It had been 15 years since I last visited Dublin, enough time to see the city transformed into a cosmopolitan hub of fancy restaurants, stylish coffee houses and some of the best eating spots you could hope to find. The city remains incredibly open and accessible. Flights can typically be secured for less than a short train trip in the UK. But whatever you save on getting here you will undoubtedly make up for when you arrive. Paying €50 for a couple of rounds of drinks is the norm. A good meal out will safely cost three figures.
Located on Harcourt Street, The Dean Hotel is in one of the more up-market areas of the city, a short walk away from St Stephen’s Green and the hubbub of downtown Dublin. Weekday rates start from £116 whereas at the weekend they are more likely to be around £250.
Sophie’s restaurant and bar at the top of the hotel, which offers panoramic views over the city in a relaxed and stylish setting, is the gem of The Dean. The food is superb, whether it be small sharing plates – we enjoyed beef chin croquettes and tempura prawns – or a more hearty meal from the kitchen’s stone oven.
The rooms are stylishly decorated with retro-chic furniture and the bathrooms offer powerful showers and plenty of space. The beds are comfortable if you’re happy with soft over firm mattresses, and there are a plethora of treats available from the mini-bar including pre-made cocktails (€20), bottles of spirits (€30 – €55) and tasty confectionery (€2 – €10).
Although we didn’t get the time to squeeze in a pool or gym session, most other reviews suggest the facilities are on-point and probably quite a lure for mid-week clientele.
The noise. Oh the noise. Over the weekend we had to move rooms twice after initially being put in a room that had an intolerable sewage smell and then being moved to a room so close to the neighbouring nightclub you felt like you were sleeping in it. The truth is that unless you manage to bag a room at the opposite side of the hotel, sleep will not be easy to come by at The Dean, at least not until after 2.30am.
Other guests, we noted afterward, had described having a similar experience. “Noisy”, “banging” and “there’s a reason they leave you earplugs” are commonly cited, while this review is both accurate and entertaining in equal measures:
Great hotel, but I wish I would have read the reviews about the level of noise from the ‘club’ next door. Seriously – loud, bad music invading the rooms, souring anything pleasant from the daytime. The worst dance music. Every terrible song you can imagine playing all night … forever. The staff gave us earplugs that did nothing. I just lay awake in bed listening to the thumping bass and feeling the regret of all those drunk people trying to dance to the garbage music. It doesn’t matter how nice the hotel is when this is all I will remember of Dublin – I will read the reviews next time – from a tired tourist not interested in bad dance music – I’m adding a correction (the Sunday night DJ is a bit better than the Saturday night DJ) so if you stay here do it on a Sunday night.
‘Sab Supersab’, Google
When we raised the issue with staff at the front desk, their response was, ‘ah you got one of those did you?’ Yes. Yes we did.
Other downsides include their bid to talk up their sustainability credentials while offering paper cups for tea and coffee in the room and a disappointing room clean which amounted to little more than pulling the bed sheet up.
Overall, it’s hard not to see The Dean as anything more than an up-market stag/ hen hotel that will leave you tired, weary and with a bitter resentment towards Hard House music. On your next trip to Dublin, check out Sophie’s bar and restaurant, it’s lovely, but consider booking yourself in somewhere else for the night if you value your sleep.
Related: InterContinental Estoril, Portugal
