Grand Hotel Malahide — Hotel in Fingal

This hotel has both a modern element and a more classic decor. Whilst the white tile foyer is spacious and roomy enough to moonwalk across, The older part boasts spectacular sea views and numerous architectural nuggets to tuck away inside, in the event of an impromptu game of hide and seek. Our room was located in the vintage section, and whilst I can guarantee our room was not haunted, it did come with a free spider on the pillow and gratis water. High ceilings and tall windows beautifully captured the georgian-esk feel. Our room lacked a balcony, where a rooftop area outside the window would have been the cherry on a mossy path. As the great Robson and Jerome cover goes, “There’s room enough for two, Up on the roof (up on the roof)”

Breakfast was included and plentiful, with the best orange juice I have ever tasted. A wider range of eggs could have improved the spread, and the option to die dine al fresco. We did however take the air on the front lawn over by the strewn towel and room key after breakfast. I’m not sure if they were maybe accommodating a treasure hunt. I did not make use of the vending room, however thought it odd a card swipe was required to enter the room to make your purchases. I didn’t make use of any other facilities as time was not in our favour.

The local castle and gardens were having a concert season and the staff who came into the residents bar were the utmost of friendly and entertaining and full of mischief. Fascinating Characters filled the late bar and smoking area. Bill from US, in town to scatter his pops at the castle. Rugby Richard whose scrum could bulldoze the building, Or the fun-loving cult-member concert goers who were friendly and did not intend to recruit. My favourite were the production peeps, whose infectious laughs echoed in the corridors and in my heart.

And now To Artur, without a H, who stole the show, but not our tips which were given in Ernest. Best Guinness/baby Guinness pour in the northern hemisphere. Bronn from game of thrones lookalike, acting extraordinaire. Winter is coming, and Artur deserves a raise. His dry humour and insurmountable patience are the best asset to the hotel, without Artur the hotel would only be “grand”.

More towels would have been useful, and perhaps a carpet...

The hotel is undergoing a major refurb, apparently the newly refurbed rooms are lovely. I stayed in a “classic” single room which has not been refurbed. It was fine. A comfy bed, fluffy towels and a nespresso machine were the highlights. The big downside was the lack of daylight - the room had a big window overlooking a walled yard, but the window was frosted making the room actually feel windowless and as a result oppressive and claustrophobic. |I dined in the South Bank Bistrot & Bar. It was very busy, I sat at the bar while I waited for a table. The food was good and served quickly. Staff were a mix of very friendly and efficient to brusque and a little clueless - when I the young waiter who served me dinner what red wine they had by the glass he said “Malbec or Sauvignon red”. The dining experience wasn’t the most enjoyable however because of the number of children running around the bar screaming. |Breakfast was good, all staff were friendly and service was efficient.|The leisure centre is also being updated but I nevertheless enjoyed a swim, jacuzzi and steam. I appreciate they are working around the refurb, but the changing rooms could definitely have been cleaner. Bring a towel from your room as the towels at the leisure centre and threadbare and feel like sandpaper on your skin!|The hotel is huge and sprawling. They have done a very good job with signage - if they hadn’t you would get very lost! Maybe because of the size, during my stay there seemed to be a lot of families with young children. It was impossible to escape screaming children. Even the room next to me had one that woke me up screaming at 6am and didn’t stop, to the point that I checked out early to get some peace and quiet! The soundproofing was very poor. |If I was to return, I would book a refurbed room and eat in a local restaurant. For a 4 star hotel, it was more a 2.5 star experience in terms of relaxation. But I’m sure families will love it as kids can do whatever they want regardless of other...

The Grand Malahide is a staid older hotel in a charming coastal village of Dublin. Clientele definitely gravitates towards an older population of retirees/comfort travelers. Hotel layout is easy in which to get lost on upper floors, which is part of the fun in finding the stairs. Hotel staff are friendly, efficient, and kind -especial thanks to Mandi and Stephanie during my stay.

Restaurant staff are extremely efficient and attentive for breakfast service, although the buffet food offerings are relatively standard and a bit bland for a more adventurous palate. I did not go to the various hotel bars, but they looked lively and well-enjoyed each evening.

In warmer weather (late May), the bedrooms and conference areas are quite intolerably warm without an ability for cooling. If you have an opportunity to upgrade to an executive room, it is well worth the additional nominal cost for a more comfortable and potentially quieter room not overlooking the brightly-lit parking lot, bathrobe/slippers, and Nespresso machine. Rituals orange & cedar shampoo/body wash, hair conditioner, and hand soap amenities are lovely. Please note that there is no body/hand lotion in the hotel rooms even when requested (but available in the ground floor washrooms).

The hotel gym and pool are open 06.30 or 07.00 to 20.00, although I opted to run along the coast each morning towards and beyond Port Marnock, which was lovely. Please be sure to make some time to stick your feet to take a quick swim in the lovely chilly Irish Sea! Walking in the gorgeous forest near the Malahide Castle was also quite charming, and we enjoyed a few nice small restaurants in Malahide during our stay (see positive reviews for Jaipur and...