O'Connell Street

Moxy Dublin City

★★★★★

Moxy Dublin City is a fun, affordable base for travellers who plan to spend their days out and their evenings in the pubs, and it is one of the best-value branded hotels in central Dublin. It is Marriott's playful, design-led budget brand, and this was the first Moxy in Ireland, at 1-5 Sackville Place, a side street just off O'Connell Street, a few steps from the Spire and the GPO. The concept is simple: compact, cleverly designed rooms, a buzzing social ground floor and none of the formality of a traditional hotel. Check-in happens at the Moxy Bar, which serves double duty as the front desk, so you collect your key with a welcome drink, and the bar is open for cocktails, light bites and bar snacks, with grab-and-go food available 24 hours a day and a separate breakfast room in the morning. Rooms are modern and efficient, with walk-in showers, good beds and smart storage, and there are family rooms with a queen bed and a sofa bed, which make the hotel a realistic budget option for parents with one or two young children. The location is a big part of the appeal: O'Connell Street, Henry Street's shops and the GPO Museum are at the corner, Temple Bar and Trinity College are about ten minutes' walk across the Liffey, and Connolly station, for the DART to Howth and Malahide, is a short walk east. The Luas red and green lines both stop nearby, and the airport express buses stop on O'Connell Street.

Things to know: rooms are compact, as is the Moxy style, so pack light and do not expect a lot of space for large suitcases. There is no on-site parking; the hotel points guests to the Q-Park at the Spire, about 400 metres away, with a discount for booking online, but most guests will not need a car. Pets are not allowed. The area around O'Connell Street is busy late into the night, and the north inner city has a grittier edge than the south side, so use main streets after dark, as you would in any city centre.

Who it suits: couples and friends on a budget, solo travellers and younger visitors who like a social hotel bar, and small families who want a central, affordable room. Travellers who want a gym, pool or spa, or a quiet, traditional hotel, should look at the Gresham around the corner or the Herbert Park Hotel in Ballsbridge.

Making the most of it: start your days early with a walk across O'Connell Bridge to Trinity College before the crowds, spend evenings in Temple Bar or the Smithfield trad pubs a short Luas ride away, and come back to a nightcap at the Moxy Bar. Its position close to Connolly station makes day trips to Howth, Malahide and the coast particularly easy. On arrival from the airport, the express buses drop you on O'Connell Street, a couple of minutes from the door, so there is no need for a taxi. If you are booking for a family, reserve a family room early, as they are the first to go at weekends and during school holidays, and check the bed configuration matches the ages of your children.