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The exterior may have a touch of the communist monoliths about it, but inside The Four Seasons is as tastefully opulent as Dublin hotels get. With the American, British and German embassies down the road, it’s popular with the diplomatic set and the people they do business with. The high level of discretion and security that brings has also made it the hotel of choice for visiting superstars like Justin Timberlake and Eminem.
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Few hotels polarise Dublin opinion as sharply as the U2-owned Clarence. Some love the combination of contemporary comfort and period style, while others accuse it of being a jarring mish mash that’s destroyed the hotel’s Georgian character. Either way it’s hugely popular among the chattering classes who’ve turned the Octagon Bar into something of a clubhouse, and look to its French-accented Tea Rooms restaurant for haute cuisine. The rooms overlooking the Liffey are the most in-demand, but be warned that the traffi c thundering down the quays is capable of waking the dead.
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It had been looking a little frayed round the edges, but an extensive refurbishment programme means that Ireland’s oldest hotel is back in the five-star running. Along with its bright, airy rooms, The Gresham’s attributes include a lounge that’s been a popular teatime haunt for almost 190 years and a new restaurant, Number 23, which draws much of its custom from the nearby Irish Financial Services Centre.
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Heads of state, Nobel Prize winners and the Manchester United football team have all stayed in this listed 18th century hotel, which is a testament to Georgian splendour. Rococo plasterwork ceilings and classically proportioned windows are complimented by the lobby’s exquisite collection of antiques, and rooms that come with sumptuous marble bath as standard. The Merrion’s crowning glory though is a roaring peat fire, which is best enjoyed with a glass of aged Jameson in hand.
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Despite controversially having one of its five stars taken away from it last year, The Shelbourne still impresses with its dignified atmosphere and décor that oozes history. There have been a few nips and tucks, but ostensibly it’s the same hotel that James Joyce eulogised in his novels.The Lord Mayor’s Lounge is where the crème de la crème of Dublin society comes to have afternoon tea.
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