<div class="page old_photo"> <article> <header style="background-image:url(/uploads/52e407b76aae7.jpg);"> <div class="box"> <div class="intro"> <h1>A Hotel for all Seasons!</h1> <p class="byline"> </p> </div> </div> </header> <div class="main"> <div class="container"> <p class="summary">Review</p> <p>You know you’re staying somewhere a little bit special when a former 007 and a Hollywood legend are hanging out in the hotel bar.</p><p>That was my experience when I spent a night in the sumptuous Four Seasons, Dublin recently.</p><p>Pierce Brosnan and Charlie Sheen were the A-listers in question and the nonchalance of the other patrons in ICE suggested to me that this is pretty much a regular occurrence.</p><p>However we’ll come back to rubbing shoulders with celebs later, there’s so much more to say about this hotel than just its glamorous guests.</p><p>Four Seasons at Simmonscourt, is perfectly located right beside the RDS complex, making it the ideal residency for anyone attending or taking part in any of the venues plentiful shows.</p><p>Four Seasons is the definition of classic, timeless quality. Here the customer genuinely is King (or Queen in my case)!</p><p>After a quick and easy check-in, we were shown to the lifts in the lobby by the friendly and welcoming front desk representative.</p><p>Our residence for the evening was the exquisite Lansdowne Suite. Words can’t even begin to do this place justice. Perfectly appointed and fully equipped with everything the modern traveller could require, this is opulence at its very best. </p><p><p><img src="/uploads/52ed731b75650.jpg" unselectable="on"></p></p><p>The floor-to-ceiling windows had spectacular views over the hotel grounds and beyond, whilst the fully stacked mini-bar and flat screen television, complete with Sky Sports kept the other half happy.</p><p>The work desk was the perfect place for me to set up the laptop for some writing but that could wait, there was so much more to explore!</p><p>The bedroom was dominated by the most comfy looking bed I have ever seen and the little balcony area was perfect to catch some air on this, surprisingly sunny, Irish&nbsp;winter day. A large wardrobe area was also a welcome sight!</p><p>The bathroom was very stylish. White marble décor gave it a real art deco feel, however I was busy drooling over the glass-walled shower and the sunken bath, with L’Occitane products – how could I ever leave the hotel with a suite like this to stay in?! </p><p>After a quick shower in the fantastic bathroom, it was downstairs to the bustling lobby to seek out some food. We didn’t have to look too far as the extremely helpful Preetam, led us to the efficient, knowledgeable and friendly Jose who would take care of our culinary requests.</p><p>Not hungry enough for a ‘big’ dinner we decided to opt for something slighter smaller but still satisfying. I went for the Clubhouse sandwich with fries, whilst the other half went for Indian Chicken Curry.</p><p>I have to add here, Club Sandwiches are something of a guilty pleasure of mine so I regard myself as a bit of a Club Sandwich buff! This one was perfect. Real chicken breast, rashers of bacon, crispy lettuce, juicy tomato and a tasty egg cooked to perfection, between some toasted (healthy) wholemeal bread, all complimented with a good spreading of mayo. Delicious! The chips as well really hit the spot – crispy and golden – just as chips should be.</p><p>The other half’s curry was a resounding hit too. I have to say it looked amazing and the aroma coming from it was sublime.</p><p>Both suitably refreshed (food-wise) we decided to try the hotel’s highly acclaimed and uber stylish bar, ICE. ICE is well-known for their extensive cocktail list and is a popular spot with locals as well as hotel guests. The fact it has its own separate entrance is a nice touch for those not wanting to walk through the hotel to access it.</p><p>Similar to the bathroom style, ICE has a strong art deco feel, with white marble and feature light fittings, mixed with stand-out decorative pieces. The large bar area dominates the centre of the space, with comfy sofas and chairs placed throughout the venue. The walls also showcase the stunning works of Irish artist and DJ Mo Kelly, who coincidentally DJs at ICE on Thursdays and Fridays – multi-tasking at its very best! </p><p>On Jose’s strong recommendation, I opted for the Solero – an ICE signature cocktail. As the name suggests – it is very reminiscent of the ice lolly by the same name. It was whilst waiting for our cocktails that I clocked a certain Mr. Sheen (and I don’t mean of the home cleaning variety) making his way out the doors. I’ve known for a while now that I needed stronger glasses and this just highlighted the point further. I secretly love Charlie and his ’winning’ ways so I was gutted to have missed a little photo opportunity with the man himself.</p><p>Thankfully, just before I took to breaking my underperforming eyewear, our chatty and friendly mixologist Richard arrived with our drinks. The Solero looked wonderful. It was perfectly presented and the rich and appealing colour left me eager to put it to the taste test.</p><p>As Jose had promised, it was amazing. It had a slightly thicker consistency than some cocktails but the refreshing and fruity taste made it a hit. This was one highly addictive beverage! </p><p>As I imbibed my delicious drink, I browsed the plentiful drinks menu. ICE offers a wide and varied range of local and international drinks from wines to beers and everything in between. However, it is cocktails that’s their forte. As well as the cocktail classics – Mojitos, Cosmopolitans, etc – the bar offers its own variations on these and their own seasonal specialities. </p><p>For my second cocktail of the evening, I went for a ‘Vanpolitan’ a vanilla inspired take on the classic Cosmo. </p><p>As with the Solero, it was refreshing, fruity and delicious. This place is a cocktail connoisseur’s idea of Heaven. Due to an early start the following morning, I decided against testing any others, however I’ll definitely be back sooner rather later to ‘taste test’ some more. Purely for research purposes I hasten to add!</p><p>After retiring back to the suite where the bed had been turned down and slippers left out, I went on to have possibly the best night’s sleep I’ve had so far this year. The room was the ideal temperature, unlike some other hotels, there was no noise whatsoever, the bed and pillows were just right – everything was perfect.</p><p><p><img src="/uploads/52ed736ff039a.jpg" unselectable="on"></p></p><p>I woke up feeling so relaxed it was as if I’d had a massage and that doesn’t happen very often, believe me! Our complimentary newspapers were waiting for us on the front door but they had to wait as there was something far more important to address…</p><p>The next box to tick off for our stay was breakfast. Some hotels can be hit and miss with their morning offering but as with everything else, Four Seasons were right on the money.</p><p>As with every part of the hotel, the service at breakfast was fantastic. We were shown to our seats and our friendly waitress ran through the menu and our options.</p><p>As with Jose at dinner the previous night, I always find it very reassuring when staff at restaurants know their menus inside out and can make recommendations without any prompting. </p><p>The full, cooked Irish breakfast sounded too good to overlook, however there was plenty of healthier and more continental options available – literally something to cater for all tastes.</p><p>The Four Season’s Irish breakfast should acquire some sort of legendary status. Two sausages, two rashers of bacon, black and white pudding, champ, mushrooms, tomato and eggs cooked to your preference. Not forgetting a mixture of brown and white bread toasted. This meal won’t just set you up for the day, it can set you up for a week! </p><p>I’m fast running out of superlatives to fully describe this hotel. </p><p>If you are thinking of taking a ‘staycation’ this year or you’re simply looking for a night away, you seriously needn’t look any further than Four Seasons. From food and drink through to the standard of service, everything about this place is fabulous. </p><p>There might only be four seasons, but there’s at least five stars guaranteed for this delectable Dublin destination!</p> </div> </div> </article> </div><!-- /page-->