The Merrion HotelvsThe Clarence
Both properties are highly recommended by experts. On balance, The Merrion Hotel ranks significantly higher than The Clarence. The Merrion Hotel scores 95 with recommendations from 14 reviewers like Condé Nast Traveler, The Telegraph and Star Service.
The Merrion Hotel Show All Reviews
Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2
From $322/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
Michelin Guide
"Elegant hotel... spacious bedrooms."
Frommer's
"Housed in four restored Georgian houses, the Merrion is a deeply feminine, traditionally elegant hotel." Full review
Concierge
"In a city of spotty service, the staff here does a good impression of having had decades of practice, and the look of the place is weathering beautifully."
Fodor's
"Stately and spiffy, and splendidly situated... this luxurious hotel actually comprises four exactingly restored Georgian town houses." Full review
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"This resplendent five-star hotel, in a terrace of beautifully restored Georgian townhouses, opened in 1988 but looks like it's been around a lot longer." Full review
Oyster
Luxury
"The Merrion is Dublin's most exclusive luxury hotel, and has a convenient location across from the Government buildings in four 18th-century townhouses." Full review
Time Out
"Housed inside four restored, listed Georgian houses, the Merrion doesn't shy away from a little frill here, a delicate striped couch there." Full review
Star Service
"Thanks to management's adept style and the meticulous staff, this hotel comes off as a cozier version of the Four Seasons." Full review
The Telegraph
9.0
"The Merrion Hotel opens into a series of period drawing rooms fragranced by turf fires and adorned with Ireland's largest collection of private art." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Occupying a cluster of four stately Georgian houses, The Merrion embodies the classical glamour of the 18th century, with a subtly modern twist." Full review
The Clarence Show All Reviews
6-8 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2
From $154/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
Michelin Guide
"Attractive riverside hotel... Stylish and well-run."
Concierge
"Unforgivably at these rates, service can falter, veering madly from friendly-polite all the way down to rude."
Insight Guides
"City-centre, riverside location, backing onto Temple Bar. The Art Deco interior has been lovingly restored by new owners (who include U2)."
Lonely Planet
"A handsome boutique hotel designed to reflect the aesthetic of a 1930s gentlemen's club." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"The hotel's owners include Bono and The Edge of the band U2. This Arts and Crafts hotel was restored by the singer and the guitarist and reopened in 1992." Full review
DK Eyewitness
"With original wood-paneling in Arts and Crafts style, and luxuriously furnished rooms, this old establishment successfully combines contemporary cool and comfort."
Star Service
"Across the river from The Morrison, this hotel is partly owned by rock-music impresarios Bono and The Edge, front men for U2." Full review
i
The Clarence is supposed to be a personal vision of the kind of hotel its owners would choose when visiting Dublin, and as such, it is besieged by music and noise, from Temple Bar partygoers in front of the hotel, to the late-night thumping of the Kitchen nightclub in the basement.
Fodor's
"This renovated 1852 grand old hotel is the place to sample Temple Bar's nightlife, even if your pals are too busy rocking to hang." Full review
Oyster
Upscale
"The Clarence is an upscale 50-room boutique hotel set on the banks of the River Liffey in the center of Dublin." Full review
The Telegraph
7.0
"The Clarence occupies an imposing and historic building overlooking Dublin’s quays and River Liffey." Full review