The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Dublin

Recently I stayed at the Shelbourne Hotel to celebrate an anniversary but was left with a very sour taste. It is a hotel I have always one day, dreamt of having the privilege to stay in. Initially everything was perfect from the hotel aesthetics and the lush and plush feel of elegance throughout the hotel. Breakfast was wonderful with extraordinary choice from being able to choose from a buffet and a breakfast menu which had vast choice, all of which was included in the room rate. I truly was in awe of this hotel and was anticipating planning another stay, but unfortunately my concept changed, and my experience was tarnished at the check-out experience particularly.

After check-in, I noticed an extra charge on my card, I queried this with reception and I was advised it was a deposit, in which I accepted, expecting this to go back into my account immediately after checkout.

When I was checking out, the agent asked me for the payment of my room, in which I advised I already paid for it, and I had to show him my online banking. He was confused as on the hotels system it showed this as pre-authorisation. I felt very embarrassed as the reception area was extremely busy. I was even asked to show my card! It was then it was realised that I paid with a debit card and not a credit card. It seems the hotel may have confused my card assuming it was a credit card and not a debit card. I don’t have a credit card. 2 days following my check out I noticed a payment debited from my card to the value of the room rate, while there was still a pending transaction waiting to go back to my account, which I was advised by the hotel can take up to 2 weeks! So essentially what happened was a pre-authorisation hold was placed on my debit card for the room rate plus an extra €50.00, where I was advised that the deposit was only €50.00.

I accept that some hotels may do this, however, not to be told at check in this was happening and properly being explained for a 5-star hotel is a very unpleasant experience and what happened at check-out was very embarrassing as I mentioned above.

Unfortunately, I won’t be staying here again, because of the check in and check out experience. Not everyone has a credit card and to assume a card is a credit card without checking is not a pleasant experience. My account was left with low balance for some 6 days, with no access to available funds in my account for this period with some payments not being able to be processed due to the hold that I was waiting for to be returned. I had not budgeted for extra...

There were a few hiccups on our nights stay but we did have a lovely time.

It was a big deal to stay at the Shelbourne and a wish for my mum since she was a child. It was her 70th birthday in January and we had booked this surprise for her 3 times before we go to finally go last week. Each time I had booked, the staff and said they hoped they could get an upgrade as a treat for her and would leave prosecco or something similar n the room, and stated that they had left notes on the system. Unfortunately there was no mention of an upgrade when we checked in and nothing left in our room. My mum did get a knock at the door and given 3 pieces of fudge later however. Our luggage didnt follow us to our room and we had to ring for it after 35 mins, it then took another 15 to get dropped to the room where we were waiting to leave for a walk. My dad left his glasses in the car and reception said they would get one of the staff to retrieve them. He explained exactly where they were. However they said they looked twice and couldn't find them. My dad then had to walk and find the car (he's 82) and they were exactly where he had described. We were without hot water for our stay. This was seen to the morning we were due to leave, we had to wait nearly 30 mins for the man to come and look at the shower, therefore we were late for breakfast and had to change our reservation. I was disappointed with the in room tea selection as there was only black tea. Most hotels would have a selection, however this was not a big deal, just thought worth mentioning.

However....

The staff were so so friendly and everyone greeted us. Having the car parked for us was such a treat. The food was exceptional and the cocktails and wine were gorgeous also. The smoothie at breakfast was a lovely little touch. The residents bar was gorgeous and the bar men were so knowledgeable. The beds were very comfy, but a little small.

Loved our stay but was a little disappointed there was nothing special done for my mum after the conversations I had had on the phone when booking. It was also disappointing that we had no hot water, which I did mention on check out and was offered a 20% discount. I would have far preferred pay the money and get the 5 star experience.

Thank you so much for everything and I really do hope...

From the moment we checked in at The Shelbourne, we were thoroughly impressed. The experience was flawless from start to finish, and it’s clear that the management and staff at this iconic hotel genuinely care about their guests and the memories they create.

While The Shelbourne is certainly a premium hotel, the level of service you receive makes it worth every penny. The team goes above and beyond in every possible way. I’d like to personally recognize Patrick Nash, Patrick McManus, Cian, Judith and the rest of the incredible staff who made our stay so memorable. I want to also give a shoutout to all the bellmen and staff working out front you guys are top notch !

Throughout our visit, anything we needed—whether it was toiletries, towels, or any special request—was delivered promptly, often within seconds. The attentiveness and warmth of the staff truly stood out.

There was one small mishap during our stay when one of my children’s stuffed animals was accidentally scooped up with the linens during a turn-down service. I was understandably concerned, but the way the team handled the situation was nothing short of remarkable. Despite not being able to recover the original, they went out of their way to replace it and even had a new one sent to us. That kind of thoughtful gesture speaks volumes about the hotel’s commitment to guest satisfaction. It was a class act.

As a Titanium member who spends over 100 nights a year in hotels, I can confidently say that The Shelbourne ranks among the very best properties I’ve stayed at worldwide.

Dining in any of the on-site restaurants was a pleasure. Even while traveling with a three-year-old, we always felt welcome and included—something that’s not always the case in upscale settings. Every meal was excellent, and the breakfast buffet was not only delicious but also impressively well-staffed; we never had to wait to be seated or served.

A sincere thank you to the entire management team at The Shelbourne. You’ve created something truly special and are an outstanding representation of the Bonvoy brand. This is exactly what a luxury boutique hotel experience should feel like.

We’ll absolutely be back—and until...