Loisde,

Everyone receives a free pint at the Giuinness store house....its a part of the tour.

Its good that she enjoyed the place but I think we all feel living in Dublin that you can get the same value in a better neighborhood. Most of these places on Gardiner street etc. are in the Budget category but I feel they are not great for the money. You could get a private room in a hostel and be more central for the same or less.

What I do not like about some of these places is that some just rip people off. I met an Australian a few years back who rented a room with no electricity and nothing but a bed at top price beacuse he ended up not realising it would be a bank holiday in Ireland. This was on on Gardiner Street. I sent him off to a B&B outside Dublin that a relative owned and he was happier and paid a fraction.

People like that should not be allowed to operate in the business and I worry that this is the impression many people will have of Dublin.

I've a similar story to Siobhans - 2 friends of ours were coming over to Dublin for a weekend a couple of years ago. At the time we lived in a small one-bed apartment and didn't have space for them to stay with us, so they booked into a "hotel" on Gardiner Street without having asked us what it was like. They had found it in the Golden Pages and it had said A* accommodation, so they presumed it would be OK. I picked them up at the airport and drove them to the hotel. We had one look at the lobby, and Jill had a look at the room - it was cold (in summer!), mouldy, the shower was IN the room, the sheets were dirty...so they managed to get a refund and I brought them to a nice B&B elsewhere. It was slightly more expensive, but 100% better quality!

i think it is exagerated to state that north of the liffy is not a place to stay at... stayed myself last year in connell/or ? street and although i never felt unsafe in the evening...

Message Hi pnestor
Thanks for the advise but can you tell me why the area around O'Connell St is so dodgy is it during the day as well or just after dark.Thanks

A friend of mine was mugged at syringe-point on O'Connell Street and my sister had her mobile phone snatched from her hand while walking down O'Connell Street - so I certainly wouldn't feel safe walking around there at night. During the day it's fine.

To be honest as well if you are not from Dublin the petty theives can tell and you would be more of a target in the area. They are starting to renovate the area. It's is fine in the day I go to the Shops etc on Henry street off O'Connell but at night I would never go to a pub around there. You are not local and the crowd would be a bit more inner city. This is coming from a few of us who live in Dublin. I live in the city centre.

Simple answer from someone who lives in Dublin: the Berkeley Court or the Mespil.

Thanks so much for the info on the Pearse Street Holiday Inn! We will keep an eye out for trouble and cab it if we are late.... - LOL - who am I kidding - we are tucked in bed by 10!