It is 4 am and I am sitting up in my very comfortable bed at the Shelbourne Hotel unhappily writing this review. After having been awakened at 3:30 am by the sound of slamming doors and women screaming in the hallway, we have been kept awake by the sound of an alarm clock in the suite adjacent to ours. My husband called the front desk to complain only to be left holding the telephone while it rang again and again. He hung up after 55 rings with no front desk response and went downstairs to ask them to handle the alarm situation. They phoned the room but did nothing else. The alarm continued to ring. My husband went back down to the front desk. They phoned again with no result.
We have stayed at some of the finest hotels in the world and are sad to say that we would not count The Shelbourne among them. While the hotel is exceptional looking, and boasts a proud history, it seems that this may be a case of all style and no substance. At best the staff can be described as indifferent, at worst as ill-mannered.
As I have already mentioned the bed is very comfortable; however, the rest of the suite is unexceptional. The sandpaper textured towels in the small bathroom remind me of the cheap hotels I endured in my travels as a university student backpacking through Europe with little money. Management might want to consider the use of fabric softener or environmentally friendly dryer balls. As I post this review the alarm has finally been turned off. It is 6:10 am.. Sadly, we are unimpressed and will not be returning.

We thoroughly enjoyed our recent stay at the newly renovated Shelbourne. The hotel is beautiful and the staff cannot do enough for you. I requested a room overlooking St. Stephen's Green and this is what we received. I also had requested early check in as our flight from the US got us into Dublin Airport around 6:00 AM. No problem, our room was waiting for us...

The beds were wonderful and the bathrooms were extremely elegant. The hotel restaurants and bars were packed at lunch and at night, a sure sign that Dubliners and foreigners alike have re-discovered this great hotel. With easy access to Grafton Street, Merrion Square, the National Gallery of Ireland, Trinity College, and Temple Bar, you cannot find a better hotel location in the city. The Shelbourne definitely ranks near the top of my list of favorites in Ireland along with Adare Manor and Mount Juliet. I can't wait to return Dublin and hopefully stay in the same room.

We stayed at the Shellbourne in a heritage room with access to the lounge. It was a treat stay to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday.
The hotel has much to commend it: a first class and loving renovation has restored the hotel to a thing of real beauty; history - the Constitution Room where Michael Collins and others debated and signed the Irish constitution is on show for guests only (his seat and the constitution are on display); art work like I have never seen in a hotel - over 200 pieces of incredible art adourn the hotel; exceptionally beautiful and elegant public spaces and bars. I also found the staff very welcoming an friendly - we were there for three nights and experienced several shifts of staff. All demonstrated that there are clear standards which are consistent across the staff team. The location is just what you'd want for a short break and the double glazing makes the rooms really, really quiet despite the location.
Now for the 'however'...
For the rate I paid my room was very small - furnished to a very high standard and with a first class bathroom (except oddly for a tiny bath in a massive bathroom which could easily have accommodated a large bath) but very small and not close to the standard I have experienced in other international hotels in the same market. There were no tea/coffee making facilities - room service was way too expensive especially for a cup of tea - I thought this omission was mean.
There were some service problems - the unpleasant 7.30am alarm call on the Sunday which I did not book; the gift bag delivered to our room which was not for us; the failure to deliver the turndown service on one night (after providing feedback about that the response was excellent - we were sent mimosas and a bowl of strawberries with a written apology).
And the Heritage Lounge - where to begin? This is a very expensive hotel. Having stayed in a number of other hotels of this standard I found the facilities on offer below the value you would expect. The opening hours of the lounge were limited. Given the hords of crowds in the other bars in the hotel (I am not exaggerating here - I've never had to fight my way through crowds at the front door of a hotel to return to my room - Shellbourne - you've got to do something about that!!!!) access to the lounge beyond 10pm is necessary. The website tells you there are five servings of food a day when in fact it is two. Alcohol is pricey and at no point during the day is it complimentary - this is not what I have experienced elsewhere. Normally there would be some kind of cocktails and canapes slot between 5.30-7.30 in the evening. The savory canapes were very limited, the sweets much better. The staff were excellent and extremely helpful. the hotel already knows that the location of the lounge is ridiculous. It is near impossible to find and In recoginition of this the hotel provide you with your own individual guide the first time you access the lounge. Shellbourne - you're a very big hotel. Move this to somewhere guests can find it and also crucially where anyone with a physical disability can reach it. It's current location prevents anyone in a wheelchair from reaching it - something I didn't see on the website when booking.
Final point - please update your website Shellbourne - the advertised spa and swimming pool opening this summer is in fact still under construction and will not be ready until next year.
Sorry to be so long winded in my review. It is more out of a sense of frustration that such an exceptionally beautiful hotel just isn't reaching its potential. I hope in years to come that it does. Until then I wouldn't pay the rates to stay there again or recommend it to others.

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Ireland and stayed at the Shelbourne for 4 nights. It is a beautiful hotel-stately and elegant. The rooms are modern, roomy and the beds are of European comfort (plush feather mattress pad, high quality sheets and pillows).

The location is outstanding. Just a short walk is Grafton St., a bustling, busy mass of people, shops, pubs, and street entertainment. One can walk to other top tourist areas such as Temple Bar and Trinity College.

The staff is very helpful and nice, however, the hotel is a bit understaffed. We arrived at around 2:00 however we were told our room wouldn't be ready until later. We didn't get our room until almost 5:00 even with the advertised check-in at 3:00. Oh well, we survived and had a fabulous stay! I would definitely stay here again!