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
