Dublin, Arlington Hotel

The Arlington Hotel is situated on Bachelors Walk. You cannot get more central. You are 5 minutes away from the main shopping area and the famous Temple Bar area of Dublin.

Check-in was painless. You are issued a key card which operates your room door and also the lift. This worked perfectly without any hitches. The room was situated on the 2nd floor which was far enough away from the noise of the entertainment. The view from the room wasn't that great, we looked onto a hostel. The heat in the room was extreme. The bathroom heater was on full and could not be altered.

The beds were comfortable enough. The tv was old and kept losing the channel. The bathroom was clean with the best shower. All-in-all, the hotel was clean, but some parts could do with refurbishment. The hotel has around 160 bedrooms. The rooms on the 4th floor are deluxe so may be worth booking if you like your comforts.

The breakfast is worth getting up for. All freshly made. They have a queue system to be served, but we had no problems. Breakfast goes on until 10am weekdays, and 10.30 at weekends. Entertainment was typically irish and very good. Extremely busy so worth going down early to get a seat. Bar prices were astronomical! They also have a system where prices tend to go up during the night. At one stage we worked out that one alcoholic drink with mixer equated to £5.

A nice mix of guests from the young to the old. It is a lively hotel so not for those looking for peace and quiet.

If you are looking for a central hotel near all the action then this is for you. It's not the best 3 star hotel I have visited, but it certainly isn't the worst. It was more than sufficient for our weekend away.

One last thing which isn't connected with the hotel. We were struck by how many beggars there were as we walked around. Some sitting in shop doors, but others stopping and asking you for money. A firm 'no' usually suffices.