Hotel review: Hard Rock Hotel Dublin - where cool meets couture

Indeed, when we were staying there, there were families, couples and visitors from overseas.

Located on 18 Exchange Street Upper, the Hard Rock Hotel, which opened only three years ago, is opposite Dublin Castle and City Hall, on a corner of Temple Bar, which means the action of that touristy area, jam-packed with bars and revellers, is close by, but not too close, so a good night’s sleep is possible.

It also means the two main shopping districts are right on your doorstep - from big name brands on Grafton Street and Henry Street, to small independent boutiques around the cobbled streets of the aforementioned Temple Bar and nearby Drury Street.

Check-in is swift and friendly. The staff somehow manage to be simultaneously cool, casual and courteous, while also expressing their personality.

As you would expect, rooms are fun and quirky, with decor that is modern and sleek. We stayed in adjoining rooms and, instead of buttons and light switches, found touchpads for lighting and room temperature. There’s a make-up station, a cushioned, clover-shaped headboard, a shower with really cool glitterball tiling and gigantic showerhead, and the comfiest bed you could wish for. It’s modern and fresh and my teen was blown away.

The celebration of music continues in the sleeping quarters – I shared my room with a large picture of The Edge from U2 and there’s an iconic Sound of Your Stay programme. Simply share your musical preferences when booking and the hotel will have curated a personalised playlist especially for your suite - streaming from the in-room entertainment system from the moment you open the door.

You can request a record player to your room, which we did and a retro-style Crosby record player was delivered along with a selection of vinyl from the impressive in-house collection – Guns N’Roses, Tom Petty, Queen, The Clash.

But best of all, especially for my teen (ok, me too), is that you can request a Fender guitar and amp to rock out in style in your room. Thankfully, there’s sound insulation should you wish to unleash your inner rock star.

An omnipresent theme throughout the hotel is of course the infusion of music into every aspect of your stay. Musical acts adorn the walls of every wall, even the escalators.

The colourful and very Instagrammable Rainbow Bridge connecting the two main areas of the hotel offers a mini-tour of some of the greats, from Bono to The Cranberries to Shane McGowan. It’s very impressive.

While the musical memorabilia is a clear Hard Rock calling card, the real winner for me was the hotel’s Zampas Bar & Restaurant, which serves up ‘Peruvian food and drinks with a distinctly Irish accent’.

Neither of us had eaten South American cuisine before, but we were hugely impressed by the zingy flavours. Despite not having a huge vegetarian range on the mains list, my daughter enjoyed Grilled Corn on the Cob with Ali Verde, Pickled Red Onions and Feta. She had Grilled Hispi Cabbage and honey and Chilli Roasted Organic Carrots and hand cut Irish Potato Chips. Meanwhile, my Tonkatsu Glazed Monkfish was a plate of pure deliciousness (weeks on, I still think about it!). Deserts are unusual and scrumptious too – the teen devoured a De Matcha and Oreo Cheescake.

The Zampas bar is adjacent to the restaurant, a very cool and atmospheric place, with loads of very cool people enjoying cool cocktails.

Breakfast is also served up in the Zampas Restaurant. Guests can choose standard options like the full Irish, but there’s quirkier alternatives like Smoky Beans & Eggs -

Coco Bean Ragout with Chorizo, Tomato & Smoked Paprika Served with Baked Hens’ Eggs or Irish Rooster Potato Pancakes & Wild Irish Smoked Salmon with

Crème Fraiche, Watercress & Pickled Red Onion.

Music lovers and galloping gourmets will enjoy this hotel in equal measure, but again, if you are into neither of those things, the location is great. The 3Olympia Theatre is next door, while further up on Wexford Street you can enjoy the famous Whelan's, Dublin's original live music venue.

My daughter and I ambled round Temple Bar and visited the Powerscourt Centre, a speciality shopping centre set in an elegant Georgian house centrally located just off Grafton Street. But it was lovely to return to the cocoon of our rooms, put on some vinyl and have our own private party.

And should you wish to remember your stay with a souvenir, the well stocked Rock Shop on the ground floor sells all sorts of memorabilia, from iconic Hard Rock hoodies and sweatshirts, to smaller trinkets like earrings, bottle openers, glasses and mugs. But for us no physical reminders were needed, because just like a good song, this place is stuck in our heads.

Factfile:

Helen McGurk was a guest of the Hard Rock Hotel Dublin. B&B rates start from €289 for the autumn. Visit: https://www.hardrockhotels.com/dublin/

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