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Clontarf Castle Hotel
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3 reviews for Clontarf Castle Hotel
Drinking a pint at Clontarf Castle is a little bit like eating a cheeseburger at a 5 star restaurant... you always feel a little bit out of place.
But with such awe-inducing surrounds, how can you resist? A drink in the Knights Bar at the Clontarf Castle is one of those things you should put on your list of must-do's before you die!
If you're going to be drinking in such breath-taking surrounds, you might as well order a drink to match, so why not branch out for a cocktail, or go for a quality white, rather than the house variety? We opted for the Lawson's Dry Hills Sav Blanc from NZ, which was a rewarding decision.
An interesting crowd finds its way to the Clontarf Castle Hotel. A mix of wedding guests, families, older couples and locals can be found holding up the bar at any given moment, so no matter who you are you'll always kinda fit in here, even if you think you won't.
Just make sure you go exploring around the hotel, or else your trip will be wasted! Check out the knights in shining armour hidden in little caverns, and the 'secret' room where you and your friends can pull up a seat and have a few bevvies in the comfort and solace of your cell-like private room!
The staff are a little overattentive and annnoying (for the third time, yes, I am very happy sipping on my Cardonnae and NO I do not require anything further thank you very much!) but apart from that this place is a joyous experience and a must for any trip to Dublin. Ooh drinking in a castle - excitement plus!!
I absolutely fell in love with this boutique hotel despite a few flaws.
First, the good: After spending the bulk of our trip in B&Bs, it was a refreshing change to stay in a posh hotel outside of Dublin's city centre. I happened upon making reservations at this hotel by pure chance. Not having done my research before the trip, I had booked this blindly to secure accommodations in Dublin for our trip. Had I not been so naive in booking, I would never have discovered this gem. The rooms are incredibly modern with all the latest technologies. The common areas such as the lobby and the restaurants are very well decorated, blending medieval castle relics with modern patterns and textures. Amazing!
The bad: We stayed two nights and ate three meals in the hotel. The first was the evening of our arrival. We ate in the Knights Bar. The food was excellent. I had this amazing burger with tomato relish on it. Yeah, dude, tomato relish. Never knew existing but now I am officially a fan. While the food was great, I was extremely irritated by the staff. For some reason, they spent no less than twenty minutes reorganizing the silverware. It was incredibly loud. Constant clanging that was like nails on a chalkboard and echoed through my skull. After no less than 20 minutes, I complained. The waiter blew it off and it continued for several more minutes.
Our second meal was in the hotel's other restaurant for a breakfast buffet. There was a pretty decent looking spread and we were really excited. However, the food was pretty horrible. The eggs nearly made me sick and everything was vastly low in quality. Boooo!
Our last meal was room-service the night before we left Ireland. I had injured my foot the day before and aggravated it during all the St. Paddy's Day celebrations. We placed our order and was told they would be up within the hour. Ninety minutes later, no food. I called down and was given excuses, even being told that it was already delivered. Finally, another 20 minutes later, we received our food. Extremely famished at this point, we were extremely disappointed to find the orders incomplete. Thankfully, however, they did correct the mistakes within five minutes. I think by then, they knew not to mess with me any longer!
Overall, I did enjoy my stay there. Should I return, I will consider the Clontarf Castle. However, the likelihood of dining within the hotel during my visit is slim to none.
This is really a wonderful hotel. The website photos do not do it justice. The concierage was very helpful in trying to track our lost luggage and advising where we could find replacement clothing. The hotel runs a bus into the city at 9:00 AM each day. Public busses are available a short walk from the hotel for E1.60 one way in contrast to E30 for a taxi.
We ate a meal in the pub which provided both traditional Irish and more flavorful dishes. We also ate the full Irish breakfast buffet which was discounted for hotel guests at E10. We enjoyed everything but the eggs which had an off-taste.
Major downside is that the weddings create a traffic jam at the front desk and a lot of noise in the rooms.
We had a great price when we booked directly with the hotel 4 months ahead on the internet. All of our emails were answered promptly.
