Review: Marker Hotel, Dublin

WHAT’S IT LIKE In the burgeoning business and cultural corner of town near the port, this luxury hotel is a gem for both business and leisure travelers. It is a favorite of locals, too, since it is directly across from one of the city’s prime performing arts centers. As a result, many make a staycation out of it or at least organize dinner and a show. The minimalist interior comes as no surprise given the building’s sleek façade. Bathed in white, the angular ceilings and reception desk spark conversation among guests about the designer look. Color accents pop in the cushioned seating areas and the lights of the restaurant and bar on either side. Staffers are exceptionally polite and genuine in their welcome, which sometimes seems to be the missing link in many hotels. Not so, here. In fact, the staff is this hotel’s best asset saying a lot in this already elegant Leading Hotels of the World member.

DINING The Brasserie could be this hotel’s calling card. With a doting wait staff, this bright space is awash in natural light facing the square in front of the hotel. Breakfast features a wide range of fresh fruit, cereal, and yogurt plus an Irish spread with everything from local cheese to black pudding.

Lunch and dinner take things up a notch with a thoroughly gourmet experience. The chef experiments with a variety of presentations and pairings to craft a delightful array of menu options. My filet of beef drizzled with tangy chili sauce was paired with tahini-coated cauliflower and an Asian vegetable salad and cooked to perfection.

Don’t fill up on the house-baked Irish bread and butter from a local farm, either. Room service can deliver many of these tasty treats at any hour, and the coffee and tea station in the lobby each morning is a nice touch. The lobby lounge and bar gets busy during the evening hours with the neighborhood’s after-work crowd gathering for a drink or two. There is even a rooftop terrace, but single travelers may prefer to work with their laptop on the shared conversation table by the bar. AMENITIES The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, full fitness center, and spa offering with massage and beauty treatments. Small groups have access to meeting space, and guests can print boarding passes in the lobby business center. Another fine surprise is that guests can hitch a ride with the hotel’s luxury car shuttle to anywhere within a mile radius. The airport bus stops nearby, and convenient public transportation is also just a stone’s throw from reception.

ROOMS Dim hallways lead to bright guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and thick blackout curtains. Pastel-hued armchairs sit by a side table, cleverly concealed closets house the minibar and coffee and tea-making supplies.

Oversized beds are covered in thick duvets with a quartet of long pillows at the base. Nightstands have individual lights and slippers left by housekeeping. The lengthy desk takes up much of the wall sharing space with the flat-screen cable TV. Free wireless Internet is available throughout the hotel, and a side panel hides a variety of international power ports.

Another closet holds laundry bags and even a small plastic, re-sealable bag to use when going through airport security. Marble baths are massive with deep soaking tubs, large glass shower stalls, wide vanities with makeup mirrors and Malin+Goetz toiletries, and heated floors.

CONCLUSION Dublin has quite a few high-end hotels, but the Marker hits all the high marks without making a fuss (or charging an arm and leg for the privilege of staying there).