The public spaces, with a neutral color palette of tan, brown, and white and lots of dark wood, are uninspiring. The restaurant and bar, however, exhibit dashes of color -- such as pink -- in their furnishings. Guests gather here to watch a game, sip an Irish beer or whiskey, or dine on Irish or international cuisine. The lobby has ample soft seating, along with an airport arrival and departure information screen for convenience, and a flat-screen TV that shows the news. Given its location, the hotel attracts a lot of airline crews business travelers on layovers, but it does a fair amount of local business too, hosting weddings and family-gatherings. Service is warm and efficient, and many staff members have worked at the hotel for many years. The Carlton has a strong environmental ethos, and won an award for its commitment to sustainable principles. 

Carlton Dublin Airport Hotel is conveniently situated less than a five-minute drive south of the main terminals at Dublin Airport, with free 24-hour airport shuttle service available. The hotel is right off the M1 highway where it intersects with the ED1 highway. A bus stop is just south of the hotel, with service to Dublin city center. Dublin is a 15-minute drive or 30-minute bus ride south. The National Botanic Garden is a 10-minute drive south, and Dublin Zoo is a 20-minute drive southwest of the hotel.

The three-floor Carlton has 100 non-smoking rooms, soundproofed to keep out airport noise. Most rooms are spacious, and some have balconies and views of the airport runways with planes taking off and landing. Rooms have a contemporary feel and are decorated in colors of rust, beige, brown, white, and burgundy, with white bedding and striped or floral-print throws. All rooms have coffee/tea makers, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and comfortable beds with duvets, cotton-rich sheets, and custom-made mattresses. Suites have sitting areas with leather sofas, and bathrooms with bathrobes and slippers and separate tubs and showers. Rooms do not have mini-bars or mini-fridges. Some bathrooms in the Standard Rooms are small, but most are spacious with ample counter space, and shower/tub combos. 

As an airport hotel, the Carlton offers free 24-hour shuttle service. The hotel also has a park-and-fly lot with low rates. It has a bistro-style restaurant and bar. The restaurant relies on locally sourced ingredients, the quality of the food is good, and is a cut above what's usually available in airport hotels. The breakfast buffet (for a fee) has an ample selection, and the lunch and dinner menus offer a wide range of Irish and international fare like Irish beef burgers, fish and chips, sea bass, Irish salmon, pizza, pasta, Asian rice, and noodles. The bar pours a wide array of Irish beers and whiskies. An outdoor terrace is available in good weather. The hotel also offers free parking, a business center, and conference center with catering. Guests can use a small fitness room on-site or drive for two minutes to receive discounted access to a full health club, which includes a large fitness center, sports courts, aerobic studio, therapy rooms, sauna, steam room, and huge swimming pool complex with an 82-foot pool, a leisure pool with wave machine, kids' pool, lazy river, two big water slides, a bubble pool, and water geyser.