The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel

Stayed here in July 2012. I am a Marriott Platinum Elite member and I travel for business extensively. This hotel is historical but not in a completely good way. I was upgraded to a "Heritage" suite but the carpet in the room was grey in areas (instead of the gold/tan color it was meant to be), the floor in the room was so soft in two areas that when I asked on it (and, no, I am not obese) the credenza and TV moved, the tile floor in the bathroom had a broken sharp edge near the sink, the grout in the shower had black mould and service in the Saddle Room restaurant was abysmal to the point where I could not even get food ordered. I expressed my concerns to the staff but I was studiously ignored.

I was extremely disappointed with my recent overnight stay at the Shelbourne. I paid 175 euro for one night; this included a very small room and tiny bathroom. The girl at reception said she would call when the room was ready (she did not). We had to queue once again to collect our room key. When we finally checked into the room, it was tiny and claustrophobic, the lighting was so poor that I could not read, and there was no bath, kettle or water. I asked for a twin room, or at least a spare bed (we were two singles travelling) but ended up with a double bed. The air-conditioning sounded like a helicopter landing in the room. We received a late-night phone call from reception (accident) which woke us up. Breakfast was not included. When checking-out the man at reception did not inquiry about our satisfaction with our stay. This is NOT a five-star hotel. I am Irish and have travelled all over the world, and unless you are willing to pay 100s of Euro for a suite or luxury room I would not recommend staying at the Shelbourne. The location is great, however, there are lots of other hotels that are more spacious and better value and also, well located. I say, save your money, stay somewhere else. If you are interested in the Shelbourne for historic reasons or to see the beautiful foyer go there for their 19.99 lunch menu, or for afternoon tea.

Hotel is in a great location, but not five star. Staff was adequate at best. Nobody went out of their way to help us and they didn't know the answers to simple questions, such as which bus to the airport - even concierge. My husband fell down the stairs in the room in the middle of the night (horrible design of bathroom down stairs and around the corner) and when I requested ice the following night it took over thirty minutes to get it. There was no bag in the bucket and when I requested one since I needed the ice to put on an ankle, it was another thirty minutes. Is turn down service and ice too much to ask at 5 star? I would have been much happier at a neighboring 4 star that didn't charge 4 1/2 euro for 12 ounces of water out of the mini bar. Definitely not worth the money, especially since after I booked with [...] I realized it was a Marriott hotel and I could have booked direct with my Marriot account and gotten the same deal that included the 32 euro breakfast. I don't mind paying for service and quality, but felt like I didn't get value. After Dublin I stayed at the 5 star Marcliffe in Scotland and it was SUPERB in every way. Made the Shelbourne look like Motel 6. If you're looking for a place to work out, don't bother. The fitness center consists of two treadmills. That's IT. The shower was horrible. Water everywhere, I had to use a washcloth to turn it on because the handle was really stiff and pointy, and the showerhead was weak.

There is no doubt about it this is a well appointed hotel in a good location. Right next to Grafton Street and within an easy walk of the river. The Air Coach service from the Airport goes almost to the door too; which is worth the extra euros! However I am not sure that it is worth upgrading to a deluxe room. Despite booking and paying 6 months before the trip to celebrate my hubbies 50th; we ended up in a room at the very back of the Hotel with a very uninspiring view over a noisy service yard. The fittings may have been deluxe standard but the room was not much larger than a motel. Also what is it about the larger Hotels now a days not providing in room Tea & Coffee facilities?? Treating ourselves to room service one morning, the Tea was a pot of hot water and tea bogs in a cup!! Hardly "Deluxe." If you can get a deal with breakfast you are doing well, most hotels in Dublin are room only. However there are plenty of places to eat & drink very near by. Also if you like parks and gardens do find the time to walk around St Stephens Green, a real oasis in a very busy part of town.

Great hotel, excellent location right at the heart of Dublin. Very good quality of room facilities. Exorbitantly expensive internet access.

A nice hotel, but the heritage room we had wasn't impressive. In fact, very normal. Comfortable bed, a roomy room, but the floor shook when people walked by and it was a bit dark as the window was a small one. There wasn't any tea making facility. Friendly staff. Great location and the bars are very lively. Good food too.

Loved the hotel location to all nearby attractions. Walkable to Grafton Street. Hop-on/hop-off tour bus stop across the street down the block.

Vacation. Room is good. Staff friendly. Restaurant is very good but expensive. Bar food is so- so.

I usually go to the Shelbourne when I'm in Dublin for drinks. This is the first time I've stayed there and was looking forward to it. The location is ideal, close to Grafton Street and across from St. Stephen's Green. However, I will admit that I was just a bit dissapointed. We went there for dinner and I found the quality of the meal adequate at best. The service was very slow and left much to be desired. They even charged us 3.50 euros for water. The two bars were overflowing after dinner, which really said no to an after dinner drink. This was something I hadn't experienced before and made the atmosphere seem like any pub in Dublin. Our room was adequate with plenty of space and the hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. There was just really nothing that stood out that yelled 5 star hotel. This is not to say that I wouldn't go back or recommend the hotel to others. We had a nice price on the room so we certainly got our monies worth. On a very minor point, the hotel must have gotten a rule from the new corporate headquarters that they had to refer to themselves by the complete new name, "The Shelbourne Dublin: A Renaissance Hotel." When this comes up 3-4 times in a paragraph it is a bit laughable. Why not just say "The Shelbourne"? Is the corporation that worried?

For a true feeling of Dublin and to feel the history of this city and essence of its’ many great literally figures – stay at the Shelbourne Hotel, a step back in time with all modern day luxuries & modern comforts. Dublin done right!