The Clarence Hotel

This hotel has the Octagon Bar (owned by Bono) and we had a wonderful time here. Nice, pricey and elegant - yet stiff - drinks.

No - we never saw Bono.

Always make a point of heading into the clarences Octagon bar for a cocktail or 2 when in the city . Lovely building and a nice relaxed feel about it too .

We stayed at the Clarence for two nights over St Patrick's Day Mar 16-17, 2015. We read that some rooms of the hotel are adjacent to a nightclub and can be quite noisy, we asked for a quiet room (well in advance). When I submited that request I said that if they could not guarantee a relatively quiet room I would need to cancel my resevation. We were given a 4th floor king balcony that faced a side street. Inside the hotel it was very quiet, almost to the point of feeling like a monastery; but not so outside. Temple Bar has become party central and of course on March 17th the area is full of inebriated revelers until the wee hours, with that said we were able to sleep, it was not too bad.

The room was lovely with a very comfortable bed and a well equipped bath (and free wifi). The staff was very helpful and friendly, from front desk to housekeeping. The restaurant was OK, food was average (only had breakfast). They had no brown bread the 2nd morning and the server did not know if their oatmeal was flakes or pinhead (aka Steelcut). For 19 Euro I expected an above average breakfast, definitely not worth the price and wished now we had not bothered. Both mornings we had the cavernous dark restaurant to ourselves. The Octagon Bar (which we visited 2 or 3 times) was very quiet, bartenders were competent, pleasant but not overly friendly. The bar had no buzz, a little background music would help;. maybe an early evening happy hour with some nibbles and drink specials?

The Price was about $280 per night, (including the optional breakfast). At that price point there are many other choices in Dublin. Clearly we paid a premium for Saint Patrick's Day, I just checked rates for late April, best rate for a similar room is 152 Euro. I highly recommend skipping the Clarence breakfast there are many coffee shops in the surrounding area.

On a side note; the Clarence is known as the U2 Hotel but according to this article they are no longer involved (as of 2013) . http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/bono-and-edge-step-down-as-directors-of-clarence-hotel-29483772.html

Room Tip: Ask for quiet room on an upper floor with balcony (as far away as possible from the Workmans nigtclub). We were in 409.

I see the last couple of reviews are bad and so want to reassure, having just returned from a four weeknight stay here. If you're looking for a prime location in Temple Bar (with potential for raucous noise late at night because Temple Bar), understated and gorgeous art deco appointments (with potential for older furnishings because older hotel) and (did I mention?) LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION, then add this hotel to your consideration. Yes, the street noise got louder as the week went on (our room with extremely comfortable bed was chosen for the balcony). We caught up on dead quiet sleep at home last night. Yes, Bono and Edge had a drink in the Octagon bar downstairs and were so impressed they purchased it. Yes, they still own it with other partners. Tasteful rock and roll background music adds perfectly to the ambiance.

We had excellent service from the staff, an excellent drink at the Octagon, wonderful views from our balcony room, and we walked our little American feet off on all those cobblestones. No regrets.

The Clarence is swanky, smart and famously owned by Bono (and the Edge). The hotel sells itself on exclusivity and its association U2. Many people go there just to say they've been there.

Speaking of which, I attended a wedding in an upstairs room here (haha)! It was naturally a classy affair and the room offered beautiful views over the Liffey. I also ventured into the Octagon Bar for a drink prior to a certain university ball where I was asked to produce a certain university ID. This made me wonder, if I didn't attend this certain university, would I have been denied access?

Snobbery comes hand in hand with such exclusivity and apart from that, the simple fact is: for most of us, the Clarence is just uncomfortably expensive.

So when we planned our big trip to Ireland, a stop at U2/Bono's hotel was a must. We were expecting a super swanky rock star hotel, and were quite shocked to find such an understated hotel. Extremely simple, almost boring!

We went straight in to the octagon bar, and we were the only people there, on a Thursday night 5 pm -- do the Irish not do happy hour? Ok so we reviewed menu and I opted for a specialty martini. I forget the name, but it had rum and champagne - my 2 favorites- and some passion fruit or something!! When the drink got there I didn't even want to try it bc it looked so gross. Everyone in my group stared at me until I worked up the courage to take a sip. Wow super unexpected, looks are deceiving, it was delicious. No one wanted to try it; they decided to take my word for it! :)

I definitely recommended passing by just to say you went to Bono's hotel, but be warned you may be disappointed.

Yes, this is the famed Clarence Hotel that is owned by Bono & The Edge of the band U2.

Located by the River Liffey, you will find this beautiful, simple yet elegant hotel.

The staff is very pleasant and the location is just great.

Even if you aren't staying here, it's worth a visit to to say you were there and have a pint at the Octagon Bar.

Huge U2 fan..Huge Bono and Edge Fan...so we had to stay here of course!
Service here is really great! The rooms are cozy, quite simple actually but very cozy. The staff is great. It does get a bit loud at night being in the Temple bar area...didn't care for the restaurant downstairs (The tea room)...it was really really pricey!
Octagon bar however was awesome to check out...The location of this hotel is PERFECT! If you can afford to just stay here a night or two, do it!! (and yes it is a pretty penny for just one night)

The Clarence was where myself and my partner went to stay a year ago. The staff were very helpful, personable, and nice. I had come down with a fever on the day we left for Ireland, and the staff made sure I had everything needed to make me feel better (extra pillows, directions to the nearest pharmacy, etc.). The massage that was part of our package definitely helped, too!
We especially loved our room's view of the Temple Bar area. Even though the room itself was rather small, the balcony overlooking Temple Bar more than made up for it.
The food we dined on was some of the best we've ever had, and The Octagon Bar made especially good martini's.
All in all, we had a wonderful time at The Clarence, and have recommended it to anyone we know travelling to Dublin. Even though it's a little pricey, you get your money's worth in service, charm, and general atmosphere.

I stayed at the Clarence for St. Patrick's holiday this year. Given the popular holiday, I got a good rate for the week in one of their standard king rooms with no view. The room was comfy and modern. The bathroom and shower/tub were great and well-maintained. The bed and bedding were my favorite because they were comfortable and crisp. My room didn't have a stand to put my suitcase on so it ended up on a table. I had to ask for a robe which I thought should be in the room. The staff were all extremely nice and accommodating. I dealt with Lucas, Mario and Pablo often and were always friendly, nice and helpful. The hotel location is great as you are near everything including Temple Bar, great restaurants, bars and lots of historic sights. The Cleaver East restaurant is nice, but I only had drinks there. The Octagon Bar always seemed a little quiet but also nice. The Liquor Room next door is fun and a little crazy. I will return to Ireland without a doubt and I will stay at the Clarence again. Slainte!