Our plan for 2016 is to stay more with Hilton family brands.
To get the right start we requested a status match from IHG Gold and received Hilton Gold, which includes free breakfast, if chosen in My Way benefits, and other perks.
We also didn't want to begin the new year with zero points, so we booked two stays during two consecutive weekends in December.
We chose the DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin-Burlington Road for it's convenient location (very easy to reach from our home), having heard/read lots of good things about the property and because the hotel houses the only executive lounge in the Republic of Ireland at a Hilton family property.
The Air Coach and Dublin Bus (Bus Number 46A towards Dun Laoghaire) have a stop right in front of the hotel. There is also a taxi rank.
Before Hilton took over it was the Burlington Hotel with the night club Annabelle. The Burlington was originally very classic and a choice for celebrities.
It was completely renovated after Blackstone bought the hotel.
Annabelle's is gone these days.
There is now a roundabout in front of the hotel with a large DoubleTree by Hilton sign and a zebra crossing for pedestrians. The traffic is well regulated now for incoming cars and pedestrians.
The building dates back to 1972 and the architectural style is brutalism. The new silver cladding softens the markant lines a bit and makes it look elegant.
This review concerns our two stays combined in December 2015.
The day before our official arrival we used the online check in on both occasions and chose our rooms. There are two towers and our rooms were located opposite each other on the 6th floor in Building 1.
When entering we were impressed how much the hotel had changed. It was now totally contemporary furnished with modern Christmas trees and decoration.
To the left was the Lobby Lounge and to the right the BBar. Straight ahead was reception, where we headed to receive our keys and cookies. We had to wait for our first check in a bit, because it was very busy. The second involved no waiting at all.
Using the online facility paid off. Everything was ready, so we were just advised about the King Executive Guest Room benefits, which we had booked. It included Executive Lounge access. Our requests for late checkout were granted, even though the first time the hotel was fully booked.
Our first room overlooked one of the car parks, the chimneys of Ringsend Powerstation and the Aviva Stadium (for soccer, rugby and concerts).
The second room was over the neighboring apartment buildings and the city. If you're looking for privacy we would recommend to book rooms with an even number and closer to the end of the building, since there is also Tower 2, which is slightly shorter. Other guests could look into the room otherwise.
The way to the rooms was long, ca. 3 to 5 minutes. We didn't mind it, but others might not enjoy this and want a room nearer to the elevator or a room which overlooks the front of the hotel.
The second room was slightly larger than our first room. It seemed to have more space for our own toiletries in the bathroom, had a smaller showerhead and a slightly softer bed. Beside this the amenities, furniture and layout were identical.
There was a small hallway and one door led off to the bathroom.
The room was medium sized with blond wood furniture and a blue, yellow grey and brown color scheme. It made us feel immediately at home.
On the coffee table two bottles of Rocwell water and a jar of Handisnax (chocolate covered raisins and peanuts) were waiting for us as a welcome gift.
There was an armchair in a popping yellow color, a writing desk with chair, a new generation Sony flat screen TV, a mini fridge (not stocked) and a large, comfortable bed.
An interesting detail was the safe. It was integrated in one of the drawers of the writing desk. A few years earlier we stayed at a London hotel with a similar idea and we had some negative experiences/feelings with that one, so I was positively surprised, when the safe fit perfectly into the drawer, was easy to open and the door didn't crash on unsuspecting hands.
The TV offered a wide choice of regional and international channels, including BBC News, CNBC and CNN. There should have been also Bloomberg, but it seems there wasn't any signal available.
Artwork depicted two of our favorite Dublin Landmarks, the Ha'Penny Bridge and the Four Courts.
The medium sized bathroom had a bathtub/shower combination, a toilet and sink. The amenities were by Aroma Actives Essentials, a first for us. We liked them and it included also mouthwash, which was a nice touch and very welcome.
The hotel is also prepared for guests, who have forgotten something, including combs, deodorant, toothbrushes and paste or shaving material could all be delivered or picked up from the lobby on a complimentary basis.
On the 6th floor were a meeting room and a small, but well equipped gym.
The Executive Lounge is located on the ground floor directly beside the elevators and opposite The Sussex Restaurant, which serves as the breakfast venue.
The lounge was open every day from 06.30 hours to 21.30 hours.
Breakfast is served from 06.30 hours to 09.30 hours. The Happy Hour is between 17.30 hours and 19.30 hours.
The lounge looked like a gentlemen's club from a bygone era with books, magazines, newspapers, a bar and during Happy Hour a corner, where guests can pull their own pint of Guinness.
We had once breakfast in the lounge. It was a buffet with a small selection of one hot egg dish, cold cuts, vegetables, fruits, fruit salad, yogurt and three different types of juices and bread, jam, butter/margarine and honey. There was enough to make us happy, but if we would stay longer from two nights we would prefer breakfast in the Sussex restaurant for a bit more variety.
There was a coffee machine, which should have also dispensed hot water for tea, but the mug filled up with a mixture of hot milk and water, so we did forgo it, since we don't like tea with milk and there wasn't any member of staff to assist us.
During our 2nd stay we went to the restaurant, because we missed breakfast in the lounge. The buffet closed half an hour earlier due to Christmas, but we hadn't been aware, so the DoubleTree was kind enough to still give us the 1000 Bonus Points as My Way choice and didn't charge our breakfast either, this was well appreciated.
The restaurant was lavishly decorated with bookshelves creating privacy for diners.
Breakfast was busy. A table for two was easily found for us.
We had to queue a bit at the buffet to get all the items we wanted. The buffet was expansive and included hot oatmeal, smoked salmon, waffles, pastries and anything else we could wish for.
If items were nearly gone or completely finished they were replenished quickly afterwards.
Scrambled eggs were available at the buffet, but other egg dishes could be ordered a la carte.
Throughout the day the Executive Lounge offered soft drinks and hot beverages.
During Happy Hour, one hot dish, crisps, dips, two appetizers and a dessert were served. Some examples were beef sliders, spicy salmon, goats cheese on cranberry bread, chicken tikka masala on baguette, Parma Ham on cranberry bread and double chocolate cake.
Beer and wine was free, but liquors chargeable.
We enjoyed whiling away a few hours at the lounge which felt to us like a sanctury.
Of course we tried the BBar, the Lobby Lounge and in room dining too.
Our preferred venue is the Lobby Lounge. It's cosy, good for people watching and has an open fire place, while the bar is understated, large and with floor to ceiling windows and TV screens showing sport events.
The Lobby Lounge menu was limited. Since the BBar menu was available in the lounge as well, it wasn't a problem.
We have by now tested a few cocktails, some of the small plates, the salads and ice cream, which come all highly recommended and were delicious. Prices were reasonable and we didn't pay more than 40 Euro (ca. 43.45 USD) at one time for our drinks and meals consumed. Good value, quality, service and memorable setting included.
The grab & go concept in the lobby is a great idea too, since the mini fridges aren't stocked and not everyone has the time or wants to walk to nearby Donnybrook Village or the city center to buy necessities.
We definitely look forward to our stays in the future and would be even happier, if the breakfast in the Executive Lounge would be served longer during weekends lets say until 10.30 AM or 11.00 AM and Bloomberg would be available too.
©2016
To get the right start we requested a status match from IHG Gold and received Hilton Gold, which includes free breakfast, if chosen in My Way benefits, and other perks.
We also didn't want to begin the new year with zero points, so we booked two stays during two consecutive weekends in December.
We chose the DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin-Burlington Road for it's convenient location (very easy to reach from our home), having heard/read lots of good things about the property and because the hotel houses the only executive lounge in the Republic of Ireland at a Hilton family property.
The Air Coach and Dublin Bus (Bus Number 46A towards Dun Laoghaire) have a stop right in front of the hotel. There is also a taxi rank.
Before Hilton took over it was the Burlington Hotel with the night club Annabelle. The Burlington was originally very classic and a choice for celebrities.
It was completely renovated after Blackstone bought the hotel.
Annabelle's is gone these days.
There is now a roundabout in front of the hotel with a large DoubleTree by Hilton sign and a zebra crossing for pedestrians. The traffic is well regulated now for incoming cars and pedestrians.
The building dates back to 1972 and the architectural style is brutalism. The new silver cladding softens the markant lines a bit and makes it look elegant.
This review concerns our two stays combined in December 2015.
The day before our official arrival we used the online check in on both occasions and chose our rooms. There are two towers and our rooms were located opposite each other on the 6th floor in Building 1.
When entering we were impressed how much the hotel had changed. It was now totally contemporary furnished with modern Christmas trees and decoration.
To the left was the Lobby Lounge and to the right the BBar. Straight ahead was reception, where we headed to receive our keys and cookies. We had to wait for our first check in a bit, because it was very busy. The second involved no waiting at all.
Using the online facility paid off. Everything was ready, so we were just advised about the King Executive Guest Room benefits, which we had booked. It included Executive Lounge access. Our requests for late checkout were granted, even though the first time the hotel was fully booked.
Our first room overlooked one of the car parks, the chimneys of Ringsend Powerstation and the Aviva Stadium (for soccer, rugby and concerts).
The second room was over the neighboring apartment buildings and the city. If you're looking for privacy we would recommend to book rooms with an even number and closer to the end of the building, since there is also Tower 2, which is slightly shorter. Other guests could look into the room otherwise.
The way to the rooms was long, ca. 3 to 5 minutes. We didn't mind it, but others might not enjoy this and want a room nearer to the elevator or a room which overlooks the front of the hotel.
The second room was slightly larger than our first room. It seemed to have more space for our own toiletries in the bathroom, had a smaller showerhead and a slightly softer bed. Beside this the amenities, furniture and layout were identical.
There was a small hallway and one door led off to the bathroom.
The room was medium sized with blond wood furniture and a blue, yellow grey and brown color scheme. It made us feel immediately at home.
On the coffee table two bottles of Rocwell water and a jar of Handisnax (chocolate covered raisins and peanuts) were waiting for us as a welcome gift.
There was an armchair in a popping yellow color, a writing desk with chair, a new generation Sony flat screen TV, a mini fridge (not stocked) and a large, comfortable bed.
An interesting detail was the safe. It was integrated in one of the drawers of the writing desk. A few years earlier we stayed at a London hotel with a similar idea and we had some negative experiences/feelings with that one, so I was positively surprised, when the safe fit perfectly into the drawer, was easy to open and the door didn't crash on unsuspecting hands.
The TV offered a wide choice of regional and international channels, including BBC News, CNBC and CNN. There should have been also Bloomberg, but it seems there wasn't any signal available.
Artwork depicted two of our favorite Dublin Landmarks, the Ha'Penny Bridge and the Four Courts.
The medium sized bathroom had a bathtub/shower combination, a toilet and sink. The amenities were by Aroma Actives Essentials, a first for us. We liked them and it included also mouthwash, which was a nice touch and very welcome.
The hotel is also prepared for guests, who have forgotten something, including combs, deodorant, toothbrushes and paste or shaving material could all be delivered or picked up from the lobby on a complimentary basis.
On the 6th floor were a meeting room and a small, but well equipped gym.
The Executive Lounge is located on the ground floor directly beside the elevators and opposite The Sussex Restaurant, which serves as the breakfast venue.
The lounge was open every day from 06.30 hours to 21.30 hours.
Breakfast is served from 06.30 hours to 09.30 hours. The Happy Hour is between 17.30 hours and 19.30 hours.
The lounge looked like a gentlemen's club from a bygone era with books, magazines, newspapers, a bar and during Happy Hour a corner, where guests can pull their own pint of Guinness.
We had once breakfast in the lounge. It was a buffet with a small selection of one hot egg dish, cold cuts, vegetables, fruits, fruit salad, yogurt and three different types of juices and bread, jam, butter/margarine and honey. There was enough to make us happy, but if we would stay longer from two nights we would prefer breakfast in the Sussex restaurant for a bit more variety.
There was a coffee machine, which should have also dispensed hot water for tea, but the mug filled up with a mixture of hot milk and water, so we did forgo it, since we don't like tea with milk and there wasn't any member of staff to assist us.
During our 2nd stay we went to the restaurant, because we missed breakfast in the lounge. The buffet closed half an hour earlier due to Christmas, but we hadn't been aware, so the DoubleTree was kind enough to still give us the 1000 Bonus Points as My Way choice and didn't charge our breakfast either, this was well appreciated.
The restaurant was lavishly decorated with bookshelves creating privacy for diners.
Breakfast was busy. A table for two was easily found for us.
We had to queue a bit at the buffet to get all the items we wanted. The buffet was expansive and included hot oatmeal, smoked salmon, waffles, pastries and anything else we could wish for.
If items were nearly gone or completely finished they were replenished quickly afterwards.
Scrambled eggs were available at the buffet, but other egg dishes could be ordered a la carte.
Throughout the day the Executive Lounge offered soft drinks and hot beverages.
During Happy Hour, one hot dish, crisps, dips, two appetizers and a dessert were served. Some examples were beef sliders, spicy salmon, goats cheese on cranberry bread, chicken tikka masala on baguette, Parma Ham on cranberry bread and double chocolate cake.
Beer and wine was free, but liquors chargeable.
We enjoyed whiling away a few hours at the lounge which felt to us like a sanctury.
Of course we tried the BBar, the Lobby Lounge and in room dining too.
Our preferred venue is the Lobby Lounge. It's cosy, good for people watching and has an open fire place, while the bar is understated, large and with floor to ceiling windows and TV screens showing sport events.
The Lobby Lounge menu was limited. Since the BBar menu was available in the lounge as well, it wasn't a problem.
We have by now tested a few cocktails, some of the small plates, the salads and ice cream, which come all highly recommended and were delicious. Prices were reasonable and we didn't pay more than 40 Euro (ca. 43.45 USD) at one time for our drinks and meals consumed. Good value, quality, service and memorable setting included.
The grab & go concept in the lobby is a great idea too, since the mini fridges aren't stocked and not everyone has the time or wants to walk to nearby Donnybrook Village or the city center to buy necessities.
We definitely look forward to our stays in the future and would be even happier, if the breakfast in the Executive Lounge would be served longer during weekends lets say until 10.30 AM or 11.00 AM and Bloomberg would be available too.
©2016
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