When going anywhere, my lodging priorities are usually lined up like this: location, cleanliness, price. While in Dublin, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that more often than not, many higher-class hotels in the center of town have coupons and deals, so a swanky stay isn’t out of reach. Sometimes hotels can actually be cheaper than hostels! A big thing to watch out for when booking a place in Dublin, though, is surrounding bars and nightclubs. If you want to sleep on your own schedule, double check that the rooms aren’t beside or on top of a nighttime hotspot. This is a potential problem in many places, but Dublin and Edinburgh especially.
Personally, I’ve stayed at two hotels, getting deals both times from all the usual sites and the hotels’ home pages. The first is called Jurys Inn on Parnell Street. Offering all the amenities such as WiFi, a bar, restaurant and friendly, helpful staff. It is located just a stone’s throw from O’Connell Street and many other Dublin sites and sounds, but far enough away to be a quiet solace if needed. The rooms are pretty standard, but very clean and comfortable.
The second hotel I’ve stayed in is The Ripley Court Hotel on Talbot Street. It is a little further out than the Jurys Inn, but equally as comfortable and provides all the same perks. Again, the rooms are clean and safe, and the staff friendly and helpful. In fact, when getting a late start the morning of, check-out they didn’t mind at all and waived the late fee without batting an eye. I must say though that the general décor of this hotel is much darker than the Jurys Inn, which I remember as being more light and airy. Though the Dublin weather and the dark wood of Ripley’s easily could account for this feeling, and is more akin to the feel of Dublin’s historic buildings anyway.
Gardener’s Street and Temple Bar have a plethora of hostels which are perfect if you’re traveling alone; the price and location can’t get any better. This way, the nearby bars and nightclubs facilitate meeting new friends and travel buddies.
Anywhere in the center of Dublin will be a good choice as far as being in the thick of things, and again, being on the lookout for deals can mean scoring a great hotel at hostel prices. Happy hunting!
