Ireland is quickly growing in popularity as a travel destination thanks to its breathtaking landscape and rich historical culture. This lovely European nation, which makes up about 32,595 square meters of the world map, is ideal for a short vacation away. Dublin, the capital of the country, is located by the Liffey River on the east coast. Home to the Instagram-famous "Temple Bar," which is well-known for its traditional Irish music scene, this tourist destination has grown to become a worldwide treasure, drawing visitors from all over the world. Dublin is unquestionably one that belongs on your bucket list of places to visit due to its welcoming residents who are eager to assist all of their guests. 

Home of the Guinness:

Is it a myth that Guinness is better in Ireland? This is one question we will answer in this review, along with honest answers about the culture and tourist attractions.

Croke Park Hotel:

Opposite Croke Park Stadium, this luxury 4-star hotel boasts rooms with 50-inch Smart TVs, and on-site parking is available (subject to availability and additional charge). With 232 rooms to accommodate its guests, the Croke Park Hotel is ready for a big event. With a short 0.8-mile walk to the city center, this hotel has plenty of bookings on a regular basis. This specific hotel is owned by the Croke Park Stadium across the road, which holds 82,300 people for events and is home to the Gaelic Games. Icons such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and local boys Westlife have sold out this mammoth, meaning the hotel just a stone throw away would be jam-packed. 

FUN FACT: Croke Park is the biggest stadium in Ireland.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Our team scheduled a two-night stay on January 11th to check if the 4-star phenomenon lived up to the hype. At £99 per night, it appeared to be comparable to chain hotels in the UK, like the popular Premier Inn and Leonardos.  Upon arrival at 11 a.m., after only a one-hour flight from Exeter Airport in the UK, The check-in was extremely fast and easy. The helpful receptionist was polite and kindly granted us access to one of our rooms early so our bags could be dropped off. 

The Room

As a party of four, only one of our accommodations was ready, but as the Irish people would say, that one was "NO BOTHER." As soon as we walked inside, we noticed that the room was spacious and immaculately clean. The bed was substantially elevated from the floor, and its perfectly puffed pillows beckoned us to get in. That's what we did, and all I can say is, wow, it felt like your body was lying on melted butter. The bathroom was broad and featured a stylish walk-in shower, similar to those found in many four-star hotels. If you're enjoying the relaxation vibe, why not turn on the 50-inch Samsung TV supplied? Equipped with all the local channels as well as a HDMI port in case you have brought along a device such as the Amazon Firestick, this lounge area will keep you comfy if you prefer to chill in your room. As an added bonus, the hotel offers free, high-quality Wi-Fi, so you can feel safe from a hefty data roaming bill if your network provider charges. An ironing board, hair dryer, free toiletries, tea, and coffee are provided inside the room upon arrival, which is an advantage if you are only bringing hand luggage. All of these amenities are available to guests at no extra cost.  

What’s Under The Bed? TripleM Reviews Trademark Game

As we mentioned in our earlier reviews, hotel rooms can be neat and orderly, but can the venues get to the difficult-to-reach areas? Here's how the Croke Park Hotel fared against the test: 

What can we say apart from 'Well done cleaning crew' 10/10 in our books. Not even a single dust particle.

Our only negative was that the outlook from our particular room was unimpressive; it overlooked an unclean canal with graffiti scribbled all over the nearby walls. Although this is regrettably to be expected in the city, it did not make our visit less enjoyable. Requesting a room with a street view would be highly recommended in order to have a view of the Croke Park Stadium. 

Hotel Lobby And Bar

Downstairs in this 250+ room giant are what we refer to as the guest areas. Something that is first noted in the check-in area/lobby is that the lighting seems very bland and feels dark or dull at most parts of the day. However, just a few steps around the side of the elevator on your left-hand side boasts an enormous bar area with copious amounts of seating to accommodate its guests in a high-light setting. Bar prices, however, are quite extortionate; as this is city life, you will be expected to pay at least 12 euros for a glass of prosecco and 8 euros for a pint of lager. If you're feeling energetic, then get involved with the free hotel gym in the lobby area. 

Outside Grounds

Adjacent to the hotel is the well-known Croke Park. This unit, known for its ability to attract the highest crowds when hosting big music events as well as top Gaelic games, is quite a sight. You can even take a tour of the venue for as little as 11 euros per person. Being known as the 4th biggest stadium in Europe and the largest in Ireland, it is certainly a delight for sports enthusiasts. A few yards up the road is a lovely bakery that sells freshly made sandwiches. Additionally, there is a Spar and a Tesco nearby that are open until 10 p.m. 

Distance From City Centre

If you enjoy a stroll, then this hotel is perfect. Located 0.8 miles outside the centre of Dublin, it seems like quite a fair way to walk, especially if you haven’t got the aid of Google Maps. How did people live without this app in the past? On our first excursion, we ended up walking in circles, but we soon got our bearings, and the walk picked up speed as we familiarised ourselves with the surroundings. The well-known Temple Bar is located in the centre and is a favourite among tourists. However, be sure to have plenty of cash on hand because we paid 48 euros for two small glasses of prosecco and two pints of Coors light, which is absurd when you compare it to the Weatherspoons a few streets away. I guess the prices double as soon as you walk down the lovely cobblestoned street. 

BEAWARE

It was the hurling match between Dublin and Kilkenny on the day we checked out. The hotel grounds were extremely congested, and it was terrible to stroll around outside. Every child had vuvuzelas to add to the atmosphere. This wasn't a problem for myself as a sports fan, but it might be for others. Before you go, we advise you to check the Croke Park website, which is linked above.

OUR SCORE

8.75/10

Gold Rating

ALL IN ALL

With its genuine kind locals Dublin is certainly a place you should look at for your next adventure. When looking for a cheap deal the Croke Park Hotel will be right up there with high end hotels at a slice of the price. With its clean, tidy and luxury feel Croke Park is definitely a place we would return to in the future.

To book this amazing hotel click below

All prices were established at date of article publication (Jan 2024)

Jones's Road

Dublin

 D03 E5Y8 

Ireland

+353 1 871 4444 

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