When we first heard The Dean Hotel was going to open here in Dublin, we were looking forward to stay there.
Originally
we planned to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel Dublin, the former
Four Seasons, but thought the Intercontinental still had the old rooms
of the Four Seasons, in which we stayed already twice, while the Dean
was new and design driven. Following the reviews on Tripadvisor we heard
only positive feedback beside the noise levels.
After booking The Dean, we also made reservations for their restaurant for Brunch, Dinner and Breakfast.
We were in email contact with the hotel, asking for an early check in, if possible, and a quiet room.
The
email replies were all very quick and friendly. We were advised that
the early check in couldn't be guaranteed, but they would store our
luggage, should it not be available.
The
Dean Hotel is located in Harcourt Street, just a ca. 10 minute stroll
from Grafton Street along St. Stephen's Green Park in the heart of
Dublin.
When
we entered The Dean we found the Dean Bar to the left and the
reception/gift shop to the right. The gift shop sold own branded items
and other clothing and accessories from a shop located in Temple Bar,
called Indigo & Cloth.
It
had a sultry atmosphere. We liked the presentation. There were shelves
with old cameras and a globe, dim lightning, booths and communal tables.
The elevators were hidden behind the shelf.
The Rotisserie kitchen was also visible from the bar.
On
the day of check in we arrived at around 12.30 hours. Our room wasn't
ready, though we could do the check in formalities already.
Unfortunately we had some issues with the credit card issuer and were
allowed to use the phone at reception to solve the problem. A flight we
had booked the previous week had been flagged as suspicious and I had to
confirm it was really me, who was trying to use the credit card at the
Dean. We were happy we could call without being charged and without
quibbles. A sign of good service, we felt already at home at the Dean.
Since
we were travelling light and we had already a reservation at Sophie's,
we didn't need the luggage storage facility, but it is a nice touch.
A more detailed review is going to follow about Sophie's restaurant.
After our brunch the official check in time of 3 PM had passed. We were handed our keys immediately.
At
first we were a bit concerned about security. It was unfounded. Even if
the elevators can be used by anyone the floors are only accessible at
the landing via key card.
The
floor to our room was as moody as the reception area. There was artwork
on the floors and colorful carpets kept noise to a minimum. Our room
was located on the third floor. There are five floors in total, so we
were located in the middle. We had to use a flight of stairs to reach
our room. The property might not be suitable for wheelchair users or
people with reduced mobility.
We
had booked a HiFi Room, the category just below a suite. We thought it
would suit us best and was the essence of the hotel. Our room overlooked
the backside, not Harcourt Street. We could look into other office
buildings and a residential area. The Dean is housed in a former office
building and has a classic Georgian facade.
The
room was contemporary with orange splashes, dark brown wooden flooring,
a colorful carpet, a large bed (two beds pushed together, very
comfortable) and aqua blue walls with a photograph of a concert and two
paintings.
The sitting area in front of the bed was comfortable too and included an octagonal table with a marble top.
We
enjoyed sitting there, having drinks and watching Netflix (included in
the room rate and can be watched as much as you like without any extra
charge) or CNN. There were also regional channels available, but no
Business Channel like Bloomberg.
A lot of thought went into the interior design.
Where it mattered the comfort and lightning was good, be it at Sophie’s Restaurant or elsewhere.
Our
room had lots of natural day light due to a corner location and
panorama windows. The sun heated up the room, but the air conditioning
was working fast and cooled the room quickly. There was also a fan,
adding some romance.
The
storage units were open, so nothing could be overlooked or forgotten.
It looked like a large vintage commode. The top could have been a
drawing desk or part of a work bench. There were even water rings on it.
In one compartment were LPs including one from Sinead O’Connor, called
“I’m not bossy – I’m the boss”. A LP player and amplifier were also
available, so you could throw your own parties and play the DJ.
Reading
material was provided too, a coffee book called American Artifacts,
Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce and a book combining the poem/lyrics of
Leonard Cohen’s “Dance me to the end of love” and paintings of Henri
Matisse. I love Leonard Cohen’s music and “Dance me to the end of love”
is one of my favorite songs, especially the cover by Madeleine Peyroux.
There was also a writing desk with a makeup mirror.
A full length mirror was located near the entrance.
The WiFi was free, reliable and fast throughout the hotel.
Other
unusual items were a modern telephone, designed like it came straight
out of the fifties or sixties and a Smeg mini fridge or a hot water
bottle.
The
iconic Smeg was stocked with the usual suspects, i.e. Coca Cola, but
had a lot of interesting items, like Irish Pale Ale, Irish lemonade,
coconut and vitamin water. The Munchie Box was very tempting with
Broderick Brothers bars (Rocky Road with marshmellows), Nic’s &
Ali’s Sours or Cola Bottle gummies and much more. We took a few items.
The mini bar is reasonable priced, for example water costs 1.50 Euro
(ca. 1.60 USD). We were a bit surprised, though, because we didn’t have
to pay for the three bottles we took. It’s own branded water, organic
and sourced in Ireland. We love the idea of going global and local at
the same time, it's more tempting than an average "chain hotel" mini
bar.
Beside the Munchie Box were cups, Barry’s Tea Gold Blend and a Nespresso Coffee Machine with four capsules.
The
kettle, hot water bottle and iron were kept in one wooden box
underneath the Munchie Box and the hair dryer in another one. It was a
professional Remington.
When entering the room the bath room was off to the left.
There
was one large white sink with a black tap, a shelf to place our own
beauty products, toilet, a heated towel rack and a power shower with a
large rainfall showerhead, white and black tiles and a glass divider
with The Dean logo printed on it.
Some of the tiles were dark, honey comb shaped which created a nice contrast to the white ones.
The floor in the shower was slightly sloped, so when taking a shower, it didn’t flood the bath room.
There was another shelf for personal items and a mirror, convenient if someone wants to shave.
All
amenities were by Grafton Barber. The shower gel, shampoo, conditioner
and soap came in metal dispensers. The size was large. We liked the
products, but missed the body lotion.
The power shower worked well – the pressure was fantastic - and the water came constantly hot without any problems.
The bed room was quiet as requested and we weren’t disturbed by any noise from surrounding night clubs.
There were ear plugs on the night stands, just in case.
Unfortunately check out approached too fast.
Our take? This is one of the best hotels in Dublin and the 4 Star Superior is rating well deserved.
It’s
a beautiful design boutique hotel with 52 rooms, where the design
doesn’t go over substance. Our stay was friendly and flawless.
The
location is perfect to explore Dublin or stay in, depending what room
type you have booked (Punk Bunks are on the smaller side.), binge
watching your favorite Netflix show and enjoy a cocktail or a meal and
grandiose views over Dublin from the rooftop restaurant and bar. We
would highly recommend the HiFi rooms at the Dean.
The food is excellent and the staff is exemplary – friendly, very anticipating, helpful and good looking.
We are missing the hotel already and plan to stay there again in our future.
©2015
