Herbert Park Hotel, Dublin, Ireland – The Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin has one of the loveliest locations in the heart of the city, overlooking 48 acres of the park from which it takes its name. Photo Courtesy: William Murphy
Finding a good hotel to stay is by far the hardest thing to do when booking a holiday to a foreign country. There are so many different things to take into consideration like price and location etc. Though most people put too much emphasis on the price, from travelling around I have noticed that the most expensive is not always the best and the cheapest is by far not the worst. The rooms and the overall look should not be the basis of you decision. You need to ask yourself if you would be confortable and what your requirements are. The last thing you want is to book a hotel outside the city and have to pay for taxis everyday.
For me, by far the most important thing to consider is Location in relation to the tourist attractions. When you decide to travel to Dublin, and need a nice Hotel located in the city centre, you could be searching for hotels on Google and only come across hotels scattered around the city. Then you could try and search for something more specific; for example, if you want to see Temple Bar and Guinness Storehouse then you could try searching Hotels on Grafton Street. This then will give you results based on the attractions you want to see.
And don’t forget to keep taking pictures of you and your partner as they will look great when you create a photo book when you get back home.
How To Find the Perfect Hotel in Dublin, Ireland:
Central Hotel, Dublin, Ireland – Photo Courtesy: Paul Arps
Step 1: Search City & Hotels near attractions
My first step will always be to start searching for hotels in a certain city by trying to see how many of these are near the attractions I want to see. Remember to always be creating a short list. By creating a shortlist, you will be left with a couple of hotels to make a final decision.
Step2: Guidebooks
Cross-reference this short list with Guidebooks and find out which hotel suits your needs.
Step 3: Reviews
Have a look at the reviews for the hotels on you list and then see which ones stand out.
Step 4: Check Prices
Find the prices of all the hotels, short-listed by you, through a travel website and then compare them to the prices on the actual hotels’ websites. This way you will find if they have any deals on.
Step 5: Location, Price, and Reviews
Take all 3 factors into account and rate each one, and whichever one has the highest rating in your eyes is the one to go with.
Top 5 Locations To Stay In Dublin
1. Grafton Street Area
2. Merrion Square
3. Temple Bar
4. Henry Street
5. Trinity College / Dame Street
Grafton Street decked out in Christmas decor – For those who come to get a little shopping done, Grafton Street (Sráid Grafton in Irish) is one of the two main shopping centres in the capital of Ireland. Photo Courtesy: Irish Jaunt
By using the steps above, you will be able to create a shortlist of all the hotels in the vicinity of your required location. By doing this, you will then be able to analyse exactly which hotel will suit the needs for you and your partner. Additional things to look out, especially for couples, are:
- Events On in Dublin City – Check out plays on in the Gaiety Theatre
- Near Restaurants – Eating out is so romantic, so be sure they are near the hotel
- Double Bed
Another great thing, to try and chance your arm with, when you arrive at the hotel is to ask the concierge for discounts they might have with local businesses, and see if you can get any free tour tickets so that you can save that extra bit of money when abroad.
There is no particular formula to help you choose a hotel but by taking in everything I’ve just said, you should get a very good idea about which hotels to stay in.
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