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']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees