The Merrion

My wife and I chose Afternoon Tea at the Merrion hotel, to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary. We have enjoyed afternoon tea in hotels all over Ireland, in Northern Ireland and in London. Without doubt, our afternoon in the Merrion Hotel, was the best we have ever experienced. The food was exceptional and our waitress Camilla, was attentive, efficient and couldn't have been nicer. We can see why the Merrion is Dublin's premier five star hotel. The management and staff are top class. Thank you!

On leaving the hotel my wife said, "what a fabulous stay everything was perfect'.

The Merrion Hotel is not to be missed if you're staying in Dublin! The level of service is top notch, and the dining is amazing. Even before we checked in, communication with booking and then concierge by email was very smooth to help us plan appropriately for our trip. If we're lucky enough to visit Dublin again, we'll be back!

My friend and I had an unfortunate experience at the Cellar Bar on the 13th of March. We arrived shortly after 4pm, looking for a table for seven. We noticed that the seating area immediately to the right on entering the bar was empty. As I had never sat there before and there were no staff at the entrance, I approached a member of staff to ask whether it would be possible to use that area. The staff member checked what appeared to be an iPad behind the bar and explained that he would need to consult his manager, who would be arriving shortly. In the meantime, he kindly offered us seats at the bar and invited us to order drinks. When the manager arrived, however, the interaction took an uncomfortable turn. My friend and I were subjected to a series of questions in a manner that felt distinctly unwelcoming. We both came away with the impression that we were being assessed for our suitability as patrons rather than simply being helped to find a table. Eventually, we were escorted to the seating area and informed that we could have the table for between one and one and a half hours. In the event, we remained until just after 7:30 pm and at no stage were we asked to vacate the table or told that it was required for anyone else. The next day, I emailed the hotel to share our experience with the General Manager and to ask that the matter be reviewed, particularly in relation to how guests are greeted and accommodated in these situations. The following Tuesday morning, I received a reply from the Director of Guest Relations. He apologised on behalf of the team, expressed his disappointment that our initial experience had been so poor and advised that he would follow up with the Cellar Bar Manager so that any necessary training could be implemented based on the concerns I had raised. He also invited me to contact him directly before any future visit, saying that he would welcome the opportunity to meet us personally and that “you might allow me to offer you and your party a drink with my compliments”. On the 27th of May, I took him up on that invitation and emailed to say that my friend and I intended to visit the Cellar Bar the following afternoon. He replied, "I'll be here until 5pm tomorrow so please do ask for me when you get here." We arranged our afternoon around that assurance and arrived at the hotel's main reception shortly before 3p.m. We asked to see the Director of Guest Relations and were told that he was on a call. We were invited to wait in the lobby, where we remained until almost 4p.m, during which time we had a glass of water and a cocktail. Unfortunately, we then had to leave to attend another engagement. The following afternoon, I received an email stating, "I stayed around until 6pm yesterday but unfortunately didn't see you," which struck me as overlooking the fact that we had arrived exactly as arranged and had waited for almost an hour. A further email on the 1st of June explained, "I was indeed called away at 3pm to speak with a guest but I am sorry your arrival was not brought to my attention, my apologies for that; I will certainly follow up on that internally." Taken together, these experiences suggest a pattern rather than an isolated oversight. While the responses contained apologies, the promised follow-through never materialised and at no stage did we feel genuinely valued as customers. If you are looking for a first-class hotel experience in Dublin city centre, I would instead recommend the Westbury or the Shelbourne, where, in my experience, guests are made to feel genuinely welcome and their time and custom is respected and valued.

The location at the hotel was good. Quiet in the evening and garden setting was beautiful. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The beds were comfy and washrooms were good size and everything was clean. Expensive but worth it