Hotel Review: The Westin Dublin
For our jaunt to Dublin last weekend, my family and I decided to stay at the Westin Dublin. We scored a pretty good room rate of 165 euros (US$220), which included breakfast, so we went ahead and pulled the trigger - especially since our 3 night stay would qualify for Starwood's current triple points promotion.
The Hotel
I love hotels with a bit of history, and this one is a cool example. The 19th-century building used to be the Allied Irish Bank, and is right in the heart of the historic city center, making it a great place to stay during a quick visit when you want to see the sights and get a lot done. It's not your traditional Westin, but rooms do have signature Westin amenities like the Heavenly Bed and Bath. I also liked the fact that it was a relatively small property, with just 163 rooms, so the service and attention we got was personalized.
Thanks Hdsto my SPG Platinum status, I was upgraded to the Samuel Beckett Suite, one of the hotel’s Library Suites. It was actually a two-category upgrade, and they gave free internet to all three of our rooms, so they were pretty gracious to throw in a couple perks they didn’t have to. As I said, I paid 165 euros for a standard room including breakfast, and rates for the Library Suites start at 309 euros (US$413), so I got a benefit of at least 144 euros (US$192)—nearly doubling the value of what I paid.
My suite was a two-story room with a spiral staircase leading from the first floor to the second. Before you get the wrong idea, though the room’s layout was unique, the second floor was basically a tiny library with old books, so it didn’t add much to the overall square footage. Neither did the little balcony overlooking Temple Bar, but it was still cool to stand out there and people watch for a while!
The standard amenities included a 32-inch HD plasma TV, work desk and Heavenly Spa by Westin products in the bathroom.
The suite was spacious and the Westin Heavenly Bed was comfortable as usual, but because this is a repurposed building, the room had a few “quirks” as well, like a tiny closet that butted up against the entrance door, making the whole area feel cramped. The walls were also very thin, and I could not only hear the people in the adjoining suite, but I could even make out their entire conversation! Not great for privacy.
Cons and Pros
The internet, though free, was also glacially slow. The concierge, who was generally very helpful with travel tips and reservations did make one small error by recommending a restaurant for us on Sunday night that ended up being closed, but that wasn’t too much of a big a deal since we ended up going to an adjacent restaurant that ended up being amazing (more on that in a separate Dublin trip report).
On the positive side, the hotel has a beautiful Atrium Lounge (where I shot last week's Sunday Reader Question Video) and the Mint Bar (in a nod to the building’s financial past) for cocktails, and the buffet breakfast at the hotel’s Exchange Restaurant that was included in our rate and would have normally cost 15 euros was a very nice option to have and made for a great start to the day.
We didn’t have time to use the small WestinWORKOUT Gym or have an in-room spa treatment, but at least the options are there if you want to take advantage of them.
The best feature of this hotel by far, however, is the location. It’s just steps from Temple Bar’s raucous and fun nightlife, the upscale department stores and boutiques of Grafton Street, and gorgeous Trinity College where you can see the famous Book of Kells.
Rates in March start at 146 euros (US$195). This is an SPG Category 4 property, so it takes 10,000 Starpoints for a free night. As of March 1, the hotel was upgraded to an SPG Category 5 property, so it will now take 12,000-16,000 Starpoints for a free night redemption. I still think it's a pretty good value, especially if you find a low nightly rate like we did.
In my next post, I’ll be covering some of the things my family and I did in Dublin including a musical pub crawl, and a trip out to the coast to climb Kiliney Hill.
[card card-name='Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express ' card-id='22035076' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
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Annual Fee
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.