Why We Booked Ruby Molly Dublin (Hint: There’s an Amp in the Room)

We checked into a Lovely Room at Ruby Molly on our most recent trip to Dublin. We surveyed the room. 

I pointed to the Marshall radio and said, “There’s your amp.”

Chris looked at it, dubious. It wasn’t an amp. It was a radio. He didn’t see the promised amp. 

That’s right. Amp. Ruby Molly’s rooms in Dublin promise them. It’s the reason we booked the hotel. 

I rounded the corner of the bed. Beneath the nightstand on the far side of the bed, the amp was tucked. 

Before I’d unzipped a suitcase, Chris had unpacked his travel guitar. No cable. He hadn’t packed the cable. Plugging in would have to wait. He played on without one while I freshened up for dinner. 

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Rewind to Checking In to Ruby Molly Dublin

Check-in was easy and welcoming. There’s an iPad-style self-check-in system, but a staff member was right there to walk us through it. Technology when you want it, a human when you need one. And at the reception desk, lemon mint water that I helped myself to more than once.

If you decline your daily room cleaning at check-in, the hotel gives you drink vouchers for the bar. We took them up on it. We’re clean, low-maintenance people, and free drinks are free drinks.

What The Lovely Room Looks Like

Our Lovely Room at Ruby Molly was, as the name promised, lovely. The look was modern, industrial, and fun. An exposed concrete ceiling, dark wood wainscotting with beadboard, giving a warm feel. There is a red ribbon along the foot of the bed with Ruby MOLLY on it over and over again, and wicker baskets, inspired by market sellers, are displayed above the headboard. The space is very clean. 

One thing to know: the shower has a glass enclosure and a curtain on the outside. So you have the option of privacy, or your travel companion can open the curtain for a show. I’ll just say this: make sure you like and trust whoever you’re traveling with.

The Lovely Room cost us €652 (around $767) for a two-night stay. It’s smack in the middle of the five room types they have on offer: Nest (best for solo travelers), Cosy, Lovely, Wow, and Loft. 

See the Lovely Room and promised amp in this short:

Dinner at Ruby Molly Dublin

Ruby Molly partners with Dublin Pizza Company, a local Irish pizzeria focused on fresh, local, simple ingredients. We landed in Dublin in the evening on our first night, so we decided to keep it simple by dining in the hotel. 

I chose the Vegan Malanzana (tomato sauce, roasted aubergine (eggplant), red onion, cherry vine tomatoes, garlic oil, rocket, toasted pine nuts, 12-year-old Balsamic vinegar). Unlike many vegan pizzas that use vegan cheese, the Vegan Malanzana simply doesn’t have any cheese at all. It was like eating a delicious roasted vegetable salad on top of amazing bread. 

Chris ordered the DPC Pizza: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, Dingle whiskey-cured salami, 18-month-aged cooled shavings. Those shavings on top totally made the pizza for him.

Is Breakfast at Ruby Molly Worth It?

Breakfast without a package runs around €22 per person. While options were plentiful, most weren’t quite what I wanted. Happily, I found chia pudding, topped it with fresh fruit, and a few almond slivers. They have a make-your-own loose-leaf station where you scoop tea into a small fabric tea bag and pour hot water over it. I enjoyed the tea and the chia pudding, but I did regret spending the €22 a little. 

If all you need in the morning is a bit of coffee or tea, there are communal galleys for that. As part of their lean-luxury ethos, there are no coffee-and-tea setups in the rooms. We found the galleys easy to access and a nice touch. 

Playing Guitar at Ruby Molly Dublin

The amp is a Marshall practice amp. It gets loud enough that you’d definitely hear about it from your neighbors, but there’s a headphone jack, so you can plug in and go as hard as you want without bothering anyone.

Chris borrowed an acoustic from the front desk to check it out and asked about a guitar cable to connect his travel guitar to the amp. They have cables, but the staff couldn’t locate theirs that day, so we headed out to find one. 

A quick search led us to Music Minds, a music store in Dublin that’s been open since 2009. The guy working was a punk rocker named Johnny Codehanger, of the band The Codehanger Solution, and he was great to talk to. Chris got his cable, and he was plugged into the Marshall soon after.

He played both guitars while I ate a late breakfast, drank tea, and wrote at a table in the lobby area. 

So if you’re a musician heading to Dublin, Ruby Molly is worth knowing about. Just bring your own cable to be safe. And if you need gear while you’re there, Music Minds is the kind of shop where you’ll walk in for a cable and may end up staying for the conversation.

Check out the full guitar playing experience:

Is Ruby Molly Dublin Worth It?

Ruby Molly is a fun, funky spot with personality. We appreciated its thoughtful details, guitars, and amp. If you’re looking for a Dublin hotel with character and you don’t need a sprawling suite, a Lovely Room here is a solid pick. 

Book your stay at Ruby Molly Hotel Dublin.

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