We’ve been very fortunate to have had lots of lovely news lately and the husband had pulled out all the stops with an evening of celebrations at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin city centre. It’s not every day a girl is whisked off for a surprise Valentine’s evening of fun in one of Dublin’s nicest hotels and I was determined to make the most of it!

The trip started off in style and we rocked up the Shelbourne on our Dublin bikes, the cities shared bike scheme. We were ready for our mini vacation!

The Shelbourne

We passed through the old style revolving doors and into the grand foyer of the Shelbourne. The hotel was busy with the Saturday afternoon crowd indulging in cocktails and afternoon tea and it was really buzzing. I was excited to become a guest!

Given the weekend that was in it, the husband had opted for the Shelbourne Valentine’s package which included breakfast and dinner in the Saddle Room restaurant and champagne and strawberries in the bedroom. I had a feeling I was going to be totally spoiled in the next 24 hours!

At check in, it was a lovely surprise to be upgraded to a Heritage room overlooking St Stephens Green park. The upgrade involved a short wait and we were escorted through to the Horseshoe bar for some complementary arrival drinks. I absolutely love the Horse Shoe bar, the blinds are permanently down and I always imagine it full of authors and playwrights. I truly believe everyone needs to sample a Guiness Mojito at some point in their lives!

Some Guinness!

The Room

Our room was fantastic. There was a lovely entrance area with wardrobes and mirrors which led through to the bedroom. The room was bright and airy with a massive king size bed adorned with the incredibly comfortable Marriott bedding. It was a beautiful mix of modern and traditional and the high ceilings made it feel so grand!

The bathroom was huge with a separate bath and shower, a vanity area and a separate toilet. 

Of course the pièce de résistance was the view over Stephens Green, one of my favourite places in Dublin. We were lucky enough to have a corner room with the other window facing towards Grafton Street. It was all I could do to resist the urge of the shops! I set up camp on the windowsill and indulged in some people and sunset watching over the park. Bliss!

Watching the sun go down:

The Treats!

As if the room wasn’t treat enough, a knock at the door signalled the arrival of our champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. We popped open the bottle of bubbly (notice the heart shaped champagne glasses, what a nice touch!) and toasted ourselves with some champagne and strawberries. The chocolate covered strawberries were delicious and the champagne was amazing. An excellent start to the evening!

No 27 Bar

Our package included dinner in the Saddle Room and we headed down for a pre dinner cocktail in the No 27 Bar. Any time I’ve stopped by the Shelbourne for a drink the bar has been buzzing and this was no exception. It’s a real go to place in Dublin and the beautiful surroundings add to the charm.

The Saddle Room

The Saddle Room was the surprise hit of the evening! I don’t tend to get too excited about hotel restaurants and set Valentine’s menus but the Saddle Room surpassed all my expectations.

We started off with some Carlingford oysters in a shallot vinaigrette and smoked salmon and both were excellent. I tried my first oyster. I’m still not convinced on the texture but it was delicious once I got past that!

Oysters:

Smoked Salmon:

For mains, we opted for the venison and risotto. The venison was cooked beautifully and was a perfect pink. The red wine sauce complemented it perfectly. The risotto was excellent, one of the best I’ve tasted. It was cooked and flavoured perfectly and was the stand out dish for me. And I don’t say that lightly about risotto!

Venison:

Risotto:

For dessert, I only had eyes for the warm chocolate cake (and the husband of course!) and he went for a mango and passion fruit cocktail. Both were delicious.

Chocolate Cake:

Mango and passion fruit cocktail:

The meal was excellent and we were both very impressed with the standard of the dishes in the Saddle Room.

The Hotel

The Shelbourne is stunning! From the bars and restaurants to the corridors and communal areas, the inside is grand and regal and the entire hotel is beautifully presented.

With a staircase like this who needs an elevator!

The Heath Club:

After the indulgence of the evening before we hit the health club for a pre breakfast workout and swim. We didn’t get the chance to sample any spa treatments but the gym and pool were lovely and relaxing.

Breakfast

Our final indulgence of the stay was the Shelbourne breakfast. It’s been years since I’ve had a full cooked breakfast and I couldn’t wait to tuck in. I totally deserved it after an evening of champagne, strawberries and a four course dinner!

The breakfast is a real treat. From the massive selection of continental items to the hot buffet and the made to order egg dishes, everything was delicious. It was a great start to the day!

The chefs at work:

Breakfast display:

Breakfast offerings:

Marriott Platinum Benefits

The Shelbourne is a Renaissance Hotel, part of the Marriott group. As a Marriott Platinum member we received the following benefits:

• Complementary upgrade to a park view room
• Complementary wi-fi
• Two drinks in the hotel bars
• 500 Marriott reward points on arrival

Overall

The hotel is so beautiful it’s hard not to have an amazing stay! From the moment we passed through the revolving doors we were immediately wowed by the grand surroundings of the Shelbourne and its historical significance seeps from every corner. The food and drinks were excellent and our room was beautiful. I was spoiled from the moment we checked in until we left. It was hard to leave!