Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [88]
Trinity Lodge (Map; 617 0900; www.trinitylodge.com; 12 South Frederick St; s/d from €130/170; ) Martin Sheen’s grin greets you on entering this cosy, award-winning guesthouse. Not that he’s ditched movies for hospitality: he just enjoyed his stay (and full Irish breakfast, presumably) at this classically refurbished Georgian pad so much that he let them take a mugshot. Room 2 has a lovely bay window.
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UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATION
From mid-June to late September, you can stay in accommodation provided by the city’s universities. Be sure to book well in advance.
Trinity College (Map; 896 1177; www.tcd.ie; Accommodations Office, Trinity College; s/d from €60/125; ) Comfortable rooms ranging from basic to with en suite bathrooms in one of the most atmospheric settings in Dublin.
Mercer Court (Map; 478 2179; www.mercercourt.ie; Lower Mercer St; r from €90; ) Owned and run by the Royal College of Surgeons, Mercer Court has modern rooms that are up to hotel standard.
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La Stampa (Map; 677 4444; www.lastampa.ie; 35 Dawson St; r weekday/weekend €135/180; ) La Stampa is an atmospheric little hotel on trendy Dawson St, with 29 Asian-influenced rooms in white decorated with rattan furniture and exotic velvet throws. The Ayurvedic spa is a nice treat, but to fully benefit from your restorative treatments ask for a top-floor bedroom away from the revelling at SamSara bar Click here, located below.
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (Map; 898 2900; www.radissonblu.ie/royalhotel-dublin; Golden Lane; r €160-220; ) The stunning Dublin flagship of this well-respected Scandinavian group is an excellent example of how sleek lines and muted colours can combine beautifully with luxury to make for a memorable night’s stay: from the hugely impressive public areas (the bar alone is worth the visit) to the sophisticated bedrooms – each with flat-screen digital TVs embedded in the wall, to go along with all of the other little touches – this is bound to be one of the most popular options for the business traveller.
Irish Landmark Trust (Map; 670 4733; www.irishlandmark.com; 25 Eustace St; one night/weekend/week €400/800/2000) If you’re travelling in a group, instead of renting a bunch of doubles in a hotel that you’ll barely remember a week after you’ve gone home, why not go for this fabulous 18th-century heritage house, gloriously restored to the highest standard by the Irish Landmark Trust? You’ll have this unique house all to yourselves. It sleeps up to seven in its double, twin and triple bedrooms. Furnished with tasteful antiques, authentic furniture and fittings (including a grand piano in the drawing room), this kind of period rental accommodation is something really special.
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Bentley’s (Map; 638 3939; www.brownesdublin.com; 22 North St Stephen’s Green; s/d from €150/200; ) Above the superb restaurant (Click here) are 10 exquisitely appointed rooms that offer a 21st-century interpretation of Georgian comfort. For maximum experience, get one of the four rooms overlooking St Stephen’s Green; otherwise you’ll have to settle for a view from the Aviator Lounge, which serves a mean mojito.
Westbury Hotel (Map; 679 1122; www.doylecollection.com; Grafton St; s/d from €170/260; ) The Westbury sits snugly on a small street just off Grafton St, which suits the high-powered business people and visiting celebs who favour the hotel’s finer suites, where they can watch TV from the Jacuzzi before retiring to a four-poster bed. Mere mortals tend to make do with the standard rooms, which are perfectly appointed but lack the sophisticated grandeur promised by the luxurious public spaces.
Merrion (Map; 603 0600; www.merrionhotel.com; Upper Merrion St; r from €455; ) This is a resplendent five-star hotel set in a terrace of beautifully restored Georgian town houses. Try to