Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre by IHG
A central Dublin base offering spotless modern rooms, free hot breakfast, and nearby grocery stores.
The verdict
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Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre provides clean, updated lodging right in the city with easy access to supermarkets and transit. Guests appreciate the complimentary full breakfast buffet, quick check-in, and spacious rain showers. However, housekeeping has tried to enter rooms past do not disturb signs as early as 8 AM, and guests have encountered out-of-service elevators requiring trips up the stairwell. 191513
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
What travelers noticed
- Rooms and bathrooms earn high marks for cleanliness, featuring spotless white bedding and modern green-accented decor. 1
- The morning meal includes a reliable complimentary full breakfast buffet with standard sausage patties and cheerful dining staff. 1
- Bathrooms are fitted with full-sized Dove toiletries and surprisingly large showers with rain shower heads. 41
- The location provides convenient everyday essentials, sitting just a three to four minute walk from Tesco and Lidl. 9
The catch
Who it's for
- — Travelers wanting a walkable base near supermarkets
- — Budget-conscious visitors seeking an included hot breakfast
- — Short city breaks with reliable amenities
Skip it if
- — Guests sensitive to early morning housekeeping intrusions
- — Travelers seeking fine dining directly outside the front door
Seen on camera
24 moments · 2 videos · Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre by IHG
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“But first, the bathroom. It's clean. And you've got all the basics. toiletries, fresh towels. Though I'm not a fan of th…”
youtube.com1:25“The only downside was though, the night I stayed there, the elevators were out of service, which meant I had to take the…”
youtube.com0:29“Got a curig. I don't drink coffee, but it's nice that they have one here.”
youtube.com2:39“And then this is definitely the biggest TV I've ever seen in a hotel. This has to be I would say this is a 50-inch TV. T…”
youtube.com3:10“So, we've got a little desk, nice fancy chair, and I guess the Holiday Inn theme is green, and there is a decent amount…”
youtube.com5:17“And let's see how the pillows look right on the surface. They look good. Not going to tear them apart like some people d…”
youtube.com5:59“And let's see. We got Yeah, we got enough towels here. Extra toilet paper. Yeah, looks good.”
youtube.com8:00“Oh, now let's take take a look in the hallway here. This is actually not great. Oh my gosh, look at all this. I don't kn…”
youtube.com14:41“Make sure you subscribe to the channel for honest places and hotel reviews. It's just steps from the city center and rig…”
youtube.com0:10“And what we got here? We got Dove shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I am not a fan of body wash. I prefer a bar of so…”
youtube.com7:32“The hotel itself is beautifully decorated with a modern boutique style feel throughout.”
youtube.com0:47“The shower is surprisingly large, and the rain shower head looks great.”
youtube.com1:57“All right, it's the next morning and I have to say the bed was not bad. It was a little stiff and I have to say a lot of…”
youtube.com15:53“The check-in process was smooth and quick, no waiting around.”
youtube.com0:42“The view from the room isn't anything spectacular, but it does the job.”
youtube.com3:17“Breakfast is served downstairs and it includes all the essentials of a full English breakfast. Plenty to choose from.”
youtube.com3:42“Yeah, we have plugs and USB slots for charging phones, which is great because the last hotel I was at did not have any c…”
youtube.com3:48“All right, there's the guide. But this is one of those where you can't select the channel from here. You actually just g…”
youtube.com4:55“And let's see under the sheets here. Yeah, nice and white. I'm not seeing any stains.”
youtube.com6:14“Toilet looks clean. I'm not seeing any problems.”
youtube.com6:53“So, I would say as far as cleanliness goes for the bathroom, I would give it I would give it an 8 out of 10. The only th…”
youtube.com11:05“And we've got a beautiful view of another hotel, I believe. Not sure what which one that is. Yeah, not a bad view overal…”
youtube.com16:47“The hash browns were really good. They had some sort of seasoning on them. I'm not sure what the seasoning was. It almos…”
youtube.com21:37“The sausage link tasted pretty good, but it had a natural casing, which I'm not really a fan of. Not sure why. It just k…”
youtube.com21:54Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
Booking direct costs no more here and keeps IHG One Rewards points, elite nights and eligible benefits.
Placeholder pricing. No live rate source is connected yet, so these figures are mocked and are not a quote — the booking site shows the real rate for your dates.
This sits inside our estimated range for this hotel.
Confidence: low · modelled estimate, not a live quote. Check the supplier for the real rate on your dates.
Score breakdown
How the 88/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
94Location
95- “I stayed at The Westbury in April and the location can't be beat. Conveniently walk out the back door and your on Grafton Street which is a pedestrian street with loads of shops, restaurants and convenient to everything.” 12
- “Make sure you subscribe to the channel for honest places and hotel reviews. It's just steps from the city center and right near the Dublin portal. So, location-wise, it's spoton.” 40:10
Room
89- “If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know that cleanliness is very important to me and the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre didn't let me down. Everything in the room was near spotless and the bathroom was sparkling clean.” 1
- “Another factor for that was the excellent internet connection by WiFi in the room.” 5
Service
90- “In 2010 stayed in two different hotels in Dublin but preferred Albany House on Harcourt St. by St. Stephen's Green. It was a basic hotel but very clean with a friendly staff.” 15
- “20 years ago I spent 3 very noisy nights in a hotel in that area. We stayed at Trinity City Hotel for 3 nights before an Ireland tour in June 2023 and thought it was great. Great location, clean, helpful staff.” 2
Bed & Sleep
89- “The double bed had fresh, cozy linens and small bedside shelves with plenty of power ports, USB outlets, and bedside lighting.” 1
- “All right, it's the next morning and I have to say the bed was not bad. It was a little stiff and I have to say a lot of the beds I sleep in in hotels tend to be on the stiff side. Not sure why, but just a little bit too stiff, but not bad. My back doesn't hurt, so that's a good thing.” 1315:53
Value
85- “I booked it through booking.com, and the rate was around €130 per night, including breakfast for two. Honestly, that's a great deal for a four-star hotel in the city center with breakfast included.” 42:57
- “In the same area as the above recommendation -- south of St. Stephens Green, easy walk to Trinity College and Grafton St., around the corner from airport bus route -- is Harcourt Hotel in Harcourt Street. We found it clean and comfortable, and less expensive than many Dublin hotels we priced.” 15
Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-09-01
Where it sits
Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre by IHG and the 6 other hotels we cover in Dublin. Hover a marker for the hotel; click to open it.
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
Beats what $ usually buys
Scores 6 points above the modest median of 82, across 102 hotels in the same bracket. In Dublin it sits 4 points below the local median of 92.
- This hotel
- 88
- Bracket median
- 82
- Index median
- 89
Based on 102 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
- 1 mention
- 1 mention
No location within the hotel draws repeated complaints yet.
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 82 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “the breakfast was well organized and there were just rather few interruptions. You have to note that quite a bunch of the foreign guests rather did an "All you can carry" breakfast, so that the refilling performance of the staff was even more remarkable.” 5
- “Check-in was easy and even though official check-in time is 3 PM, we were able to access our rooms at 2 PM on arrival.” 1
- “In 2010 stayed in two different hotels in Dublin but preferred Albany House on Harcourt St. by St. Stephen's Green. It was a basic hotel but very clean with a friendly staff.” 15
- “The presentation of items was nice and featured a typical selection for this branch. The quality was absolutely fine as well.” 5
- “Avoid Buswell's. One of the most disgustingly filthy hotels I have ever stayed in.” 15
- “Each morning, the staff was full of smiles and chatter. My Dad loves to talk to any strangers and he enjoyed a morning conversation with the folks at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre.” 1
- “It was a basic hotel but very clean with a friendly staff. That's disappointing news about Buswells, Frank. That's where my tour is staying next year. I've booked a night pretour and they are pricy!” 15
- “20 years ago I spent 3 very noisy nights in a hotel in that area. We stayed at Trinity City Hotel for 3 nights before an Ireland tour in June 2023 and thought it was great. Great location, clean, helpful staff.” 2
- “And let's see under the sheets here. Yeah, nice and white. I'm not seeing any stains.” On camera136:14
- “The staff in the hotel was really lovely. I absolutely enjoyed my night there.” 5
- “Service was very good overall at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre. There was always lots of staff at the front desk so a helpful staff member was always accessible.” 1
- “The check-in process was smooth and quick, no waiting around.” On camera40:42
- “If you put out the "do not disturb" sign, don't expect housekeeping to honor it or even to knock before trying to enter at 8 AM.” 15
- “And then this is definitely the biggest TV I've ever seen in a hotel. This has to be I would say this is a 50-inch TV. That would be my guess. So pretty nice.” On camera133:10
- “The sausage link tasted pretty good, but it had a natural casing, which I'm not really a fan of. Not sure why. It just kind of creeps me out a little bit.” On camera1321:54
- “But first, the bathroom. It's clean. And you've got all the basics. toiletries, fresh towels. Though I'm not a fan of them being placed right above the toilet, space is limited, so I get it.” On camera41:25
- “Avoid Cassidy's. We stayed here on a RS tour. Moldy shower tube, stained carpet, and rock hard " double" beds WAY smaller than a US queen size.” 15
- “And let's see. We got Yeah, we got enough towels here. Extra toilet paper. Yeah, looks good.” On camera138:00
- “The shower is surprisingly large, and the rain shower head looks great.” On camera41:57
- “The bathroom was spacious with a roomy walk-in shower. I loved the full-sized Dove body wash in the shower and hand soap on the counter. The towels were plush and soft.” 1
- “The handheld shower was pretty good-temperature was spot on, and the water pressure was excellent. Can't complain there.” 9
- “So, I would say as far as cleanliness goes for the bathroom, I would give it I would give it an 8 out of 10. The only thing bringing it down are these markings on the wall.” On camera1311:05
- “I loved the full-sized Dove body wash in the shower and hand soap on the counter.” 1
- “The bathroom was spacious with a roomy walk-in shower.” 1
- “One slightly weird thing though: the toilet bowl is a bit high. When you sit on it, you kind of have to tip-toe, which feels a little uncomfortable.” 9
- “Small bathroom, but at least it was kept clean.” 9
- “Toilet looks clean. I'm not seeing any problems.” On camera136:53
- “Especially due to the size of the room itself, the shower bathroom felt a bit of compact. However, it was absolutely fine and in line with expectations. Again, everything felt very modern and in good shape.” 5
- “Oh, now let's take take a look in the hallway here. This is actually not great. Oh my gosh, look at all this. I don't know how well this is coming out on camera, but yeah, the walls need to be washed.” On camera1314:41
- “I've stayed at the Jury's Inn on Parnell Street twice, and it was surprisingly quiet and convenient, though not small.” 15
- “Everything in the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre was remodeled from the ground up and the rooms are certainly no exception. Our rooms were at the long corridor on the second floor but I think the walk was worth the extra quiet and a nice view out onto the adjacent street.” 1
- “The hotel sits right on O'Connell Street, smack in the heart of the city. Super convenient, honestly.” 9
- “o stayed at the Hilton Garden Customs House - had a great experience in 2016 and so-so in 2019. (In 2019, it was packed with bus tours so our room was not ready until awhile after the designated check-in time, we heard more noise from other guests, etc.)” 15
- “BUT, what was never mentioned in any review or on the hotel website is that there is (hopefully was, it was 2019) a disco underneath the hotel. No wonder the hotel gave us cheap worthless earplugs at check in. It was an absolute nightmare. The music blasted and room shook until after 2am.” 2
- “Despite being located at one of the most heavy traffic and public movement streets of the city, the room has been rather quiet.” 5
- “However, there was a lot of noise from bars from about 1 AM to 5 AM as we were there on a weekend when (for better or worse) the weather was mild and dry. People were out in the street enjoying themselves until dawn's early light. The hotel provided earplugs on the nightstands.” 15
- “So, here's the elevator that is not working. Luckily, I'm only on the third floor. If I were on like, you know, 10th floor, etc., that would be a problem.” 13
- “Came back after lunch and got assigned room 421, which is on the side of the hotel. Our window looked out onto a side street, so it was way quieter overall.” 9
- “While this was not my favorite part of Dublin, the airport bus stops right in front of the hotel so it was an easy place to start my trip. O'Connell Street is very commercial and lacks charm, but it is easy to get around from there.” 2
- “Make sure you subscribe to the channel for honest places and hotel reviews. It's just steps from the city center and right near the Dublin portal. So, location-wise, it's spoton.” On camera40:10
- “I'm fond of Stauntons on the Green - the Green in question being St Stephen's. Lovely location between two gardens and easy to walk up in to the heart of things.” 12
- “I stayed at The Westbury in April and the location can't be beat. Conveniently walk out the back door and your on Grafton Street which is a pedestrian street with loads of shops, restaurants and convenient to everything.” 12
- “All of these hotels had very clean rooms and were in areas we found to be safe and walkable.” 15
- “Being right at the North end of O'Connell Street, you just have to say that this Holiday Inn is located perfectly.” 5
- “This smoke-free inn is conveniently located in a nightlife district and there is public parking nearby.” 8
- “FWIW many moons ago I stayed at the Harding Hotel with my RS tour. Good location but it does have a bar downstairs (it's Ireland!).” 2
- “I'll be sure to do a thorough room inspection when I get there. We loved Ariel House. https://www.ariel-house.net/ It is outside the center, but its a very short walk to the DART which can drop you near to Trinity University with a short ride. It's also very quiet.” 15
- “If you can snag a deal at the Westbury it's lovely and perfectly located for exploring Dublin.” 12
- “The location is decently convenient but it's a long walk to many of the main attractions on the south side of the Liffey.” 1
- “In the same area as the above recommendation -- south of St. Stephens Green, easy walk to Trinity College and Grafton St., around the corner from airport bus route -- is Harcourt Hotel in Harcourt Street. We found it clean and comfortable, and less expensive than many Dublin hotels we priced.” 15
- “But for the location-which is super convenient to get everywhere, including to and from the airport-I'd highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for accommodation in Dublin.” 9
- “Location is decent, the area itself can be a little rough at night. Keep.your wits about you the same as you would in any place you are unfamiliar with and you will be fine” 14
- “The Davenport was very nice and a good location.” 15
- “The food quality is nothing to shout about, but it's good enough if you need to eat something before heading out for the day.” 9
- “But one of my favorite things about the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre was the complimentary full breakfast buffet and the friendliness of the breakfast room staff.” 1
- “It also features a lounge for guests' comfort. This accommodation is a stone's throw from Murray's Bar and serves delectable meals.” 8
- “There was a pub with outdoor seating behind the hotel. We had our room changed to the other side of the hotel (view of a church) and it was quiet & the breakfast was very good.” 12
- “Breakfast is served downstairs and it includes all the essentials of a full English breakfast. Plenty to choose from.” On camera43:42
- “Relative to location, my only dislike being the lack of good restaurants close to the hotel. You need to walk several blocks to get away from the most touristic restaurants and fast food on Upper O'Connell Street.” 1
- “The Crowne Plaza in Santry ( 7/8min by taxi from Airport - not a taximan's preference ever ) is quite good value and food's pretty good there too.” 6
- “Also, last year on our own, we stayed in Stanton's on the Green which was nice with a lovely breakfast.” 2
- “Despite there was a rugby tournament in town and the hotel was full of French supporters. the breakfast was well organized and there were just rather few interruptions.” 5
- “In the same area as the above recommendation -- south of St. Stephens Green, easy walk to Trinity College and Grafton St., around the corner from airport bus route -- is Harcourt Hotel in Harcourt Street. We found it clean and comfortable, and less expensive than many Dublin hotels we priced.” 15
- “The Crowne Plaza in Santry ( 7/8min by taxi from Airport - not a taximan's preference ever ) is quite good value and food's pretty good there too.” 6
- “The hotel itself was clean and modern and I have no complaints about the hotel itself; I'd stay there again if the price were right.” 2
- “I booked it through booking.com, and the rate was around €130 per night, including breakfast for two. Honestly, that's a great deal for a four-star hotel in the city center with breakfast included.” On camera42:57
- “This is the Standard Double Room, about 15 square metres in size. We paid around S$1,300 for five nights, which felt pretty reasonable by Dublin standards, especially for a hotel in such a prime location.” 9
- “I walked in expecting the room to be really small, but honestly? It was decent. The space felt ample because everything's cleverly designed-not cluttered at all.” 9
- “Another factor for that was the excellent internet connection by WiFi in the room.” 5
- “The view from the room isn't anything spectacular, but it does the job.” On camera43:17
- “So, we've got a little desk, nice fancy chair, and I guess the Holiday Inn theme is green, and there is a decent amount of green in here.” On camera135:17
- “If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know that cleanliness is very important to me and the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre didn't let me down. Everything in the room was near spotless and the bathroom was sparkling clean.” 1
- “The room was well thought out and the modern decor was stylish but comfortable.” 1
- “I got a huge corner room, in which the typical HI Express furniture even felt a bit of lost. Nonetheless, I really loved the large room” 5
- “The modern design of the room, which was very clean, was very nice as well.” 5
- “It's an especially cost-effective option for families. We stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Customs House. It is along the river and the views from the room were excellent.” 15
- “I struggled a bit with the work desk replacement, which is, however, nowadays rather a signature element and feature of these rooms.” 5
- “The room is quite spacious, on par with other four or five-star hotel rooms. You've got a large TV, a long desk/t area, bedside lamps, and a very comfortable bed.” On camera42:43
- “The room is quite spacious, on par with other four or five-star hotel rooms.” On camera42:43
- “All right, it's the next morning and I have to say the bed was not bad. It was a little stiff and I have to say a lot of the beds I sleep in in hotels tend to be on the stiff side. Not sure why, but just a little bit too stiff, but not bad. My back doesn't hurt, so that's a good thing.” On camera1315:53
- “The double bed had fresh, cozy linens and small bedside shelves with plenty of power ports, USB outlets, and bedside lighting.” 1
- “And we've got a beautiful view of another hotel, I believe. Not sure what which one that is. Yeah, not a bad view overall.” On camera1316:47
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Nothing reliable said about view.
- 10 sources carry no publication date, so we cannot tell how current they are.
Ask about Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre by IHG
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Deep coverage · 19/100We read 0 sources for this property, covering 0 traveler mentions, boiled down to 0 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-09-01.
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Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
6 of 6 summary lines above are traced to specific quotes. The rest summarise the read as a whole rather than any single document.
View all 16 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 9How to Get from Dublin Airport to City Centre + Holiday Inn ...springtomorrow.comReview site2026-02-09Current11 quotes used
“The food quality is nothing to shout about, but it's good enough if you need to eat something before heading out for the day.”
Read originalspringtomorrow.com - 14Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre : r/irishtourismreddit.comForum thread2025-04-03Recent2 quotes used
“I'm from Dublin and live in the States... I would not stay here. Dublin north side has got very rough. I would move to the south side and stay at Buswells”
Read originalreddit.com - 5Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centreflyctory.comReview site2023-09-04Ageing11 quotes used
“the breakfast was well organized and there were just rather few interruptions. You have to note that quite a bunch of the foreign guests rather did an "All you can carry" breakfast, so that the refilling performance of t…”
Read originalflyctory.com - 1Hotel Review: Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centrebenjaminjtravel.comReview site2016-12-28Ageing14 quotes used
“Check-in was easy and even though official check-in time is 3 PM, we were able to access our rooms at 2 PM on arrival.”
Read originalbenjaminjtravel.com - 6Nice, clean budget hotel at Dublin airport?askaboutmoney.comReview site2008-09-08Ageing3 quotes used
“The Crowne Plaza in Santry ( 7/8min by taxi from Airport - not a taximan's preference ever ) is quite good value and food's pretty good there too.”
Read originalaskaboutmoney.com - 12Recommendations for Hotels in Central Dublinboards.cruisecritic.comReview site2006-09-01Ageing4 quotes used
“I'm fond of Stauntons on the Green - the Green in question being St Stephen's. Lovely location between two gardens and easy to walk up in to the heart of things.”
Read originalboards.cruisecritic.com
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