Maples House Hotel

The people working here really care, and that made the stay enjoyable. The staff were genuinely lovely, remembering our order and asking about our day without it feeling rehearsed. There's a downstairs bar and restaurant, nothing fancy, but handy for an evening when you don't want to head back into town. The walk to the centre takes about twenty minutes, so it's quiet at night without feeling stranded or having to spend a fortune on taxis. Our room was clean, the bed decent, and everything worked. It isn't flashy and there's nothing you'd put in a design magazine, but it felt lived-in rather than tired. Warm and comfortable, cosy in the proper sense. It's not a destination hotel, but for the price it felt fair. We found ourselves really enjoying the stay, and I'd go back.

The small room was the hardest part for us. We booked a double but got a twin bed that was too short for me at 5’11”. There was barely space for both of us and our luggage, and we took turns sleeping on the floor and in the bed over our two nights because we couldn't both fit. The bathroom was cramped too, and we had to ask for a second towel after initially receiving just one. Shower drainage was another irritation, the water pooled so quickly that we kept switching it off and on. Noise made things worse. There's no air conditioning, which I understand is common in European hotels, so we needed the windows open for ventilation. We could hear neighboring rooms at normal speaking volume, and our neighbors were loud throughout the night. The hotel also hosts events, and late parties and people gathering outside added more noise. There were some real positives: the old building is beautiful and full of charm, and the neighborhood just outside the city centre is lovely. The nearest bus stop is about a 10-minute walk. The staff let us check in around 5:30 a.m. after our overnight flight, which was fantastic and much appreciated. As an American used to larger U.S. hotel rooms, I think it's best to adjust expectations. The room size, noise, and bathroom issues made the stay less comfortable than we hoped.

The only good thing was that it was clean. I left after my first night, even though I'd paid for two. The bed was tiny, the mattress old and sagging, and the pillow hard. I couldn't fit properly and had to put my feet against the wall. There was no hot water in the shower, noise all night, and outside light came into the room. The peephole had no cover, so there was a privacy issue. I was highly dissatisfied.

The biggest issue was the event noise. We stayed Wednesday through Monday, and a 21st birthday party on Friday had loud music going past 4 a.m. Saturday's music night, which was advertised on flyers outside but not mentioned on the website, went on until around midnight. We were exhausted and Saturday and Sunday were very difficult. I suspect our room was right over the function room. If you're staying Friday or Saturday, I'd call and ask to be placed as far from it as possible. My wife and I will probably choose a more traditional hotel closer to the city centre next time. The staff were amazing whenever we dealt with them, always polite and helpful, and they remembered us. The food was delicious, with good portions for the price. My wife has several dietary restrictions, but we could find suitable breakfast and dinner options. The hotel and rooms were clean. It's a comfortable, smaller, older B&B with good food and some Dublin-specific quirks. There was one radiator for heat, with a flow valve that gave some control. The hot water didn't always flow, so we mostly left the valve open and the room was warmer in the evening to get through the cold night. The rooms were smaller than we're used to, but still big enough for us, and we understand that's standard for Dublin. The shower was small too, as we'd expect in an older building. We didn't see any elevators, so it may be difficult for someone with mobility issues. Our room seemed to be at the end of the plumbing run. If anyone else was showering, we had virtually no hot water pressure. The vertical bar supporting the shower head needed maintenance. I adjusted it enough to use, but otherwise the water would have sprayed my stomach instead of my head. For context, I'm American and was helping my oldest son and his partner move to Dublin. It was my first time there, and we chose Maples House because they were moving to the same district.