The Great Southern at Dublin Airport was built in 1998 -- a member of Ireland's oldest chain of hotels -- and is a four-star hotel which is designed with the business traveller in mind. Like their neighbor, the Holiday Inn, they offer a courtesy shuttle, but the Great Southern was dramatically different from the HI from the bright airy cleanliness of the lobby, to promptness of check-in, to the modern -- and soundproof (very important for an airport location!) rooms. In terms of quality, the Great Southern was at least on par with many Hyatts that I have been to in the US.
After a rough night's sleep the evening before, we couldn't deal with staying at the HI again, so we stopped by the Great Southern and happily found they had a room available. Although it was almost €30 more expensive than the Holiday and didn't even include breakfast, we didn't care -- it was THAT much better.
The staff was absolutely lovely, very friendly, very helpful, very prompt, from the front desk to the bellhops to the shuttle driver.
The room was lovely, with a super bed, and even the rollaway cot was comfortable! It was a very nice way to spend our last night in Dublin.
Although in general, if you are a tourist, I would recommend staying directly in the city itself, I would far and away recommend the Great Southern if you need to stay near the airport for any reason. But if you are a tourist, the Great Southern is right on a bus line that will take you downtown in about 20 minutes and which will stop by the River Liffey close to the Needle. It was very handy for us to go to/from downtown from this hotel.
Although I did not partake of very many of the extra facilities here, they did have some very attractive conference space and a couple of nice restaurants.
I would readily return to Great Southern, or be willing to try their properties elsewhere based on this stay.
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