It’s something of a miracle that the Hard Rock Hotel in Dublin exists as, despite the brand behind it recently celebrating more than 50 years in business, bad timing meant Ireland’s only Hard Rock opened its doors just a month before Covid forced them to shut again.

Like a pint of Guinness, good things come to those who wait, and after months of uncertainty across the hospitality industry, life restarted. And in the Temple Bar area of Dublin, I don’t think the party has stopped since.

The Hard Rock Hotel is located right on the edge of the city’s lively, bustling cultural centre. It’s not even a five-minute walk to the legendary Temple Bar pub, which is the area’s focal point, but that’s far enough away to be removed from the music and noise when you want a good night’s sleep.

Pick the right door to enter. You might think the glamorous entrance on the busy Lord Edward Street would get you in, but that just gets you into the Rock Shop, which sells the usual array of Hard Rock merchandise. You could walk through to reception from here, up two floors, and then over the colourful Rainbow Bridge (really) to another building. Instead, head for the less obvious hotel entrance in the building on Exchange Street Upper.

You’ll be welcomed by genuinely friendly staff in an area with a small lounge and a compact bar — which never seemed to be open when we walked through — in vibrant colours with music memorabilia abounding. That theme continues wherever you look, from the corridors to your room. It’s not overdone, although it leans heavily into the Irish music scene — you won’t go more than a few metres without seeing a picture of Bono or The Edge or one of their guitars. Still, you’ll also find items from other acts, including The Cranberries, Janis Joplin and David Bowie. It’s an eclectic mix, ranging from one of Kurt Cobain’s jumpers to a Justin Timberlake t-shirt, but shows there’s no musical snobbery at the Hard Rock.

Hard Rock Hotel Dublin: The Room

Our room was in the building that houses the shop. It used to be the less-than-stellar Parliament Hotel, but the pre-Covid refit has transformed it into a vibrant, welcoming hotel. We were staying in an entry-level ‘Superior’ room on the fourth floor.

A slightly odd-shaped room meant the space hadn’t been used to its best — the full-length mirror stood away from the wall but was placed in a small gap by the corner of the bed, which meant I smacked my shoulder on it every single time I went by — but plenty of other rooms are more conventionally shaped. Upgrading to a Luxury room gets you a little extra space and, hopefully, a better view.

All the room controls are on touch panels, which looks smart and, unusually, worked well. The bed was large, with enough pillows (embroidered with guitars) to keep two happy, and the duvet was big enough to keep everyone covered and cosy.

A compact but spectacular bathroom housed a good rainfall shower, with own-brand toiletries (although supplied by Gilchrist & Soames) bolted to the wall. A desk was in a recess, with plenty of space to work on, with the TV hanging on the wall above. Thanks to the odd shape of the room, the right-hand side of the TV wasn’t visible to anyone lying on the right side of the bed, but we know that isn’t the case in every room.

The music theme continues in the room, of course. Funky rock-themed artworks were hung on the wall (think works featuring Jimi Hendrix, The Edge, or Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott), including, of course, one of U2’s The Edge. A complimentary guitar is available to borrow should you need to recreate the opening to Angel of Harlem. Yoga mats are also available for those with rather less musical talent.

Switch on the TV, and you’ll find a ‘Sound of Your Stay’ menu, which opens a playlist of 30 songs suited to your style. The staff at reception quiz you on your tastes and the reason for your stay, hoping to pitch it about right. In fairness, it was pretty close, with the staff judging me to want a mix of Prince, The Script, Sinead O’Connor, and Hothouse Flowers. And U2, of course. I’m beginning to think it’s compulsory to include U2 somewhere in anything you do in Dublin.