13 Best Hotels in Dublin, Ireland

The terrace bar at the tastefully modern Gibson Hotel has to be the dream spot to view the impressive skyline and shimmering waterways of Dublin's trendy docklands area. A Nordic, spacious feel to the design ensures rooms flooded with natural light, and many open onto private courtyards, creating a calm oasis in the bustling city. Floating shelves, lighting strips cleverly hidden under the beds, and a strong green-organic ethos add to the chilled-out vibe. Towering bamboo and surreal murals give the public spaces a dash of the exotic. The Coda Eatery prides itself on using local produce and creating wholesome, healthy dishes.

Dublin's newest boutique hotel combines a 19th-century town house and a former warehouse with an impressive steel-and-glass box. There's an authentic industrial look to the design inside too, with brushed concrete and original brickwork. Located near the IFSC, it's perfect for business travelers but has enough style to entice pleasure-seekers too. Quirky corridor carpets and a stunning art collection add to the cool vibe, and the rooms in the old warehouse have a lovely, open loft feel. The Mayson Bar includes a serene terrace out back, and Ryleigh's, the rooftop steak house, boasts great views out over the city.

Whether your lodging style is sublime Georgian elegance or cool modern, this one-in-a-million guesthouse, a short walk from St. Stephen's Green, serves up both—as well as the best made-to-order breakfast in town. Once the home of Sam Stephenson, Dublin's most highly controversial Modernist architect, the contemporary and Georgian houses that make up this B&B are connected via a small but beautiful garden. You'll feel right at home (if your home is supercool and comfy, that is) in the sunken living room, with its black-leather sectional sofa, roaring fireplace, and modern artwork, and you might never want to leave once ensconced in the period-style guest rooms, one of which (No. 21) has a ceiling lofty and corniced enough for a royal.

Temple Bar's most prestigious hotel, and occasional home to your potential new best friends/elevator buddies, co-owners Bono and the Edge of U2, this renovated 1852 grand old hotel is the place to sample Temple Bar's nightlife, even if your pals are too busy rocking to hang. The design of the public spaces uses a subtle palette of natural tones and materials, and maintains the unique shapes and Arts and Crafts style of the old hotel in the Octagon Bar and the elegant Cleaver East restaurant. The Curious Mister is a Prohibition-style cocktail bar with a bistro menu. Guest rooms, with Shaker-style furniture, are a bit underwhelming, decorated in a mishmash of earth tones accented with crimson, royal blue, gold, and chocolate. With the exception of those in the penthouse suite, rooms are small. 

The days when Irish and international celebrities partied the nights away at the Burlington hotel might be gone, but this Dublin institution is convenient to St. Stephen's Green and Grafton Street and home to a lively bar and restaurant so it's still a focal point for social events and gatherings. The hotel's impersonal 1972 glass-and-concrete facade is not very inviting, but inside, public spaces are warmed with comfy leather sofas and wooden floors and trimmings. The real treat is the generous-size guest rooms, redone in modern minimalist style, with neutral tones and large picture windows. The B Bar goes for a very chic cocktail-lounge look.

Housed in an elegant four-story Georgian terrace just a five-minute walk from St. Stephen's Green, this contemporary-luxe hotel is decorated with rich wallpapers, touches of brass, gleaming mirrors, stylish tiled floors, lots of Navan-manufactured furniture---and it is fully powered by an underground river. The black-marble-floor lobby features teal and gold sofas, vintage light fittings, and floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Guest rooms are spacious and bright with high ceilings, deep bespoke carpets, rainfall showers, and Art Deco mirrors. Ask for a room at the back, overlooking the gorgeous Iveagh Gardens. Elle's is a perfect place for a quiet drink or a quick bite, and there is a classic afternoon tea in the picturesque lobby.

Expect few frills at this functional budget (at least, budget by city-center standards) hotel, on a hill facing Christ Church Cathedral and within walking distance of most city-center attractions. The big but somewhat spartan rooms are decorated in primary colors and have utilitarian furniture. The restaurant and bar are equally functional. Their midweek and off-season rates can be an extremely good value. Both this location and the branch at Custom House Quay offer a low, fixed room rate for up to three adults or two adults and two children.

A sparkling gem among a lot of very drab hotels in Temple Bar, the Morgan boasts about its chic design and decor, and the excitingly designed bedrooms and luxurious bathrooms are indeed pleasing to the many fashionistas and photographers who love this place. It is the hotel's extended-stay suites, however, that really set it apart from the crowd. With a fully equipped kitchen and a spacious, gadget-filled living room, guests can hunker down and make themselves comfortable for a week or two. The generously heated outside courtyard is perfect for cocktails.

Showcasing new Irish talent in everything from the textiles to the art on the walls and the sculptures in public spaces—there are even famous Irish song lyrics on the walls in some bedrooms—this sleek, trendy spot remains top of the Northside lodging charts. The rooms in general don't do subtlety; there's a lot of white contrasted with splashes of bold purples and green in the curtains and pillows. The Morrison inspires reactions: some find it a bit much, while others draw comparisons with a London boutique hotel, though it's many times the size. Centrally located, it's halfway between the Ha'penny and Capel Street bridges, and no more than a 10-minute walk from Trinity College.

The sleek glass-and-concrete Radisson, just off South Great George's Street, offers to-the-point business accommodations with a dash of cool contemporary style, proof positive that it is possible to be elegant and functional at the same time. Each room at the front—all clean lines and minimal fuss—has one wall that is basically a huge window, crisp Irish linens, and a bathroom with earthy wood and stone finishes. The cocktail bar Sure is a hit with the locals.

Opened in 1817, it's been a while since this was the place to stay for visiting dignitaries and local celebs, but the now chain-owned Gresham remains a solid city-center option without the astronomical expense. Big beds are a plus in rooms that vary in design, and the marble-tiled bathrooms feature a separate bathtub and shower. Public spaces have a nice buzz about them, and the bar is popular with locals out for the night. Afternoon tea, with pastries, scones, and cake is available in the Writer's Lounge, and is best shared at oversize windows overlooking O'Connell Street. You might want to pay a little extra for a room with an iconic O'Connell Street view.

Built with business guests in mind, this high-rise hotel in the middle of the International Financial Services Centre has been a surprise hit with all travelers interested in the business of good value and clean, quiet rooms with good amenities. The office-block-like exterior is indistinguishable from many of the financial institutions that surround it, but inside the refurbished public spaces are imaginatively lit and quietly elegant. The bedrooms—big by Dublin standards—are all straight lines and contemporary light-oak furnishings. Shades of blue and taupe create a calm environment (the hotel claims its environment is guided by Eastern philosophy, no less), but for true serenity try to get a room at the front with great views out over the Liffey. The Spencer Cocktail Bar attracts a hip, after-work crowd.