar open after hours for guest only which is a plus since the pubs close so early.



At the end of the day, after having stayed at both, I think I'd go with the Morrison. Less touristy and without the U2 glitz, the service at the Morrison is impecable. While staying there, my friend Suz lost her debit card and the staff couldn't have been more accomodating to help us out. It's simply more bang for a weak buck.