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The Clarence

Exterior

At a Glance

    Pros

  • stylish Octagon Bar
  • the owners might be on-premises
  • Tea Room restaurant

    Cons

  • rooms a bit small
  • some rooms suffer from street noise
  • paying a premium for "cool."

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The Clarence Review

If coolness is contagious you might want a room at Temple Bar's most prestigious hotel, as you might well bump into celebrity friends of co-owners Bono and the Edge of U2, those rockers who helped give this 1852 grand old hotel a total, no-expense-spared overhaul in the early 1990s. The unique shapes and Arts-and-Crafts style of the old hotel were maintained in the Octagon Bar and the elegant Tea Room restaurant. Guest rooms, with Shaker-style furniture, are a bit disappointing, decorated in a mishmash of earth tones accented with deep purple, gold, cardinal red, and royal blue. With the exception of those in the penthouse suite, rooms are small. The laissez-faire service seems to take its cue from the minimalist style, so if you like to be pampered, stay elsewhere.

    Hotel Amenities

  • 44 rooms, 5 suites.
  • Restaurant, bar, gym.
  • Rooms have: a/c, Internet, Wi-Fi.
  • Credit cards accepted.

Member Reviews

  • gesellpartyof5, from Ellicott City, MD
    12/16/08

    My husband and I recently travelled to Dublin. We were so excited to be staying at the Clarence...it was getting good reviews and it must be cool right, Bono owns it. The room was mediocre. The bed was uncomfortable and the temperature was all off. It was very noisy as it is close to Temple Bar and on a main street. The restaurant and Bar were so highly rated. We chose not to eat in the restaurant because it was expensive and the menu was not all that great. We did have a few drinks in the bar, but again, more hype than it was worth. We didn't hate it, but for the price, would not stay there again.

    Ratings details: Room: 4 | Atmosphere: 3 | Service: 4 | Value: 3
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