Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Where to Stay
F
rom legendary old-world landmarks to sleek high-rises, Dublin
offers a great diversity of places to stay. The good news is that we've
noticed prices starting to actually come down, especially in the lux-
ury category. So travelers on a moderate budget should be able to
more easily find comfortable, attractive accommodations.
The Irish Tourist Board implements a grading system consistent
with those of other European countries and international standards,
ranking hotels with one to five stars. While this system is helpful as
a guideline of the comfort level you can expect, it is based strictly on
facilities and amenities and fails to take into consideration atmos-
phere, decor, charm, friendly owners, or an especially appealing
breakfast. Moreover, some hotels are ungraded—usually because
they are brand-new or they simply choose to remain out of the sys-
tem. For example, The Clarence hotel, owned by members of the
band U2, is ungraded (presumably out of preference) but certainly
falls into the luxury category.
In this guide, we give each hotel zero to three stars, based on over-
all value for money. As a result, a fine but expensive hotel may get
one star, while an excellent budget choice may get two.
In general, rates for Dublin hotels do not vary as greatly with the
seasons as they do in the countryside. Some hotels charge slightly
higher prices during special events, such as the Dublin Horse Show.
For the best deals, try to reserve a room over a weekend, and ask if
there is a reduction or a weekend package in effect. Some Dublin
hotels cut their rates by as much as 50% on Friday and Saturday
nights, when business traffic is low. Just to complicate matters, other
hotels, especially in the off season, offer midweek specials.
It usually pays to book hotels well in advance. Many hotels can
be booked through toll-free numbers in the United States, and the
quoted prices offered can be appreciably (as much as 40%) lower
than those offered at the door. Even better, book online. We've
noticed that many hotels frequently offer the deepest discounts to
travelers who book through their websites.
