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Grand Canal Hotel: Traveler Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating:
  • A summary score based on quality, quantity and age of traveler ratings.
4 of 5 stars 118 reviews
118 Reviews
5.0 of 5 stars
30
4.0 of 5 stars
58
3.0 of 5 stars
21
2.0 of 5 stars
5
1.0 of 5 stars
4
TripAdvisor Popularity Index:
  • Measures overall traveler satisfaction based on ratings, reviews and other sources.
#46 of 200 hotels in Dublin
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  • Hotel class: 3 of 5
  • Rooms: 142
Address:
Grand Canal Street
Dublin
Ireland
Check Rates: $187 (€127) Avg. Price
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TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of Grand Canal Hotel

( 6-10 of 118 )
“Nice Hotel”

Grand Canal Hotel

4 of 5 stars
Leitrim, Ireland
Jul 1, 2008

I stayed in the hotel on the 28th of June with my boyfriend while we attended a concert in the RDS. Lovely hotel and our room was very nice and large. Having read other reviews I wasn't expecting a lot to be honest but it was a grand hotel as the name would suggest. All the staff that we encountered were lovely, the only problem we had was on the sunday morning. At 10 in the morning we were woken up because someone had come into our room, possibly a housekeeper. I was a little annoyed by this but the breakfast that we had later on made up for it. Good hotel, lovely staff and close to RDS so it suited us fine.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Rooms and Location
    • Disliked — Been woken up by someone coming into the room
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
CARRIE23's Summary
Date of Stay: June 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Other
Age group: 18-24
Member since: June 10, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Concerts / Music festival
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Excellent hotel in good location”

Grand Canal Hotel

Jun 10, 2008

My husband and I stayed at the Grand Canal Hotel for three nights before moving on to Galway. This was our first visit to Ireland and we were impressed by the service we received at this establishment.

Our room was positioned at the front of the hotel but it was not noisy and we were able to enjoy a good night's sleep in a very comfortable bed. The car park at the rear was secure so we did not have to worry about our vehicle.

We were able to walk from the hotel to the pick-up point for the open-top tourist bus. The food in the restaurant was good and I would definitely recommend The Grand Canal. We hope to return there sometime.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Quiet, friendly service, well located
    • Disliked — We had some difficulty in finding the hotel in rush-hour
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jilllovescricket's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Age group: 65+
Member since: June 10, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Older travelers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Other
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Great, comfortable stay at the Grand Canal”

Grand Canal Hotel

Jun 10, 2008
1/1 found this review helpful

I just came back from staying here over the weekend with my boyfriend. Location was really convenient. We took the AirCoach fron the hotel (12 euro return) and got off at the Schoolhouse stop (~ 20 minutes). The hotel was a few minutes walk from there. Leave for about 45 minutes on your way back to the airport though because it's a round stop bus. From the hotel, it's about 15 minutes walk to Grattan Street (main shopping strip) and St Stephen's Green.

I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and helpful the staff were - they were very accommodating and happily did all they could to make our stay easier for us. We were on the top floor and it had a great view over Dublin with the mountain landscape in the distance.

The room itself was sizable and very clean and the bed was really comfortable. The bathroom was quite new and spacious with a great shower (which can be hard to find in even 4 star hotels in Europe).

We were both really pleased with the hotel and would definitely stay there again. From my experience, definitely above average for a three-star hotel.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Friendly staff
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
GlobalFootprints's Summary
Date of Stay: June 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Hobbies / interest / culture
Age group: 25-34
Member since: April 03, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Outdoor / Adventure, Shopping, Other
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Great Value”

Grand Canal Hotel

4 of 5 stars
Cumbernauld
May 26, 2008

Just back from a great weekend in Dublin with my wife.I would recommend this hotel to anyone,spotlessly clean and tidy.The reception staff were very friendly and helpful.We ate breakfast which was hot ,hearty and fresh.The adjoining pub, The Gasworks was priced reasonably,with better prices than local pubs.I never thought id say a hotel was cheaper than a local.
A good location for the RDS, and a fifteen minute stroll to the city centre.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — The location
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
busgeezer1965's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Hobbies / interest / culture
Age group: 35-49
Member since: November 10, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Great pool scene
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Concerts / Music festival
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Unimpressed by Grand Canal Hotel”

Grand Canal Hotel

2 of 5 stars
Hillsboro, Oregon
May 15, 2008

My husband and I recently stayed at the Grand Canal Hotel. From the pictures online we were expecting great things. It didn't take long for us to realize our expectations were a little too high. Overall, it is a nice looking hotel. The rooms are nice and clean, when the staff actually cleans the room. On many occasions, we would come back to a half-cleaned room: the electric kettle still holding yesterday's tea water, crumbs on the main table from yesterday's snack, etc. The room looked clean, but on closer inspection looked rushed through.

One of our biggest complaints was with the staff at the front desk and attached restaurant. The lobby staff looked annoyed when asked questions, and when answering phone calls from rooms had pained expressions. Also, don't expect to rely on the front desk to actually call with the wake up call you requested. We missed our tour bus because of their inability to follow through.

The attached restaurant/pub, The Gasworks, had decent food, when you actually got attention. On one occasion, my husband and I sat for over an hour waiting for a menu after drinks had been ordered. We finally gave up when all staff had apparently vacated the premises. When you do finally get some attention, they immediately brought the bill and never came back to see if there was anything else you needed, such as a refilled water glass or after-dinner coffee and dessert. When ordering room service, expect to have cash available as they do not allow charging it to your room, even though you may charge meals/drinks when you eat in the restaurant.

When it comes to the size of the rooms and amenities, we were not impressed. When we vacation, we do not just use our hotels as a "flop" house or just as a place to lay our head at night and therefore like to enjoy the rooms themselves. The room is quite small, and though they boast views of the quay, the best we got was a view of the opposite side of the building. The windows only open a crack, even on the fifth floor. The rooms become uncomfortably warm and stay that way as there is no circulation due to the inability to open the curtain. The mattress is hard as a rock. My husband and I like our mattresses on the firm side, but this went beyond firm. The bathroom is okay with nice counter space. However, the sink does not empty, even with clear-appearing drain. This also goes for the shower. You end up standing in ankle-deep water because both the faucet and the shower head run at the same time. With a slow-draining drain, this creates a problem.

If you are a light sleeper, good luck getting to sleep at night. Even the quietest conversations come through the walls as if you are standing right next to the speaker. Constantly slamming doors literally shake the room. With all the earthquakes happening lately, I thought we were done for on many occasions.

On the plus side, as small as that may be, there was in-room internet offered at the cheapest rates we found in Dublin. The full Irish breakfast was also one of the cheapest we found and was also quite good. When my husband and I arrived in Dublin ahead of schedule, they did let us check in a few hours early, which was nice after traveling for 20+ hours.

Overall, I would not and do not recommed this hotel. For the price, you can definitely get friendlier staff and higher quality rooms within a closer vicinity to anything in the city center. Travelers beware!

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — The tea tray with cookies in the room
    • Disliked — The inattentive staff and sub-par amenities
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
cheesyatosu's Summary
Date of Stay: May 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 25-34
Member since: May 31, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com

Reviews of Grand Canal Hotel

( 6-10 of 118 )
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Grand Canal Hotel Address

Grand Canal Street, Dublin, Ireland