Dublin: The Shelbourne Hotel: Not great. Ordinary Marriott style rooms

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Flew from Barcelona to Dublin. Flew Aer Lingus Barcelona, Dublin, to JFK.
Great experience on Aer Lingus. But you have to pack light. 20 kilos per bag, maximum 2 bags, from Barcelona to Dublin.
A quick 2 hour flight from Barcelona to Dublin. Jumped in a taxi at the Dublin airport and the taxi driver dropped the bag that held my beautiful porcelain tea tray and pot. Broke into a hundred bits. Oh well, it is only "stuff".

As I stated in my previous blog I usually stay at the Marion in Dublin but this time I decided to stay at the Shelbourne; just a couple of blocks from the Marion. The Shelbourne is on the beautiful St. Stephens Green.

Not a good experience for me at the Shelbourne. The welcome; there was none. I had to find my way to the reception area which was around to the right and in the back. They gave me an ugly room. I asked for a nicer room. They gave me an upgrade. But the problem with the Shelbourne is not the Shelbourne it is MARRIOTT. They bought the hotel and re-did it. They manage the hotel. The public rooms are nice but the guest rooms are terrible. Inside your room you could be in any Marriott in the world.
The service is touch and go. Food in the Bar. Okay. Breakfast was terrible. But I mean terrible. Scones so heavy and dry that it was like trying to eat a baseball.
The service at breakfast was really bad.
No, the Shelbourne is not worth it. I still love the Marion. But I want to keep looking for that great, lovely, smaller hotel or beautiful guesthouse in Dublin. This is an egocentric thing to say but at Casa de Billy Barcelona Gran Via we do a much better job than the Marriott in Dublin. A better job in the sense of welcome, beautiful rooms with high ceilings, beautiful bed linens and pillows, etc.

On Thursday the 23rd of March I checked out of the Shelbourne. The bellman got me a taxi. Well, kind of a taxi. It was a beat up, red, VW van. Where was the doorman during this procuedure. As with my arrival (at 3pm) and my departure (at 8am) the doorman was no where to be seen. It was the unexperienced bellman that found me the beat up VW van taxi. It was like a cargo van with one seat in the back.

So why did I get in damm jalopy? Because, I was late for the airport. During the trip to the airport the driver asked me how I liked the Shellbourne. I told him "not great". "Yeah", he said. " most people say the same. And on top of it they have queers (gay men) working at the hotel". I , of course, was furious. I told him that I was gay and I did not appreciate his homophobic comments. We were now just pulling into the airport; or else I would of demanded that he let me out. I asked him how come it cost me 26.50 euros from the Shellbourne to the airport and only 20 euros from the airport to the Shelbourne. Oh, he says, it costs more in the morning after 8am. Total rip off artist. His Taxi Tag number is: 11850. If you ever see his taxi; don't get in.

The flight from Dublin to JFK was great. Very comfortable. It was an Airbus 300 series (I think). Very comfortable seat. Economy: Row 17, seat G. No one sitting next to me. A quick 6 and a half hour flight from Dublin to JFK. By the way, the chicken stew they served in flight was delicious.

Arriving in New York (the West Village to be exact) I had a lovely late lunch with Dolores of delicious chili with red lentils. Went to bed early. I am exhausted. Worn out. A good long nights sleep will do me well.
Friday the 24th of April I will go to the Strand Bookstore and stock up on reading materials and then in the evening have dinner with my old friend David McCorkle and his boyfriend Ernest Hood. I think we are going to Chinatown Brasserie.

Always nice to visit New York.

http://www.casabillybarcelona.com

I arrived here in Barcelona on February 4, 2009. Easy flight on American from Mexico City to Miami, then a change of planes and onto Madrid and then onto Barcelona. The new Barajas airport is a mess. Beautiful but extremely difficult to use.

It has been a great time here in Barcelona. Working hard to always improve my guesthouse, Casa de Billy Barcelona Gran Via. Lot's of guests. We are one of the highest rated guesthouses in Barcelona. Lovely guests. A great pleasure to serve them.

It finally is Spring in Barcelona. But only in the last few days.
I am leaving this next Wednesday and going to Dublin for a few days. Staying at the Shelbourne Hotel. My first time staying at the Shelbourne. I times past I have stayed at the Marion Hotel in Dublin. It is lovely but I wanted to try a place that would be new to me.

Then, I am off to New York. Staying with my friend Dolores Dubois (real name) in the West Village. The West Village always brings back lovely memories of the years I lived with Michael James on West 14th Street near 8th Avenue. The West village and the meat packing district was my beat. It has changed alot since I left in the late 80's; but it is still wonderful. I love Chelsey Market. Dolores lives just about 5 blocks away from the Chelsey Market. We go there alot.

Michael and I and then later, Dolores and I used to go brunch at Florent's. But it is gone too. I loved Florent. He was always very nice to me.

After a few days in New York I will hop on a plane in Newark and go to Ft. Lauderdale where I will stay with my friend (and ex-boyfriend) Carlos Conrique Sandoval and his current boyfriend of 10 years. They actually live in Miami but way north and so it is easier for him to pick me up in Ft. Lauderdale.

I will be spending lots of time with my dear friend Jeannette Costeiu. She has been in Miami (Bay Harbor), just behind the Bay Harbor Shops, for 32 years. She is a great friend. and a great person.

Then after a few days in Miami I will hope an Aeromexico flight for Mexico City. Lot's to do with my guesthouses in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico and the other one north of Acapulco.

I might open a new guesthouse in Mexico City. Called Casa de Angel Mexico City. I had a beautiful penthouse/ guesthouse near El Angel, just off of Reforma but I closed it down about 6 years ago. But I am thinking that it might be a good idea to re-open it; obviously in a new location. But in the same neighborhood. Cuahutemoc.

I will check back in later and let you know what goes on during my trip.
Take care and see you back here next time.
un abrazo,
Billy

Billy in Barcelona at http://www.casabillybarcelona.com