There is a reason I’ve never stayed at a Doubletree Hotel – I’m a cookie addict!  The signature amenity of the Doubletree chain is the free cookie at check-in (or as I learned, a free cookie every time you ask at The Morrison Hotel) and according to the twitter gods for Doubletree/The Morrison, they won’t cut you off despite your addiction.

When presented a choice by my travel agent, I perused the websites and found The Morrison Hotel presented a more boutique experience than the other option and it was cheaper at EUR161 per night (about $220 per night – I saved on airfare so was ok to upgrade my hotel experience).  I was staying on a Monday/Tuesday and not able to take advantage of any specials – I noticed that many business travelers were staying at the hotel.  It wasn’t until after I booked the hotel that I realized it was a Doubletree and that I would literally be feeding my addiction for two days.

Location

The perfect location in Dublin!  The hotel is located along the River Liffey and walk two blocks in either direction and you are in the heart of it all. The famous Ha’Penny bridge which leads to the Temple Bar touristy area of pubs, music, restaurants in one direction with the other direction passing the pedestrian shopping area and mall.  Walking fifteen minutes will bring you to the Jameson Whiskey Experience and in the other direction to Trinity College and Grafton Street.

Lobby/Check-In

The lobby area reminded me of a few other boutique chains that I like – warm grey, purple and silver with a fireplace (candles in lieu of roaring fire) made for a relaxing space.

Arriving on the overnight flight from Boston, I was definitely early for check-in and expected to walk around the city until the room was ready. It was a great surprise that the room was available so early and even better to get the first (of many) cookies.  The cookie wasn’t exactly my preferred as there were nuts in it but after a long flight, I quickly adapted to the cookie, justifying the nuts as much need protein. The warm oozing chocolate quickly made me forget about the nuts.

Both the two elevators and the elevator lobby on each floor had wonderful thoughts written on the walls.  It was fun to read these each time finding a new thought to contemplate.

The Room

When i walked into the room, I quickly put the keycard in the electric slot and turned on the lights.  My room was really amazing, in fact, I thought it had magic powers to teleport me to the W in Washington, DC!  The room set up, color scheme and overall cool factor really surprised me that this was a Doubletree!  It had the feel of a W – in this case the W stood for WOW, this is a Doubletree?!

 

 

Bathroom

The bathroom was very modern.  I liked that the towels were wrapped with a bow, the setup of the counter space and the large walk in shower.  The toiletries were Crabtree & Evelyn.  The hairdryer was easily found in the wardrobe drawer as the bathroom doesn’t have storage space.  The lighting in the bathroom was good for makeup which is always tricky.  A plush robe and slippers were provided (I love hotel slippers!) as well as an umbrella (you definitely needed it with the rains each day).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concierge/Front Desk

I had emailed the concierge/front desk (they seem interchangeable)  prior to my stay and he provided me a good list of restaurants in the area as well as tour options.  Each interaction with the front desk (I had to space out my cookie requests so that I didn’t ask the same person twice) was pleasant.  They provided maps and detailed the walking directions for my journeys.

Restaurant

The Morrison Grille is the on site restaurant open to hotel guests and the public for lunch and dinner.  Both of my meals were really good – I like the grill concept which I rarely find in Europe.  I had simple grilled food with fresh vegetables and a nice glass of wine. The service was lovely, the bread plate fantastic and desserts indulgent.

The breakfast room of the hotel offers a buffet only.  The first day, I went elsewhere as the hostess would not accommodate my special meal request (she was the only negative interaction during my stay).  Asking the front desk later for breakfast options, they happily talked with the chef to arrange a special ala carte option for me with a discounted price for the next morning.  I hate to pay 20 Euro for a buffet when i only need two eggs with potatoes and dry toast.  I was quite happy that they could work with me on this as a buffet is a nightmare for anyone with a food allergy/intolerance.

Overall

The Morrison Hotel was a fantastic hotel hitting all high marks for me – decor, art, comfort, location, service, food.  My inner hotel girl was quite happy in a perpetual chocolate sugar coma OD’ing on cookies and planning out a return visit to Dublin as we missed the attraction down the street…..