![]() |
Home - City Guide - Dublin - Accommodation | ||
![]() |
||
Accommodation Between 1991 and 1997, the number of Dublin's hotel rooms grew by 40% (from 4500 to 6300) and there are plans for further hotels, with an estimated 2300 new rooms for 1999 and 1615 for 2000. Nonetheless, it can still be hard to find a bed (particularly in central Dublin at weekends, over Easter and in summer). Booking well in advance - two to four weeks at least - is vital. Dublin Tourism offers a reservation and information service via the internet (www.visitdublin.com); e-mail (reservations@dublintourism.ie); or 24-hour touch-screen units at their tourist information centres. A 12-15% service tax is added to hotel bills. Conrad International Dublin Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 676 5555. Fax: (01) 676 5424. E-mail: info@conrad-international.ie Cost: Ir£220. The Conrad International Dublin is centrally located just off St Stephen's Green. The 191 rooms and nine suites are spacious and modern; there is also a fitness centre and an award-winning business centre, with translation service. The gourmet Alexandra is one of the best restaurants in town; Plurabelle brasserie and Alfie Byrnes pub are more down-to-earth. The Shelbourne Meridien 27 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 676 6471. Fax: (01) 661 6006. E-mail: rooms@shelbourne.ie Cost: Ir£185-215. Since its opening in 1824, this grand 190-room townhouse hotel, ideally located for sightseeing, has welcomed the Dalai Lama, Richard Burton and the Princess of Monaco. The best rooms overlook the Green, but all are individually decorated, and 22 suites are available. The Horseshoe Bar is popular and there is a lovely tea room in the Lord Mayor's Lounge. No 27 The Green restaurant serves a blend of continental and traditional Irish cooking. There are nine conference rooms, and health and fitness facilities to help guests unwind. The Clarence 6-8 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 670 9000. Fax: (01) 670 7800. E-mail: clarence@indigo.ie Web site: www.theclarence.ie Cost: Ir£180 (excluding breakfast). Taken over by U2's Bono and The Edge in the mid-1990s, The Clarence's success marks the renaissance of the Temple Bar area. There are fifty Art Deco rooms, including three suites and a penthouse - one almost expects to see film and pop stars jetting in and out. Burlington Hotel Leeson Street Upper, Dublin 4 Tel: (01) 660 5222. Fax: (01) 660 8496. Cost: Ir£165 (excluding tax and breakfast). Located to the south of the city, the Burlington is Ireland's largest hotel, with 502 rooms (including four suites) and a new Concierge Floor (150 rooms) equipped with business facilities. The hotel has two restaurants, a bar and business centre (see the Business Services section). Annabel's nightclub, open Wednesday to Saturday, is free to residents. The Gresham 23 O'Connell Street Upper, Dublin 1 Tel: (01) 874 6881. Fax: (01) 878 7175. Cost: Ir£160 (high season - excluding breakfast); Ir£120 (low season - including breakfast). The gracious Gresham opened in 1817. The Beatles once stayed here, and Joyce set his short story 'The Dead' in one of its rooms. Located close to the main shopping area, cinemas and theatres, the 288 rooms (including six suites) were totally refurbished in 1998. There is an excellent restaurant, the Aberdeen; the Toddy Bar, serving 63 brands of Scotch whisky; a fitness centre; and a superbly equipped 24-hour business centre. Parliament Hotel Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 670 8777. Fax: (01) 670 8787. E-mail: parl@regencyhotels.com Cost: Ir£140. This lovely Edwardian building, belonging to the Regency hotel group, has 63 bedrooms and is popular with the business community. Located in the fashionable Temple Bar area, opposite Dublin Castle, the hotel boasts the lively Forum bar, the classic Senate restaurant, and a meeting room. It is worth checking for discounts midweek when prices can drop significantly. Clontarf Castle Hotel Castle Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3 Tel: (01) 833 2321. Fax: (01) 833 0418. E-mail: info@clontarfcastle.ie Cost: Ir£105. Clontarf Castle lies to the north of Dublin, fifteen minutes' drive from Dublin Airport. Built in 1172, the ivy-covered castle served as a cabaret-bar until 1998, and, after extensive refurbishment, opened in June 1998 as a hotel with 111 rooms (including 14 executive rooms), eight fully equipped conference and banqueting function suites, and the Templars bistro. Merrion Square Manor 31 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 662 8551. Fax: (01) 662 8556. E-mail: merrionmanor@tinet.ie Cost: Ir£80. A red-brick Georgian townhouse on Merrion Square, the 18-room Merrion Square Manor is filled with antique dressing tables, down-filled damask couches and seventeenth-century mahogany bureaux. The rooms vary in size but are all the same price. |