I often travel long distances to hotels around Ireland in different counties to find out what is there for families like me who travel solo with children. But sometimes you don’t need to travel over four hours to find a hotel that has it all. My Google maps came up at 27 minutes to my destination – the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown. The kids were happy with a short distance over night stay and so was I. This 4-star Dublin hotel is in a brilliant location – just 15 minutes from the airport and right by the M50, M2 and M3, so it’s super handy no matter where you’re coming from. It’s also really close to the city centre, making it a great base for exploring. If you don’t want to go too far for adventures you can go a short distance and visit the National Sports Campus and Aquatic Centre, Phoenix Park, Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Fairyhouse Racecourse, Emerald Park and Dublin Zoo.
For me, it’s a necessity for a hotel to have a good size family room or inter-connecting rooms so we all have our own space. Another tick is a pool or somewhere close by that has water activities – we are an aqua family.
The Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown ticks all our boxes and more. I was impressed with the frontage of the hotel and the reception area was spacious and welcoming. We were quickly checked in and up in our room/suite in minutes. There are inter-connecting rooms for families and it’s so nice to have your own room and the kids with theirs. It’s the first time I have had a four poster bed and a lounge area fit for a party – of at least six! The rooms are classic, cosy and chic and I love heavy black out curtains in a hotel, guaranteeing a good nights sleep. The inter connecting room for the children had two single beds and plenty of space to chill – but not for long, we had an aquatic centre to visit.
A nine minute drive from the hotel and we were in the National Aquatic Canter in Blanchardstown. Part of the Little Adventurer’s Family Break Package is a choice of a visit to the Aquatic Centre, Dublin Zoo or Emerald Park; we opted for some water fun. We were checked in, dressed in swimwear and trying out the slides in minutes. The centre also has a wave pool, children’s water play place and a lazy river. Two hours passed in ten minutes! Back to the hotel, a quick shower and down to the recently renovated Sundial Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant overlooks the hotel’s lush garden and has a real sundial and water feature as a centre piece. The food and menu is superb and we tried a bit of everything – bringing a leftover tray to the room for later. The portions are big, including the children’s ones and we all loved our food choices, even my ‘food critique’ daughter.
The rooms have full wall mirrors with plugs for hair dryers beside them which is a bonus and I always love a nice fluffy bathrobe to lounge in and the bespoke hotel slippers always seem to end up in my suitcase. They come in handy when you want to relive your hotel experience at home. The Executive suites are extremely spacious if you were looking for a weekend city break or a girly overnight stay – you wouldn’t need to leave this huge room.
Their sister hotel at Dublin airport have just launched ‘Sleepless in Dublin’, a late-night package made for those difficult red-eye flights. There is a flexible 24-hour check-in, late 2pm checkout, midnight snacks, 24hr shuttle and Netflix! It means you can have a comfy stopover that actually works around your flight times. Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, it’s all about bringing comfort and stress free ease to your journey and you will receive a Carlton bespoke sleep gift of a sleep mask and ear plugs. Just make sure to set your alarm to make your flight!
So, if you’re like me and don’t always fancy a long drive with kids in the back asking “are we there yet?”, the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown is a perfect alternative. It ticked all the boxes – easy to get to, loads nearby to do and great food. From the moment we arrived, I didn’t need to overthink anything and the kids were happy. Sometimes you don’t need a big, faraway adventure – just a comfy hotel and a few fun things close by. This little trip reminded me that a great family break can be just around the corner.
Travel Facts
Midterm Little Adventurers Executive Triple Room with an extra bed for 2 adults and 2 children incl. breakfast and optional tickets to family-friendly attractions from €249
Midterm Little Adventurers Interconnecting Family Room for 2 adults and up to 3 children incl. breakfast and optional tickets to family-friend attractions from €419
Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport – Sleepless in Dublin Package for two guests from €239
PUBLISHED IN THE IRISH DAILY MAIL ON 6/9/2025