Dublin hotel that down't feel like a chain

I stayed here with my boyfriend for 3 nights. I loved the atmosphere right next to the canal with the ducks. Food was good and we ate so much at breakfast we didn't eat til nightime. Pancakes at breakfast were gooood. Dinner was good and by no means small portions but not exceptional.

The room has a quirky bathroom with those old oblong tiles you get in old swimming pools and those big showerheads. Lots of hot water. Only downside was a few ongoing repairs that needed done - like the cover for the radiator was lying beside it and a flooboard was sprung. Great was the complete control of the room temp especially as we arrived in a cold snap.

Easily walkable to the national gallery and grafton street and the restaraunts in Ballsbridge - both in 10 minutes. Book meals at the weekend.

Will definitely be back!

My husband and I returned home yesterday after a three night stay in the Schoolhouse Hotel. In the past we have found it extremely difficult to find reasonably priced decent accommodation in the heart of Dublin, but at long last we have found the gem we've have been looking for.

The room was beautifully decorated and it seems the staff thought of everything to ensure complete comfort, from the tasty biscuits to the big fluffy white towels and robes. The room size was great and we loved the shower with its big old shower head. Great combination of modern luxury with an old style touch.

Breakfast was delicious, a little too good maybe! We also had a great meal in the hotel restaurant on our second night. A great menu to suit every palate. Highly recommended.

The hotel is situated less than a ten minute walk from Dublins Grafton Street. The walk itself is beautiful taking us through the Merrion Square area of Dublin and I felt extremely safe given that we were in the city centre. There are an huge amount of great bars and restaurants in the area also within walking distance so one has access to everything they need to enjoy a great trip without even hailing a taxi.

So if you're planning a stay in Dublin, I wouldn't consider anywhere but the Schoolhouse. The staff were so friendly and helpful, the food so delicious, the rooms so well appointed and the location so convenient. And fantastic value for money. I'm already planning an excuse for a return trip! Enjoy...

Just great!

We have just returned from another stay in the Schoolhouse and will have no hesitation in returning yet again. We loved the location within walking distance to Grafton Street, the safe car-parking, the huge soft towels, the brilliant shower, the very comfortable individually decorated rooms, and the very helpful service at reception.

Wouldn't return to the Schoolhouse Hotel

The Schoolhouse is in a good location and on the surface is a lovely hotel. The rooms were small but well appointed and the overall decor was very appealing. However, the promised porterage was not provided upon check-in or check-out. The food in the restaurant was only so-so and the server was rude and surly. He obviously didn't know his business. He wouldn't take the time to understand our order and ultimately threw the menu down at us and told us to hold onto it in case our order arrived incorrectly. We speak perfect english and have never had this happen to us during our extensive travels. He used our bottle of wine for someone else to sample who'd ordered the same wine before we could object. He had to be reminded three times to bring a drink ordered from the bar. Also, our room was never serviced during one full day we were there. The housekeeper was sweet and obviously overworked. It was her responsibility to attend to the entire floor and it just wasn't possible. We finally got fresh towels, cups etc from her. She didn't speak english but did accomodate us in this way. Also, the fire alarm kept going off in our room at odd hours two of the three evenings we stayed. Apparently, someone had held a cigarette near the sensor. We wouldn't recommend this hotel as there are so many others in Dublin that don't have these management problems.

Only good things to report !

Myself and my fiance spent one night at the Old Schoolhouse hotel last weekend. We booked it last minute and got a great deal on the hotels own website - €100 for the two of us for one night B&B. This was an excellent price for the product we received.

We stayed in the W.B. Yeats room and although the bathroom could benefit from a small bit of maintenance, I cannot fault the accomodation. The bathroom was well equipped with nice big fluffy white towels, an excellent shower with lovely big old fashioned shower rose and nice touches such as cotton balls on the vanity area and excellent lighting ! The bathroom and bedroom were both spotlessly clean with comfortable bed and furnishings as well as mineral water, an ice bucket and nice biscuits to have with tea or coffee. Within 20 minutes of arriving into our room there was a knock at the door and we were supplied with a bath robe and also with ice. The room had a very homely feel while still meeting all our expectations in terms of decor and comfort.

The service at the hotel was impeccable and every member of staff we met from the reception to the bar to the breakfast room was extremely polite and helpful. This really stood out.

Breakfast in the morning was plentiful with a good selection of juices, cereals, nuts, fruit and pastries on the continental menu as well as very tasty cooked options with a choice of full irish, omelettes of your choice or pancakes with maple syrup. We had a quick lunch in the bar before we left for the city on our first day and this was also very tasty and well presented.

The centre of Dublin is about a 10 minute walk. The area is safe and we had no hesitation walking back to the the hotel late Saturday night. As an aside, an earlier review stated that security at the hotel was lacking. However the hotel appears to have installed CCTV cameras since then. We left our car where we parked it for the duration of our stay and had no problems whatsoever.

I have no hesitation recommending this hotel and am delighted to have found such a great product for future trips to Dublin.

Plush Simplicity, Great Food

Had a very nice, comfy, and somewhat spacious room on the ground floor. I had stayed in some rather dodgy places, so the Schoolhouse felt like a real treat. Never thought much about safety of ground-floor room, but had no problems. Loved the old-school atmosphere. The pub caters to a lively, after-work crowd, great beer on tap, very good food. Breakfast was to die for! Have friends who also loved this place.

Head of the class

I've stayed in quite a few hotels in Dublin, and the Schoolhouse is one of my favorite. It's simple, cozy, and comfortable. We felt very safe, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. A lovely restaurant and a great bar. The only reason I didn't give it five out of five was because it's not a modern luxury hotel (like the Herbert Park - which is great too!). However, I would definitely stay at the Schoolhouse again, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Beautiful Little Hotel

Can't say I had a bad experience here. The room was great, and we had a ground floor as well - never had to worry about the possibility of burglars and felt our car was safe in the car park. Room was quite nice, with excellent bottle water and cookies left in the room. The restaurant served a delicious breakfest, and the staff was friendly! Quite a neat hotel! Close walking distance to bus stops or downtown area. Very nice area all in all.

Too bad we only stayed one night!!

Perfection

I stayed at this hotel and was very impressed with it. Lovely decor that was inspired by the numerous Irish writers. It used to be a school in bygone years and it also has a beautiful bar. It is set in a very affluent area of Dublin. The breakfast is absolutely superb - some of the nicest sausages you will ever taste. I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. You will not be disappointed should you stay here. It is also just on the doorstep of the city centre. Go for it....

What Can I Say?!

Before I go any further, this is, on the face of it, a very nice hotel.

Buzzy bar with above average bar food, room comfortable, etc etc.

However, on the Saturday night of our stay, we returned to our ground floor room to find the place had been ransacked. No alone this, the burglar was still inside the room. He made a lunge towards me but I screamed and shouted at him so he made off out the window of our ground floor room - along with some cash and a camera. We didnt care what he took - we got out without being attacked. The receptionist at the hotel, Juanita, looked after us very well; the police arrived quickly and we were moved to a different hotel. The follow up to the incident, however, has been a mere letter of apology from the manager and a note reminding me that these incidents are rare. Members of my family who had been there 2 weeks previously had their car broken into in their car park. Thank God we were young enough to react quickly. I dread to think what could have become of an older person. Please, if you intend staying in this hotel, INSIST that you do not be given a basement room.

They are extremely vulnerable - patio doors; no lighting outsite; no CCTV cameras. All too easy to break in.