Hotels in Dublin
With a healthy mix of plush hotels and grand old guesthouses, Dublin excels in providing a place to rest your head at the end of a day. Unfortunately, finding a really great, affordable place to stay is a tougher prospect in the summer. In this section we have tried to list as many of these “finds” as we can. If you’re prepared to stay slightly outside of the city center, your options open up quite a bit (remember that most travel, including taxis, is relatively cheap).
In general, hotel rates in Dublin do not vary as much seasonally as they do in the countryside, although some hotels charge slightly higher prices during special events, such as St. Patrick's Day and the Dublin Horse Show. The money savings here come by the day of the week: If you're looking for the best deal, some hotels cut their rates by as much as 50% on Friday and Saturday nights, when business traffic is low. On the other hand, some hotels offer midweek specials.
Try to book as far in advance as possible. The most sought-after places fill up fast. And don’t write off four-star hotels—they often run sales and discounts that can make them cheaper than budget options. Check your dream hotel’s website first, before making a final decision. Always try to book online—many hotels offer web-only special deals.
Irish immigration authorities require visitors to have already arranged a place to stay at least for the first night. If you arrive in Dublin without a reservation, however, don’t despair. One of the best sources of last-minute rooms (often at a discount) is www.visitdublin.com. The website lets you browse hotels and guesthouses with immediate availability.
Most luxury hotels are on the south side of the river in Temple Bar and around Trinity College, but there are a few on the Northside. Places like the boutique, U2-owned Clarence hotel in Temple Bar are stylish indicators of how far Dublin has come, while the celebrity hangout Morrison hotel just across the river from it proves that the north bank is on the upswing. There are lots of excellent midrange hotels around St. Stephen's Green. Most budget hotels are in the north, where affordable guesthouses cluster around funky Lower Gardiner Street.
A Parking Note -- Many Dublin hotels do not offer parking; if you have a car, you'll have to find (and pay for) street parking. In this section, we've provided parking information only for the few hotels that do offer parking arrangements or discounts for guests. The more expensive hotels can charge as much as €25 per night to park, so ask about this hidden charge before you book.
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29 Results
- Hotel
Aberdeen Lodge
Drive up to this elegant Regency building in the springtime, and its front is so covered in ivy, it looks like a vertical lawn with spaces cut for the windows. Inside, the decor is rather endearingly old-fashioned; neat-as-a-pin public spaces have heavy, antique-style furnishings and…$$Ballsbridge & the Southern Suburbs
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Academy Plaza Hotel
Owned by the Best Western chain, this large, modern, low-frills option is popular with business travelers and well located for travelers exploring central Dublin. The lobby is small but pleasant, with wood paneling and leather furniture; rooms are compact and simple, with cream…$O'Connell Street Area/North of the Liffey - Hotel
Ariel House
This charming guesthouse in Ballsbridge has won legions of fans over the last few years. And rightly so—it’s a smoothly run, great value-for-the-money operation, situated on a quiet Victorian street. Depending on your point of view, the most obvious landmark you can see is either a…$$Ballsbridge & the Southern Suburbs - Hotel
Ashling Hotel
Close to Heuston Station and Phoenix Park on the western end of the city center, the Ashling is a modern six-story hotel. Basic double rooms have generic corporate-style decor, but deluxe rooms are more distinctive and spacious, with comfortable beds and large windows overlooking the…$$Smithfield - Hotel
Buswells
An old-school air pervades this rather traditional midpriced hotel, a 5-minute walk from Grafton Street. The Georgian building’s original features have been carefully maintained, from the intricate cornices of 19th-century plasterwork to the marble fireplaces, which warm the lobby on…$$HIstoric Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
Camden Court Hotel
Although not exactly budget, this large hotel just south of St. Stephen’s Green is great value for what you get. A “practical base” kind of hotel, rather than one overflowing with character and charm, the Camden Court is nonetheless well equipped, with good-size, modern guest rooms…$$St. Stephen's Green/Grafton Street Area - Hotel
Conrad Dublin
The Dublin outpost of Hilton’s high-end brand is all about the luxury. Beds in the spacious, modern guest rooms are sumptuously comfortable (and refreshingly large for a European hotel, even in the cheapest rooms). Color schemes of chocolate and cream, or oatmeal and royal blue, help…$$$St. Stephen's Green/Grafton Street - Hotel
Dublin Citi
This small, friendly hotel almost qualifies as budget for the location. It’s in the thick of the action, sure enough—the shortest of strolls takes you to Trinity College and Grafton Street in one direction, and Temple Bar in the other. Full marks for convenience! Light sleepers…$$Old City, Temple Bar & Trinity College Area - Hotel
Eliza Lodge
Located in the middle of Temple Bar, above a popular Italian restaurant and overlooking the Liffey, this smart guesthouse could hardly feel more in the thick of the action. Guest rooms are simple and compact, with large windows letting in plenty of natural light, although the modern…$$$HIstoric Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
Grand Canal Hotel
Overlooking the 18th-century Grand Canal—a major part of Dublin’s industrial heritage, long since abandoned as anything but a picturesque waterway—this large hotel is a strikingly modern place. As with many hotels in this neighborhood, you can’t escape the looming glass swirl of the…$$Ballsbridge and the Southern Suburbs - Hotel
Harding Hotel
Just central enough not to require a trek to the main tourist sites, but far enough to escape the inevitable nighttime crowds of nearby Temple Bar, this is a reasonable option on the western edge of the city center. The polished wood and bright, floor-to-ceiling windows of the…$HIstoric Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham
One of Dublin’s most historic hotels, the Gresham first opened in 1817, though it was almost destroyed during the Easter Rising of 1916. Most of the current building dates from the 1920s. The public areas retain a glamorous Art Deco feel, preserved during a big modernization of the…$$O'Connell Street-North of the Liffey - Hotel
InterContinental Dublin
This purpose-built modern hotel has been outfitted in a traditional style, more redolent of a country house than you’d think from the imposing brick-and-glass exterior. From the elegantly simple guest rooms, with their sumptuously comfortable beds, to the outstanding full-service…$$$Ballsbridge & the Southern Suburbs - Hotel
Maldron Hotel Smithfield
Part of a small Irish hotel chain, the Maldron Smithfield is a good midpriced option, a stone’s throw from the Old Jameson Distillery and a 10-minute walk from St. Michan’s Church. The guest rooms are modern and comfortable, with good soundproofing. Go for an upper-floor room with a…$$Smithfield - Hotel
Mespil Hotel
Another reasonable option in Ballsbridge, the Mespil is about a 15-minute walk from St. Stephen’s Green. Accommodations here are certainly of a higher standard than what you’re likely to find uptown for the same price. (Stays of more than 1 night usually qualify for discounts when…$$Ballsbridge & the Southern Suburbs - Hotel
Quince Cottage
This place isn’t the most convenient location—it’s in Sandyford, a southern suburb about 20 minutes by Luas (tram) from central Dublin—but what Quince Cottage lacks in convenience, it more than makes up for in authenticity. Owners Paula and Brandon have converted their century-old…$Ballsbridge and the Southern Suburbs - Hotel
Radisson BLU Royal Hotel Dublin
The exterior of this hotel is nothing to write home about—it’s a nondescript 1980s building a few blocks from St Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by bland office buildings. But don’t let appearances fool you. Inside, it’s all about convenience and comfort. There’s a sophisticated…$$$HIstoric Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
Temple Bar Hotel
This cheerful, well-run hotel certainly wins in the location stakes, sitting right in the middle of trendy Temple Bar. Guest rooms are pleasant, decorated in a clean, modern style, with big, comfortable beds. Executive rooms offer extra space for a small premium. Teeny-tiny “Pod”…$$HIstoric Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
The Clarence
Back in the 1990s, when the Celtic Tiger was starting to roar, the Clarence became something of a symbol of the “new” Dublin. Chic, fashionable, and with megastar owners to boot (Bono and the Edge from U2), it spoke of Dublin’s revival as a modern and cultured capital city. These…$$$Historic Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
The Conrad
The Dublin outpost of Hilton’s high-end brand is all about the luxury. Beds in the spacious, modern guest rooms are sumptuously comfortable (and refreshingly large for a European hotel, even in the cheapest rooms). Color schemes of chocolate and cream, or oatmeal and royal blue, help…$$$St. Stephen's Green-Grafton Street area - Hotel
The Merchant House
Mainly geared toward business travelers and couples, the accommodations here are different from that in a conventional hotel. The Merchant House is a series of spacious guest suites, with various services attached but no dedicated reception area. The upside to this is more room—which…$HIstoric Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
The Morrison
Rooms at this chic hotel owned by Doubletree Hilton verge on futuristic, with ultra-modern furniture, moody uplighting, and a host of flashy extras, such as 40-inch HDTVs. Bathrooms are surprisingly utilitarian, given how fancy everything else. But it’s all ruthlessly clean. Every…$$$O'Connell Street Area/North of the Liffey - Hotel
The Shelbourne
Dublin hotels simply don’t come with a better historic pedigree than this—the Irish constitution was written in this very building (room 112, to be precise). A feeling of fin de siècle elegance pervades throughout the grand lobby rooms, with high plaster ceilings, crystal…$$$St. Stephen's Green-Grafton Street area - Hotel
The Westbury
Basically conceived with well-heeled shopaholics in mind, this top-end hotel on busy Grafton Street is a luxurious and stylish retreat. The lobby is vast and grand, with sofas designed to keep your posture perfect as you gossip. Bedrooms are huge and modern, with subtle floral…$$$St. Stephen's Green/Grafton Street area - Hotel
The Westin
With its grand, imposing facade (due to its former incarnation as a bank), this hotel boasts some handsome original 19th-century features in its interior, and even those parts that feel more modern have an impeccably well-maintained elegance to them. Guest rooms are large, with a…$$$Historic Old City and Temple Bar-Trinity College - Hotel
The Westin
With its grand, imposing facade (thanks to its former incarnation as a bank), this hotel boasts an interior with handsome original 19th-century features. Even those parts that feel more modern have an impeccably well-maintained elegance to them. The large guest rooms have a refined…$$$Old City, Temple Bar & Trinity College Area - Hotel
The White Cottages
The sea is an ever-present feature at this pleasant, whitewashed little B&B in Skerries, a pretty commuter town just north of Dublin. The coastline is literally feet away from the wooden terrace at the back, and the sound of the waves can help soothe you to a restful sleep at…$North of Dublin - Hotel
Trinity Lodge
This small hotel is full of quirks—not all of them convenient (there’s no elevator and plenty of stairs, for instance), but the bedrooms are comfortable, contemporary, and surprisingly large for a place in this price range. A converted townhouse, the hotel was built in 1785, and some…$$St. Stephen's Green/Grafton Street Area - Hotel
Two Rooms in Dublin
This exceptionally sweet and welcoming little B&B on the Northside of Dublin is run by two of the most cultured and well-travelled hoteliers you’re likely to meet. Kevin, a filmmaker, and Garvan, a photographer, seem always to be campaigning to preserve some part of historic…$O'Connell Street-North of the Liffey
