Harrington Hall

The hotel itself is nice and the location was very good, but the hospitality felt missing. Check-in was listed for 4 p.m., and after travelling all night with my daughter, leaving home at 2 a.m., taking a 5.5-hour flight, then walking around Dublin without sleep, I asked if we could get in earlier. I was willing to pay extra. The receptionist said the room would be ready at 4 sharp, with no attempt to ask housekeeping or offer to call if it became available sooner. His manner felt cold and indifferent. I was surprised to find the room’s printed hotel rules listed check-in as 3 p.m. The late check-in and unhelpful response made for a horrible customer service experience.

Our event was cancelled, so we told the hotel on the morning we were due to stay that we wouldn’t be coming. They had rooms available that night, so they weren’t turning away other business to hold ours, which matters for context. We understand there’s a cancellation policy, but asked if they could move our booking to another date since they’d otherwise be paid for nothing. They dismissed the request and sent a flowery message about understanding our situation without considering any flexibility. We would have extended our stay if they’d helped and praised them online for being accommodating. Instead, this was shocking customer service.

The Suite was beautiful, and the staff were so kind and helpful. We booked two nights without knowing quite what to expect, but we'd happily come back. The building has real history, and being right in central Dublin makes it easy to get around. You can hear the trams in the morning, though.

We had a spacious room at this lovely hotel, though ours was in the front-facing basement and noise from the train and people walking by carried in. We had asked for a room that didn't face the front when we booked, but that request wasn't followed, and nobody explained why.