The Orangerie Bar & Ballroom Lounge @ The Radisson Blu St. Helen's Dublin, Ireland

During a weekend in September 2017 my fiancé and I stopped on our way to Foxrock for a quick lunch at The Orangerie Bar and Ballroom Lounge at the Radisson Blu St. Helen's Hotel Dublin, Ireland.

The hotel is an estate dating back to 1750 and on Stillorgan Road in Blackrock, an upscale suburb of Dublin. It can be easily reached from the airport by taking the Aircoach or from the city centre by bus like the 46A.

Our first impression was that we had entered a completely different era.

To reach the hotel we had to stroll through the park and the rose garden with fountain, both beautiful.

To the left of the small entrance was the reception and past it were first the Ballroom Lounge, which has massive pillars and classic chandeliers and is completely marbled and then the Orangerie Bar.

The Orangerie was a tasteful winter garden attached to the original building.

If you are wondering where the guest rooms are located, they are in the new wing, which has been carefully added and doesn't obstruct from the Georgian architecture, while in the actual manor house is an Italian restaurant and the meeting rooms.

We were a bit worried we wouldn't find a table since we hadn't made a reservation. The bar and lounge were very busy. We were lucky and found an unoccupied table in the Ballroom Lounge.

A waitress arrived soon afterwards to hand us the menu. We decided on two hot chocolates and two feta cheese with watermelon and basil salads. It was refreshing and delicious. The cool sweetness of the melon went well with the creamy and salty cheese.

The staff was very friendly, had time for chats and seemed to know a lot of the guests, who ranged in age from toddlers to matured couples.

The hotel is child friendly, suitable for a romantic getaway and weddings, as bonus we enjoyed the gardens and saw indeed a wedding party incl. the beautiful bride and maids.

Our bill was 27 Euro / ca. 30.85 USD.

We were very impressed with the imposing architecture, friendly staff, good food and gorgeous gardens - there is one at the back too, leading to the sea - so at some stage we would love to stay at the Radisson Blu St. Helen's Hotel.

©2017

Radisson BLU Zurich Airport, Switzerland

After our stay at the Park Hyatt Zurich (see review) we spent a night at the Radisson BLU Zurich Airport.

The hotel is directly connected to the airport. The way was very well signed out and the hotel is easy to find.

The hotel has a large atrium with a huge wine tower near the elevators. On the same level were the reception, the Angel's Wine Bar & Restaurant and Filini's.

There is also a small business center at one corner of the lobby.

On the Mezzanine Level were meeting rooms and the fitness center.

Check in was quick and friendly.

Our Business Class Room, which included free WIFI, breakfast, all non-alcoholic drinks and snacks from the mini bar, was located on the higher floor. The internet was fast. The mini bar was stocked with juices, water, soft drinks, different types of nuts and beer. The savings were great, because the prices started from 6 CHF (ca. 4.95 Euro or ca. 6.80 USD) and since we took the juices and nuts, we would have paid at least 20 CHF (ca. 126.40 Euro / ca. 22.65 USD).

We had views over the runway, which we enjoyed.

The room was medium sized, modern and design driven. The colors were mostly red, blue, black and grey.

There was a chair and coffee table, a writing desk, a collage about Switzerland (I liked especially Kaethi, the cow), a large TV, Nespresso machine, a wardrobe, 24 hour room service and a choice of magazines, including the Nespresso Magazine.

To my surprise the channel selection was the same as at the Park Hyatt. A good thing, because it gave access to regional and British channels as well as CNN, Bloomberg and much more.

The furniture was stylish and comfortable at the same time.

The bathroom was medium sized with a shower/bathtub combination, a sink and toilet.

The amenities were a mix of Anne Semonine (bath salts and soap) and That Works! (Shower gel, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner).

Unfortunately the bath tub wasn't that comfortable. It was a bit too short and too narrow.

I also managed to flood the bath room floor when using the hand held shower. There is no rainfall shower. I've learned a lesson here. When we stay again, I'm going to make sure the shower head is adjusted to my height and won't remove it from its cradle. That should avoid spillage and flooding.

That said the water pressure was always good and the temperature stable.

Earlier I mentioned the wine tower. There is something special about it. When a guest requests a wine bottle a "Wine Angel" (During our night two ladies dressed in lace) will collect it for you - no matter at what height.

The Wine Angels have been trained at Circe de Soleil and perform three shows a day (19.00 hours, 21.00 hours and 23.00 hours). We recommend to come a bit earlier if you want to see it, because it's only a short performance and lasts about two minutes. It was interesting, though, and the ladies are attractive.

We didn't have dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants. This time around we wanted to try the food court at the airport, because there was an Asian section.

We had requested a wakeup call and we received one automated and one personal call within a minute or so from each other.

Breakfast was at Filini's.

A Vespa with gourmet food was parked beside the entrance of the restaurant. It was a nice touch and gave an indication that Filini's is an Italian restaurant.

Filini's was busy. A lot of the customers were regulars, because the staff knew them and their preferences already. The majority of guests were business men.

The dining room was light filled and overlooked the airport. The staff was attentive and fast.

There breakfast was served buffet style and there was also an egg station, where a chef made eggs to order.

The buffet was large and offered a wide variety, for example two types of sausages, fried rice, cold cuts, fruits, fruit salad, yogurt, cheese and much more.

It was tasty too. He liked the chocolate milk very much, while my favorite was the marble cake.

Check out approached too fast. It was done fast and with a smile. The only amount to pay was the city tax.

We have enjoyed our stay very much, including the views, the comfort and contemporary design of the room and the overall hotel.

We are going to stay here again before a flight.




©2014

Radisson Royal, Golden Lane, Dublin, Ireland

Normally before a flight from Dublin we stay at the Hilton Dublin Airport or the Holiday Inn Express. This time around our flight to Zurich didn't leave very early, so we were more flexible and decided after long discussions to take the Radisson BLU Royal Hotel, Golden Lane in the city center. We booked a rate that included dinner and breakfast.

The hotel is better located than thought. It is ideal when coming from the airport by Airlink. Get off at College Green/Dame Street stop, walk along Dame Street and turn left into South George Street, follow it until you come to Dunne’s Stores Head Quarters and 747 Travel opposite, turn right. This is Golden Lane. The hotel is a few more minutes away on the right hand side. Walking from the stop to the hotel takes approximately 10 minutes.

St. Patrick's Cathedral is also only about 5 minutes away.

The building is very modern. Originally we thought that the whole house belongs to the Radisson, but only the ground floor and one half of it are in fact the hotel. The other half contains offices.

We were impressed  by the contemporary and airy lobby. The reception was located to the left and check in is done at individual pots. The receptionist was friendly and quick.

During our stay the hotel was very busy with two weddings and a few business meetings. We spotted all two brides.

We enjoyed the chandelier and carpet, because it looked unusual. Interpreting the shape of the design the lightning could be snakes and the carpet a map.

The restaurant V' n V and the Sure Bar were located on the same level.

There were a small business center and meeting rooms on the first floor.

Our room was on the fifth floor overlooking apartments, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Christchurch.

We had a standard room and were happy about the generous size and the beautiful contemporary design. The colors were mostly brown, grey, white and black.

The King bed was comfortable as were the stylish chairs and writing desk.

The coffee table was multifunctional and could be used as another seating space - it was covered in leather - or as an ottoman for the chair.

There were two other marble topped tables and a large flat screen TV. The choice of TV channels was the only disappointment. There were only regional channels available. There wasn't even BBC World, which was the least I expected and Sky News isn't exactly our favorite. Officially there should have been RT, but unfortunately when choosing the channel it showed a black screen and nothing else, no matter when tuning in. Overall, there could be a better line-up of international TV channels here.

There was also a luggage rack and a wardrobe.

24 hour in room dining, coffee/tea making facilities and a mini bar were also available. The prices for the minibar were interesting, ranging between 1.59 Euro to 7.62 Euro (ca. 2.20 USD to 10.60 USD). There were the usual suspects like Coca Cola and Deep River Rock water. We liked the Butler's chocolate bar with Irish Cream filling. We can happily report it was very tasty.

The in room dining is suitable for Coeliac and vegetarians. For some dishes half portions were also an option. Prices were good appetizers started at 6.50 Euro (ca. 9 USD), sandwiches from 12 Euro (ca. 16.65 USD), mains from 12 Euro (ca. 16.65 USD) and desserts from 8.50 Euro (ca. 11.80 USD). Since we had dinner already arranged at the restaurant we didn't use in room dining.

Anyone in need of laundry can avail of that too. The laundry of a shirt costs for example 8 Euro (ca. 11.10 USD).

The bathroom was medium in size. The bath tub and shower were separate. There was a sink with enough storage space for our cosmetics. The amenities were a mix of Anne Semonine and a soap by This Works! Radisson's contract with Anne Semonine is expiring, so This Works! is replacing it. We know This Works! from another hotel. We liked it, so we weren't too surprised (having heard about the exchange) or had any issues with the new amenities. On the other side we are a bit sad to see Anne Semonine go, since we equally liked the quality, smell and effectiveness of the products.

The shower was great with a large rain shower head. The water pressure was strong and the temperature stable.

When placing our wake up call the member of staff offered to order a taxi for us as well. We refused, since we planned to take the Airlink to the airport.

At the V' n V restaurant our reservation was acknowledged and we were offered a choice of tables at the large windows.

Declan Dunne is the Executive Chef. The menu reflected the contemporary ambience of the hotel. Most of the ingredients are sourced locally.

We chose a glass of rose wine and an orange juice. Tap water was offered for free.

Our starters were a beetroot and cheese salad and nettle soup. Both were delicious and unusual.

As main course we both had the salmon and a side salad. The dish was rich, but light at the same time. It was tasteful and the presentation was well done. The salad was made with mixed leaves and tomatoes.

As dessert I had Cafe au lait parfait with dates and cinnamon sauce. It was finger licking good. My fiancé had the Orange and grapefruit Gratin, which was deemed also very tasty.

The staff was very busy with four other couples and a large group. Still the service didn't suffer. One of the three waiters was always on hand when we needed them.

There was also an open kitchen, and I enjoyed watching the chefs.

The meal was delightful, healthy and satisfying. Since a three course were included in our rate we only had to pay for our drinks and the side dish. We paid 25 Euro (ca. 34.65 USD) including tip.

After a good night’s rest and a punctual wake up call we made our way to breakfast.

The buffet was large, fresh and appetizing. There was a wide choice of cold cuts, smoked salmon, smoothies, yogurts, Bircher Berner Muesli, fresh fruits and fruit salad, bread and much more. Another guest wanted to have an omelette. The request was fulfilled with a smile.

Our favorites were the Bircher Berner Muesli and the berry smoothie.

Check out was pleasant and quick.

Would we recommend the Radisson Royal, Golden Lane? Definitely. The reasons?

The Staff is very friendly and attentive.

The dinner and breakfast were excellent.

The lead in room is large, design driven, but comfortable and detailed, like small cushions in different colors or a painting that looks like a photograph.

It's quirky and creative.

The location is great. On the one side far enough from the hustle and bustle; on the other side near enough to reach all major attractions in Dublin by foot.


©2014