When I walked into The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel by Marriott in Dublin, I was greeted with champagne; surrounded by food, drink, and hospitality; and immersed in history including info on the celebrities that had visited there.
After my first few steps through the door, I noticed the glimmering chandelier, the high ceiling and the uniformed hotel personnel. To my left, a bar, to my immediate right, a tea salon (a little further down is another bar), and straight ahead, a restaurant. After being greeted with my initial glass of champagne, I entered further into the lobby and was served more drinks as well as banana bread while waiting for my room keys. Unfortunately, my first day at The Shelbourne Dublin was darkened by every traveler’s worst nightmare: our suitcases had been lost during our transit between Paris and Ireland. When I told the hotel personnel of my woes, they contacted the airport and proceeded to monitor the status of our missing valises for the next two days until they had been found and retrieved for us. On top of that, we had arrived earlier than expected so our rooms were not ready. Instead of having to wait in the lobby for a lengthy period of time with three jet lagged teenagers, they gave us a room for the day as a “waiting room”. My husband and I were relieved to have a place to put our carry-on bags; the kids, however, promptly went to sleep.
The Shelbourne has a long and proud history which is celebrated in a small museum room just off the lobby. The Irish Constitution was written at the hotel in 1922, and there are a suite of interesting historical documents on display relating to this event. Also on display is the green Givenchy dress that Princess Grace of Monaco wore on her visit to Dublin. The museum also contains other historical artifacts, photos, and some of the check-in logs of well-known people that have stayed there.
We had two rooms, one for my husband and I and the other with twin beds for the kids. I was immediately stunned by the two-room set-up with adorned couches and curtains; everyone else eyes’ locked onto the mini macaroons that had been laid out as a welcoming surprise. Our rooms consisted of a living room with couches, a T.V, and a large mirror and a bedroom that also had a tv and a bathroom. The bathrooms consisted of a walk-in shower, bath-tub, and a separate cubicle for the toilet. Both our rooms and the kids’ had a great view of St. Peter’s Green, the large park with a lake just across the street.
We ate at two different restaurants within the hotel: the tea-room, also known as the Lord Manor Lounge, and the Saddle Room. The Lord Manor Lounge offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as afternoon tea (which is what we were most excited about). Afternoon tea involves drinking tea (or coffee if you prefer), sandwiches, and lots of scrumptious pastries such as petit fours. During one breakfast at the Lounge, we were fortunate enough to witness a magazine photoshoot in the lobby! Models in vibrant dresses and outlandish hats were posing on the staircase and by the door. We weren’t allowed to take pictures since this was a high fashion photoshoot perhaps destined for the front cover of a prestige magazine but it made for an entertaining breakfast. The Lord Manor Lounge also served one of the most exquisite dinners that we had on our two-week vacation. The way the meal was served was not done in the traditional appetizer, then main course, and finally dessert order. The three courses were served all at once on a wooden tray but with smaller portions that didn’t leave you feeling uncomfortably stuffed by the end of your meal. The choices for food were either exotic, such as the tasty thai chicken and rice, or typical Irish dishes, such as the tangy Eton Mess (meringue cream with fruit and lemon at the bottom).
We only got to eat at the Saddle Room for breakfast during our stay but still, they were great breakfasts. There were an excellent spread of cold cuts, cheeses, pastries, fruit, and hot dishes such as scrambled eggs and black pudding (a traditional dish not meant for the squeamish or vegetarian). We did look in at the evening meal in the Shelbourne Saddle Room and my husband in particular, wanted to get in there for some of the raw bar delicacies.
The Saddle Room Restaurant, has an open kitchen, an intricate and intimate setting, with dark oak walls, leather banquettes and numerous alcoves with mirrors and splashes of gold. The food is based on steaks and seafood with emphasis on Irish products.
Some of my other favorite places in the hotel to dine, drink, unwind, and relax with a nice cocktail were in No. 27 Bar & Lounge and the Horseshoe Bar. Both are very popular with fashionable locals and attract a smart crowd as the word day winds down. What a fun bar!
The spa and fitness centre is not to be missed one of Dublin’s largest indoor hotel pools and gym sit next to the calming spa at The Shelbourne with its exquisite traditional style relaxation room lie in your bathrobe and look up to ornate ceilings and chandeliers while you relax. My husband and I took advantage of the spa for massages and the kids and my husband made a series of visits to the gym weight and machine room.
The Shelbourne Hotel has a longstanding history of being one of the best five star hotels in all of Dublin, and I would have to agree. It is centrally located across from St. Stephen’s Green and is within walking distance to Grafton Street for some shopping.
Disclaimer: The Shelbourne Dublin kindly hosted our stay at a reduced rate. This is solely my personal opinion/experiences.
Paula McInerney
July 11, 2015 at 10:03 amWhat a lovely hotel and would have eased the issues off the misplaced luggage
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 7:17 pmOnce they found out that our luggage was lost, they asked me for my lost bag ticket and were kind enough to follow up with the airlines. They retrieved our bags the next day.
Shobha
July 11, 2015 at 10:45 amWe had tea at the Shelbourne when we were in Dublin at Christmas! Beautiful hotel. At the time they had a gorgeous tree up in the lobby and a roaring fire. One of our favourite Dublin hotels! #TheWeeklyPostcard
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 7:19 pmMy girls really enjoyed the afternoon tea service at the hotel. I’m sure the Christmas tree looked spectacular in the lobby. They go out of their way to make everything so perfect.
Fiona @ London-Unattached
July 11, 2015 at 5:44 pmThat looks like a lovely hotel. Dublin has REALLY improved in the last 10 years and I guess this is all part of that!
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 7:22 pmIt was our first time in Dublin, since it’s the capital I’m sure it’s grown over the last 10 days. It’s a lovely city and I wouldn’t mind returning one day.
Lesley
July 11, 2015 at 6:28 pmWow! It looks so luxurious and I love all the flowers everywhere.
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 7:48 pmThey replaced the flowers throughout the hotel almost very day. I loved looking at the large bouquet in the lobby every time we came into the hotel.
Jennifer @ Made all the Difference Travel Blog
July 11, 2015 at 7:58 pmI would be afraid I would break something in this hotel. It looks like a very luxurious place to stay. The food looks amazing. I would go for the food in a heartbeat.
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 7:51 pmThat’s always one of my concerns when we travel with our kids and stay in a luxurious place, that they would break something. So far so good. 🙂 The food in all the restaurants were incredible. I think we all gained a few pounds.
Toni | 2 Aussie Travellers
July 12, 2015 at 3:03 amThat looks very glamourous and good of them to help with locating your bags and giving you an interim room to relax. That high tea looks super yummy, I could definitely get into a bit of a high tea phase I think.
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 8:20 pmIt is a very glamorous hotel and favorite place for celebrities to stay. They have a digital photo album on display in the lobby with pictures of all the celebrities that have stayed even Princess Grace of Monaco.
Jennifer (Dr. J)
July 12, 2015 at 4:55 amThanks for the peek inside the Shelbourne. I live in Dublin and have only ever been there for tea. The hotel has fantastic atmosphere and is rich with history as you noted.
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 9:45 pmIf you live in Dublin you should try and go one day for a drink to No. 27 Bar & Lounge at the hotel. It’s quite the scene and a great place to relax and unwind. They have a huge selection of beers and cocktails.
Meg Jerrard
July 12, 2015 at 6:14 amWow, what a hotel! Though I’m honestly more impressed by their customer service – seriously, it’s not every hotel who would care about your bags having gone missing and go the extra mile to make sure they got there for you, or offer a waiting room because they realized you’ve had a long flight. 5 stars for that!! It’s those small things which really make a hotel stand out – customer service all the way! I know where I’ll be staying when in Dublin next!!
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 9:54 pmMost of the time when you fly overseas and arrived in the morning flight all you want to do is get to the hotel and go to sleep. The majority of the hotel tell you that your room isn’t ready till 3:00 p.m. It’s especially hard when I’m traveling with the kids. They won me over when they offered us a room to crash. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else in Dublin but The Shelbourne.
Michele TravelwithMrsT
July 12, 2015 at 8:02 amThe wonderfully long indoor pool and tea-time caught my eye! Sounds like it was a wonderful place to stay! We’re heading to Ireland some time in the next year, though we’ll probably stay somewhere less expensive, unfortunately!
Carmen
July 12, 2015 at 10:21 pmMy husband really enjoyed swimming laps in the pool. We traveled thru Ireland for 10 days. Make sure to read some of my other post about the trip before you go. I would highly recommend staying in Ashford Lounge it’s cheaper than the castle, and you still have access to the grounds.
Cailin
July 12, 2015 at 10:50 amSounds like my favourite kind of hotel, if they serve you champagne as soon as you walk in! lol Also afternoon tea!! My favourite thing to do! Nice hear to they were so accommodating giving you a room while waiting for yours and helping find your luggage. I’ll have to look into it on my next visit to Dublin 🙂
Carmen
July 13, 2015 at 7:26 pmI never knew what afternoon tea consisted of until I stand down. They brought out fancy desserts with scones and a a wide selection of jams. It was all very delicious.
Amanda Zeisset
July 12, 2015 at 1:09 pmThe Shelbourne looks like such a beautiful and relaxing place to stay in Dublin. The two room set up must be great for a family with teenagers. Oh yeah and the tea time selection looks delicious. We’ll definitely look at the Shelbourne when we are in Dublin.
Carmen
July 13, 2015 at 8:26 pmOur kids had their own suite on the same floor as us. The suite was spectacular with a separate living room area. One of the things that my kids very like was the location of the hotel. It was centrally located and they were able to walk from the hotel to nearby shops.
Jenna
July 12, 2015 at 7:02 pmWow–this sounds like a fantastic hotel and it looks gorgeous! So frustrating about your luggage. I love that they tracked your lost bags and gave you a waiting room until yours was ready!
Carmen
July 13, 2015 at 8:38 pmWe decided to connect flights to safe money and unfortunately the bags didn’t make it. On a positive note I had to go shopping for clothes, and found a few great buys. I was really happy to hear that my suitcase was found after a day. It was the beginning of our trip and we still had 12 more days to go and I was a little worried.
Stacey jean Inion
July 12, 2015 at 7:43 pmDublin is spectacular in the spring and you’ve given yet another reason to go. Since we travel with children, I was particularly impressed by Shelbourne’s set up for you and your younger ones–well done!
Carmen
July 14, 2015 at 1:45 pmThe weather was perfect the whole 10 days we visited. I’m sure it’s much nicer in the spring time when the flowers are blooming. When I told the hotel that we had three kids sharing a room, they brought in a roll-a-bed. My kids are a little too old and big to fit in a roll-a-bed. I still appreciated the effort they made.
Anda
July 13, 2015 at 2:37 amThis is quite a posh place, Carmen, I envy you. And the level of service seems to match the number of stars. I think I could get used very easily with kind of luxury.
Carmen
July 14, 2015 at 2:26 pmOnce you’ve stayed in a luxury hotel like this one, it’s hard to downgrade. The service was exceptional.
Zoe
July 13, 2015 at 8:28 amWhen I finally make it to Dublin you have thoroughly convinced me this is the place to stay! Looks truly fab. x
Carmen
July 14, 2015 at 3:35 pmYou won’t be disappointed if you stay at The Shelbourne. It’s a fabulous place to unwind and relax.