Dylan Hotel

We’d booked afternoon tea for two and noted that we were pescatarians. When we arrived, we were moved from The Addison Room to the Ruby room, their cocktail room. It was quite dark and didn’t feel like the right setting for afternoon tea. The staff checked our dietary needs, and we repeated that we were pescatarians. After 30 to 40 minutes, the sandwiches arrived with meat in all of them, so we sent them back and asked the staff to check the order. They apologized, but the long delay was disappointing. The vegetarian replacements weren’t much better, just tomato and leaves, with no egg or tuna. That didn’t feel worth €55 per person. The staff were very nice throughout and offered us a complimentary glass of prosecco, but the vegetarian choices need work.

Breakfast was a real treat, with a nice menu and pleasant waitstaff. The team were friendly and accommodating, and kindly arranged a rollaway bed for our daughter for $75 per night. The room was comfortable, with good beds, a large bathroom with heated floors, and plenty of water and towels. Ours was a newer room overlooking the alley, so ask if you’d prefer more character or a better view. The main lobby bathroom was beautiful and especially handy. The location felt safe and tucked away, but we could walk to St.Stephen green, Dublin castle and Trinity college. There’s a Catholic Church just behind a wall, Hertz car rental is a block away, and a taxi can arrive in three minutes.

I had two meals here, and both were dreadful, with abysmal service. The room was tiny and so full of furniture that moving around was difficult. The bathroom was just as small, with only a shower and a sink counter too cramped to fit a toothbrush. The towel warmer didn’t work. I told the staff and was assured it would be fixed, but nobody came. For the price of a five-star hotel, this felt like a three-star place on a good day. I’ve had more comfortable rooms at Holiday Inns in the US, if that comparison helps. I moved to The Continental and had a five-star experience there.

I DJ’d a private function here. It’s a beautiful hotel, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Getting equipment in wasn’t easy, though, and taking a trolley through the reception isn’t ideal. The event space is outdoors under a canopy, so it can get cold, while the heaters can beam down and get hot. Even so, I’d recommend the hotel for an event. Need a DJ for this venue? Contact me via Instagram @djstephenpaterson