With Garth Brooks in town for 5 nights of concerts, there was not a lot of inventory in Dublin, and certainly none in our price range. This led us to rent a private room in a 3-bedroom place with a shared bath, living room, kitchen and laundry. Being middle-aged, we were a bit nervous about sharing space after years of having stayed in hotel rooms and owning our own house.
However, we needed not be concerned. Phillip was a wonderful host who lives on the property and immediately made us feel welcome. We appreciated the small touches - the drawer stocked with bread, cookies, cereal, coffees and a variety of teas, jam and milk in the fridge, free laundry, and a welcoming living/dining space. Although the other bedroom was booked the 4 nights we were there, we never had to share the common space - except when we wanted to.
Our last night at the place, after coming back from a wonderful dinner at Charlotte's Quay (Philip's excellent recommendation), the weather was uncharacteristically warm. We asked Philip if we could sit on the patio and have a few drinks, and invited him to join us. We had a lot of fun sharing stories, but the hubby and I also had private time too.
I am sorry I didn't get to meet Phillip's partner Tanya, who was visiting her folks, but I will say that Philip was the one who made our stay a 5-star stay.