The Hendrick Smithfield Hotel Review

Our last leg of our UK and Ireland trip was Ireland. Hotels were ridiculously expensive in Scotland, and they looked pricey in Ireland, albeit not quite as bad. Little did I know, in addition to being the busy summer season, while we were there, the American College football game was going on, as well as a big concert. So, this led to even higher prices. But it was the last leg of our trip, we only had 3 nights in Ireland and wanted to be close to the action, so we decided to splurge. We came across The Hendrick Smithfield. We paid about $330 CAD a room, which was similar to what we paid in Scotland, but The Hendrick was much nicer. Based on the circumstances and looking at other prices, the price was decent.

The reviews were good, and the hotel looked modern. It was in a good neighborhood, close to the Guiness Storehouse and close to Temple Bar, so we splurged and booked it. When we got there, we were a bit surprised by the neighborhood, the buildings were grey, brown and bland and it was quiet. But when we got inside, the hotel lived up to its photo expectations. The hotel was clean, modern and trendy. The lobby was nice and there was a courtyard terrace and a bar/restaurant. The décor was cool, colorful and had a hip/urban vibe.

The check-in process was quick and easy and the staff were friendly. After admiring the décor, we made our way up to our room. Like the rest of the hotel, the room was modern. The bed was cool too; it was a queen sized bed with a single bunk bed towering above. There were lots of pillows and the bed was soft and comfortable. The washroom was modern and there was a safe, a kettle, fridge and all the other amenities. Although, like most hotels in Europe, the room was small.

And back to the location, despite the area being quiet and industrial, I came to the realization that most of Dublin is brown, grey and industrial looking, it wasn’t just the area of the hotel. And within a 5-minute walk you have bars, restaurants and the river. Only an additional 10 more minutes and you’re in Temple Bar. The Guinness Storehouse is close too. So not only is the hotel clean and modern, but the location is also great too.

On our last night, we were too tired to go out for dinner so we decided to eat at the restaurant/bar. There isn’t a ton of seating, but we got a spot. We ordered pizza and it was excellent. The menu didn’t have a lot of options, but for a bar the food was good. Also, the service was good and drinks, of course Guinness, were served cold and quickly.

All in all, it was an excellent stay at The Hendrick Smithfield and I’d recommend it to anyone travelling to Dublin. It was good for families but is also good for young travelers looking to have fun and meet people.