~ ~ This was a very old Dublin hotel which had become a bit run down and frayed around the edges over the years, but that has now all changed.

~ ~ The reason. Very simply, it was bought by Bono and the Edge from the band U2 a couple of years back, stripped from top to bottom, gutted, a total fortune spent on it, and turned into one of the Premier hotels in the capital.

~ ~ Everything about this hotel is class. From the staff, to the bars, the restaurant, and of course the guest accommodation. It has taken over from “The Shelbourne” as the stopping over spot for the stars and the rich and famous when visiting Dublin.
And visit they do. As a taxi-driver in the “Fair City”, I have picked up many a famous face from this establishment.

~ ~ Be careful if they try to put you in a room at the back of the hotel. It is here in Temple Bar that U2 have their nightclub “The Kitchen”. It is part of the hotel complex, and if you are in a room near it I guarantee you won’t be doing much sleeping. I’ve picked up fares from here at eight in the morning!!

~ ~ If you are a dotcom millionaire or have just won the Lottery, then there are a number of penthouse suites available on the very top of the building. These are apartments in their own right, and have the most fantastic view out over the River Liffey and Dublin, and are the last word in luxury.

~ ~ The hotel is very well situated only a hop, step and jump from the city centre, and literally round the corner from Temple Bar, the Dublin night club and bar scene.