Clontarf Castle Hotel

Overall I very much enjoyed this hotel. The staff was friendly and informative. It was really only a couple/few kilometers from most things to see in Dublin, so it is quick to town but a taxi or rental car is needed. Very clean and well kept. Really a great hotel and I would recommend it to anyone so long as the distance from the city center isn't and issue.

We chose Clontarf Castle for our honeymoon based on great reviews. We arrived around 10am and we were accommodated with an early check in. Our room was great (more spacious than we expected with a large window and a cute L-shaped nook in the corner with a table and a chair), but the bathroom light did not work. After traveling for 15 hours to get here, we wanted to take showers so we saw housekeeping in the hall, and they said they would send someone over to fix the light. No one came. A couple hours later we told the front desk, who also said they would fix it...no one came. My husband took a shower in the dark, which I refused to do. Finally, before dinner, we went back to the front desk and spoke to a man who sent the concierge up who simply changed the light bulb. Some things we wished we had known in advance...they do not put a top sheet on the bed. The mattress is covered with a sheet, and then there is a down comforter, but no sheet. This drove us crazy as the room was already preset for a cooling and heating temperature, so we were either burning up or freezing at night; we found it hard to regulate. Also, they do not provide washcloths in the bathrooms. You do get towels and some hand towels but not very many. But I was impressed with the size and style of the bathroom. It was clean, and modern, with a nice walk in shower. The vanity was huge and had room for all of my hair and make-up accessories. We were extremely thankful we bought our computer, Wifi is free, because we only got maybe 10 channels on the TV and you had to pay extra for stuff that I think is normally included in the States. I would recommend bringing your own DVD's/CD's to play on your computer. Housekeeping is nothing more than them coming in and making your bed. If we left the iron and ironing board out, it was never put away for us and was still where we left it when we returned at night. Twice they didn't replace the dirty glasses/saucers we had used. The room has a fridge, but it is stocked so we couldn't buy our own drinks to store in there, which was frustrating. The hotel does serve breakfast each morning, and we were both impressed by that. It was 12.50 Euros per person, but it was set up buffet style and included sliced meats and cheeses, 3 or 4 different types of fresh fruit, yogurts, danishes, both fried and scrambled eggs, sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, sausage, hash browns, 3 or 4 types of juices, tea, coffee, toast...I feel like I'm forgetting some items. Breakfast was always a pleasure, no problems, no issues and very friendly staff. We also really enjoyed The Knight's Bar, located on the first floor. We had dinner and or drinks there most nights. There is not much to do at this hotel but eat and drink. The castle doesn't really have any grounds, and it's situated in the middle of a residential area. There is no pool or hot tub, no spa or gym. The most economical way to get into town is by bus, and it's a bit of a walk from the castle to get to the closest stop, and we planned a lot of activities and wished halfway through our trip that we had paid more money and stayed in downtown Dublin as we paid a lot in bus and taxi fares. Overall we enjoyed the hotel but think it's better suited for those wanting a weekend romantic get-away, not a week long vacation.

The Hotel was nice. They charged you for every little amenity used however. It was a bit too far out of town, about a mile walk to the bus stop every day. The staff was pleasant and helpful.

Loved our one week stay at the Clontarf Castle. Food in the restaurant and bar was excellent. Staff attentive and helpful. Beautiful building with comfortable rooms. I wish it was a little closer to Dublin City Centre but the bus stops right across the street or take a taxi.

The staff was helpful and always there with directions and support with issues with my car rental from Hertz in Dublin.Ire. Would recommend to others and would stay there again when I am in Dublin Ire.

Clontarf was probably the best hotel we stayed in, though it would be closely tied with Fitzpatrick Castle. We were astounded by the low price we booked through Orbitz. The neighborhood was beautiful, the staff was friendly, and it was easy to get into the city. Wow. We cannot wait to go back!

Just what we needed. Away from all the noise, but so close that we took a cab everywhere. But easy access to all areas via bus if you want. The hotel is gorgeous and would definitely stay and recommend to all. Staff was one of the friendliest we've ever dealt with. Eat at th Knights bar for breakfast......They have green eggs and ham for breakfast....yummy!

I have to start off by saying that the reception desk staff at this hotel were friendly, attentive, responsive, and quick- absolutely wonderful people who nimbly dealt with tons of obviously international travelers who needed a lot of direction and help. They got my room ready before regular check-in time, since I'd arrived at 7am on a Monday morning straight from the airport. I was surprised that the wait staff seemed to take a while to take my order, bring my order, and etc., even when it wasn't busy. The breakfast was not that great- all in all I've had better at middle-range hotels in the States. I order room service at the beginning of my stay and they never came- and when I called again an hour after the fact the staff never picked up! My room was nice with some oddities; the electricity is governed by a room card inserted into a slot near the door, the hair dryer was in the desk drawer and the cord didn't reach long enough for me to be able to blow dry my hair in front of the mirror. My Do Not Disturb sign disappeared and was never replaced, even though I asked for it. The worst, however, was the noise. I could hear everyone's conversation who passed by my room. The hotel does weddings and parties, at one point I believe there were 2 going at once, and I could hear all of this ruckus in my room. Partiers often had hotel rooms too, several very drunk revelers hanging out near my door woke me up at 2am. I took a sleeping pill every night I was at the hotel. The hotel itself is beautiful and unique, but I would recommend somewhere much quieter if you are looking for a relaxing retreat. It is much more ideal for travelers who will not spend a lot of time in their room- so make sure you do everything you can to avoid jet lag! The hop-on hop off Dublin bus tour as well as other tours pick up from the hotel lobby, which is really convenient. Clontarf is very very close to Dublin; a cab ride in is less then 20 EU and the bus stop is walkable, safe, and drops you right downtown. A 5 day pass is about 30 EU. I probably wouldn't stay here again unless I brought family members with me and planned on being out of the hotel most of the time.

From the moment we arrived at Clontarf Castle, it was we loved it. The reception desk was very helpful and [...], the concierge, was amazing. We went to him to ask suggestions of things to do, and he helped us plan each day and even followed up with us the next time he saw us. We took the Hop on, Hop off City Tour and the Grayline Tour of the Malahide Castle, both recommended by [...]and both very enjoyable. We would recommend this hotel to anyone!

Great hotel, cool synergy integrating a classic castle into a modern design. Great and friendly staff; the desk can help you book day/night trips and are more than happy to do it. The 130 bus stop is about a 5 minute walk and takes you into the heart of Dublin in about 10-15 minutes. The only negative is that like most luxury hotels; Clontarf charges a premium prices for stuff other hotels generally include for free, ($7/hr for internet), breakfast is about 20-30 per person. However, the gym is free and in pretty good shape. I would certainly stay there again.