Hyatt Centric The Liberties Review: Where I Stayed in Dublin, Ireland

When I was planning where to stay in Dublin, I wanted a hotel that was updated and comfortable, but didn’t sacrifice Dublin vibes. I landed on the Hyatt Centric in Dublin’s The Liberties neighborhood because I was able to pay with points and because it seemed like a sleek and modern hotel.

My only hesitation was that I was a little worried about the location because it is a bit more of a distance from the city center than many of Dublin’s most popular hotels. But honestly? It was completely fine! The bus service in Dublin is easy to use, but if I felt like a longer walk it only took me 15 to 20 minutes to get to Dublin’s most popular areas.

So here’s my full review of the Hyatt Centric The Liberties in Dublin, including what you can expect for your stay and the pros and cons of this hotel!

Location & Transportation

Getting Around Dublin

Location is everything when you’re traveling. And worrying about the more distant location was my biggest concern when I booked this hotel.

The Hyatt Centric is about a 20 minute walk from Trinity College and 15 minutes from Temple Bar.

This may not seem like a lot, but when I’m already spending a lot of the day on my feet and walking around the Dublin, a long walk back the hotel is usually not what I have in mind.

Luckily, I didn’t have any issues really!

The bus system in Dublin is super easy to use. I stopped at the Spar market near the hotel to buy a Leap Card, loaded it with some euros, and then just scanned it whenever I got on the bus (you don’t have to scan when you get off). Buses in Dublin have a €6 per day cap for adults, so I never hesitated about hopping on a bus when I had a chance.

You can get “short fares” if you’re only going a couple stops, but I think most people just don’t worry about it because of the caps. You’re more than likely going to hop on several buses throughout the day.

And I used Google Maps all the time. All the bus systems are integrated with it, so it told me which bus was coming next to get to where I needed to go.

The only issue I had was one morning when I had to be near College Green SUPER early on a Sunday morning for my bus tour to Belfast. There weren’t many buses running at all, so I ended up walking. It was fine (and if I hadn’t wanted to walk I could have taken a reasonably priced taxi). But just something to be aware of.

Getting To and From the Airport

Dublin also makes airport transportation super easy. There is a Dublin Express bus that runs at regular intervals, and one of the stops (Dublin Portobello Kevin Street) is just a 3 minute walk from the hotel.

The bus ride itself takes about 45 minutes. But it truly could not be easier.

There are also other bus options to get from the airport to the hotel and you can find them all here.

Price & Booking

I’ll caveat all of this by saying that I booked my stay at the Hyatt Centric The Liberties with Hyatt points. I booked about a year in advance (I always try to book as far in advance with points as I can), and didn’t have any availability issues. It’s a Category 5, so I think very reasonably priced as far as points go.

Paying cash on the other hand? To be honest, Dublin is a notoriously expensive city. I didn’t necessarily find that to be the case with food and such (nothing like the sticker shock of going to Oslo). But the cash rates for hotels can get up there.

The average nightly rate for the Hyatt Centric is around €150 to €170 in the off-season and can be up to €400 or more during peak season like summer and fall (including when I was there in September…so I got a great value for my points!)

Lobby & Check-In

To me, the lobby almost feels like a modernized pub, with mid-tone wood accents and brightly colored furniture. When you enter, you’ll find the check-in desk just to the left with the hotel’s main restaurant to the right.

The check-in process was super easy and they were able to hold my luggage for me until my room was ready since I arrived in the morning.

I really liked the vibes of this lobby. It felt very appropriate for Dublin while also being completely modern and comfortable.

Hyatt Centric The Liberties Rooms and Suites

Ok, let’s talk about what you really need to know about: the rooms!

I actually stayed in two different rooms during my time in Dublin, both at the beginning and at the end of my Ireland trip.

For the first few nights I stayed in a standard King Suite with (for some reason unknown to me?) an accessible bathroom.

I thought the suite was super spacious! Besides the king bed, there was a desk and chair, a small seating area with a couch and chair, and then another little alcove with a built in desk. It was very cute, however since it was just me, I didn’t really use the alcove. (I could totally see Gerrit setting up all his photography equipment there to charge every night though!)

One thing that is a nitpicky of me though, is I did feel like they needed some kind of decoration above the couch. The lack of any kind of decorative touch in that part of the room made it feel a little sterile.

I stayed one more night after my trip to Donegal before flying out the next morning, this time in a standard room with a king bed. Again, the room was super comfortable. And even though it was a standard room in a major city, I thought there was plenty of space!

There were nice touches like robes and a coffee maker. I also thought the bathroom had a good amount of space and the shower felt very luxurious, especially after getting stuck in some of the chilly Irish rain.

Food & Beverage

While there is limited food and beverage offerings at this hotel, it’s really fine because there is SO MUCH great food in Dublin. The food here was a bit hit or miss for me, but here’s what I thought.

Liberties Gate Restaurant

This is the main restaurant in the hotel, located just off the lobby. I actually had breakfast here most mornings (free thanks to my Hyatt status, but not free for most guests) and I thought it was really great.

The first morning I had the Baked Waffle, which was delicious! But it was also VERY sugary, which I decided was probably not the best idea for morning fuel before a day of walking around the city.

So the other mornings I got an omelet along with some pastries, and they were great each morning.

The Liberties Gate Restaurant also serves lunch from 12:30 to 5:00 pm and dinner from 5:30 to 9:15 pm. The menu includes steaks, pastas, and honestly looks really great!

Liberties Gate Bar

This bar located off the restaurant and serves lunch and dinner from 12:30 to 9:30 pm, however the menu is much more limited than the restaurant. They are open for drinks until 1:00 am.

The menu focuses mostly on sandwiches. And I didn’t eat here, but I did get room service food from the menu and was underwhelmed to be honest (see below).

Room Service

One night after getting back super late and super soaked after my trip to Northern Ireland, I decided to get some room service for dinner. The menu was the same as the bar menu and I ordered the Open Steak Sandwich.

I’m disappointed to tell you that this was probably the single worst dish I had during my time in Ireland. The focaccia more like a giant fluffy yet tough pita, the steak did not taste like great quality, and the cheese was only half-heartedly melted.

Hopefully the other items on the menu are better.

I will say that my room service did come very quickly and with great service though.

Hotel Amenities

The amenities at this hotel are somewhat limited, but definitely sufficient. There is not a pool, which may be of note for you. And there’s not really any other kind of space that you would just hang out in or enjoy (i.e. no spa, no rooftop bar or other outdoor area).

Fitness Center

There is a small fitness center in the bottom floor of the hotel. It is pretty basic and there is nothing really special to it, but it does have treadmills, machines, and weights for you to use. And it’s open 24/7 for hotel guests.

Conference and Meeting Spaces

There are some beautiful conference spaces in the hotel if you are interested in holding meetings here. There are 500 square feet of meeting space.

Service & Staff

The staff here was so kind and helpful! Every time I had a question at the front desk they went above and beyond to help me out, including making sure I could get some breakfast one morning when I had to leave before the restaurant opened.

The service at the restaurant was great too. Some people may feel that the service is less personal than they prefer, but I think that has a lot to do with just how service is in Ireland in general.

In every restaurant I went to (with maybe one notable exception), servers are more likely to let you just enjoy your meal and only come to check on you when you ask for them.

For instance I definitely had to flag someone down to get more water one morning. But the next day I asked for A LOT of water from the start and they brought me a big glass of it which was a nice touch.

Overall, I really felt right at home and warmly welcomed at the Hyatt Centric!

Pros & Cons

So let’s talk about the specific pros and cons of this hotel!

Pros

• Clean and modern.
• Can be reasonably priced compared to some other Dublin hotels, especially from larger brands.
• Spacious rooms.

Cons

• A little further away from the tourist center.
• Less amenities than some other hotels might have.
• Less family friendly. You might need more than one room if traveling with children.

Would I Stay Here Again?

So would I choose to stay at the Hyatt Centric The Liberties again? Absolutely! While the location may not have been quite as convenient as something closer to Temple Bar or Trinity College, I also appreciated that it was in a quieter area (I have a friend who stayed in Temple Bar and her room came with earplugs).

The hotel was super clean and chic and everything about my stay was so comfortable. I loved my stay here and would definitely recommend it to anyone, especially if you are a Hyatt loyalist like me.

What’s Next?

• Find the Best Walking Tours to Take in Dublin
• Make Your List of Top Things To Do in Dublin
• Plan a Day Trip to Belfast and Northern Ireland
• Grab a Book to Read About Ireland Before You Go

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