Merrion Square Studios

Getting checked in was a chaotic ordeal. We had to ring a number from the cold, dark street, then wait for an email so we could pay a deposit, and then get a code to enter the lobby. They gave us a room code without explaining that it was actually for a lockbox elsewhere in the building, since there was no keypad on the room door. I had to call the switchboard again and wait before they admitted they'd forgotten to explain that. They also claimed they hadn't received the email from Booking.com with the check-in details, which seems unlikely. They couldn't even write down my email address correctly and asked me for it five times. I was about to give up and ask for my money back when she finally figured it out and gave me a code, though it was the wrong one. Shocking and unsafe. Probably the most chaotic check-in I've experienced. Avoid this place like the plague. Never again.

The location is good if all you need is somewhere to sleep for a night. The room was strange, reached by a metal staircase, and they seem to have made bare brick and damp part of the bedroom's look. There was no hot water on the second morning. It was okay.

The location was convenient, about a 15-minute walk from Grafton Street, but the stay was unacceptable for what we paid. A friend booked two nights for five of us. When we arrived, neither key card would open the apartment, and after several calls we waited nearly an hour and a half for someone to come and take them away to fix the problem. At first the apartment looked fine, but a closer look showed dirty brown stains on some green bed runners and white marks on the wallpaper by the heating and air conditioning controller. The shower was awful, with hair in the tray, a dirty large shower head, and barely any water coming from the bigger of the two heads. The pillows and mattress were uncomfortable. The beds were listed as doubles, but felt more like small doubles. This is absolutely not 3-star accommodation. I wouldn't recommend it or return.

I needed somewhere at short notice because my partner was at The National Maternity hospital, but the check-in process was a nightmare. I called the number and was told to email my request. After I sent my name, phone number, and county or country of residence, they asked for a photo of my ID, which I sent. Then I heard nothing back. I stood outside for 40 minutes without getting access, gave up, and stayed at the Grand Canal Hotel instead.