Clarion Hotel Dublin (IFSC) - Dublin , Ireland     

What a great hotel the Clarion is. I would say it is three times as good as the Shelbourne at one third of the cost. Check in was friendly and efficient. Our room was on the top floor overlooking the river (as requested) and had a huge balcony. Breakfast was first class. Really recommended.

Stayed here for one night in Dublin on business - it's perfect for anyone with meetings in the new Docklands financial district. The staff was extraordinarily friendly, almost to the extent that it was over the top. We had excellent service in the hotel restaurant, which serves tasty Asian-themed food and is happy to adapt many of their dishes for vegetarians. The rooms were small, but well-designed and well lit, with flattering mirrors (ladies will understand why this is important!) and a flat-screen TV showing a good selection of channels. There were a few minor maintenance problems with my room - a broken towel rack, that sort of thing - nothing that impeded my enjoyment of my stay. The mini-bar could easily be expanded, however. It had about 6 items in it, all drinks, no snacks. The room service breakfast didn't live up to the hotel's otherwise high standard. It was just OK, and rather heavy on fatty meats which I hadn't checked on the order form. The toast was cold and came without butter. All in all, however, I would happily stay again at this hotel, and plan to recommend it to colleagues with business in this area of Dublin. And don't miss the restaurant!