What more could anyone ask for? We stayed for three nights at the end of a month long visit covering Spain, England and Ireland. We wanted to end our trip on a high note, and the Merrion didn’t disappoint! It's not cheap, but you'll be glad you spent the money.
Room: We had two connecting, sumptuous, garden wing superior king rooms for my husband and I as well as our 15 year old son. Both rooms were quite spacious, with plenty of natural light and blissfully quiet: one room was a king bed, and the other was two twins. Both with the most heavenly, comfortable beds we slept in during the entire trip (our son, who usually can’t wait to sight-see, would have been content to stay in bed the entire four days). They had all modern amenities one would expect to find in a hotel of this caliber: individual air conditioning, toiletries, free wi-fi, and the list goes on They were immaculate and I loved the little touches they provided, like water in glass bottles.
Bathroom: Large, marble bathroom with deep tub, separate generously-sized shower, only one sink (but ample room on shelf for toiletries), a scale, and heated towel bar.
Service: Very attentive, professional staff with impeccable service – not pretentious at all. Everyone offered help and had a quick, heartfelt smile. The doormen and concierge staff were knowledgeable and accommodating and anticipated several of our needs (arrived in the evening and asked us if we’d like them to locate a place to eat as several places were no longer serving food.) Had our bags whisked to our room before I even knew what was happening and then the front desk staff walked us to our rooms telling us all about the Merrion and it’s amazing artwork along the way. We loved it! They love what they do, and made us feel as if we were cherished family and dear friends. Housekeeping didn’t seem fazed by our teenaged son’s smelly soccer cleats (we’d been in England to train with Aston Villa).
Hotel: Elegant, well-maintained hotel and grounds. Definitely worth every five star review. Son enjoyed the pool which was a wonderful plus. Next time, I’m going to try some of the spa services!
Area: Can’t beat the location! Walking distance to many of Dublin’s sights, museums, and so forth. Within a block or two, there were several pubs, restaurants for fish and chips or anything else you could desire, plus many shops. We walked almost everywhere and felt very safe the entire time. I still believe that you have to exercise caution though, as there are unscrupulous people all over the world. Took about 20-25 minutes to get to Dublin airport via taxi, which were easy to come by, so it didn’t add any time.
Food: The Cellar restaurant had a generous, delicious breakfast – if you’re hungry afterwards, it’s your own fault! We didn’t have a chance to have afternoon tea there, but it’s now on my to-do list for our next stay. It looked divine! The morning we departed we had planned to eat in the restaurant before heading to the airport, but there was a mix-up regarding what time they opened and we discovered it hadn’t opened yet. Without saying anything to anyone, as we were walking back to our room and formulating a plan regarding where we were going to eat and when, a staff member rushed up to us and asked if we needed something to eat. How did they know?? We explained the situation and they arranged for us to have room service sent to our room right away.
Room service: Faster than a speeding bullet, which was a relief as I was beginning to panic about whether or not we’d be able to make our flight. It was delivered and set up with all of the pomp and circumstance that you’d from a hotel of this caliber and the food was exceptionally delicious. We were able to eat relatively leisurely, and still made it to the airport with some time to spare.
We will definitely stay there again the next time we are in Dublin.