Dublin Suburban Hotels

The Dublin suburbs have a lot to offer — be pampered at a genuine castle hotel or stately manor or enjoy views of Dublin Bay. Dublin's southern suburbs also provide the ambiance of exclusive neighborhoods like Ballsbridge near the American Embassy or Royal Dublin Showgrounds. Dublin's north suburbs give easy access to Dublin Airport. If you have a rental car, suburban hotels usually have plenty of free parking.

Dublin Price Key B&B per person per night € - under 75 €€ - 75 to 100 €€€ - 100 to 150 €€€€ - 150 to 200 €€€€€ - over 200

Airport View Hotel, R.132/129, Blakes Cross, Co. Dublin; tel. 01-843-8756; fax 01-807-1949; e-mail:info@airportviewhotel.ie. If you have an early or late flight from Dublin Airport and need nearby accommodations at a moderate price, this small hotel (formerly a guesthouse) is situated just 4.5 miles north (10 minutes) of the airport and just off the main Dublin-Belfast Road. There are 20 luxury guestrooms, with all the modern comforts including flat screen TV, DVD player, and more (also two family rooms with three beds in each). Facilities include the Winter’s Restaurant and a health spa with swimming pool, sauna, steam room, flotation room, massage therapy rooms, and tranquility room. Closed: 24-26 December. € to €€  Web site: www.airportviewhotel.ie

Bewleys Ballsbridge Hotel, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; tel. 01-668-1111; fax 01-668-1999; e-mail: bb@BewleysHotels.com. Bearing the Bewley's name, a revered tradition in the coffee/tea/café genre of Ireland, this hotel has created quite a stir — by offering double rooms or two-room apartment (sleeping up to 4 people) at amazingly low rates. Located in Dublin's Ballsbridge area next to the Royal Dublin Society Showgrounds (RDS), even the building is a stunner, incorporating the brick façade of a 19th century Masonic orphan girls' school, along with a modern wing of guestrooms and air-conditioned public areas. The 304 guestrooms are primarily in a new five-story wing, although 21 rooms are in the original building. There are 217 bedrooms and 80 living rooms which can be joined to a bedroom as requested to make an "apartment." Facilities include the popular Brasserie restaurant and Tom's Bar; plus underground parking (extra charge). But you don't really need to rent a car — the Sandymount DART station is one block away and buses # 7, 8, 45, 18 stop outside the door. Closed: 24-26 December. Note: A sister Bewleys hotel with 466 rooms is at the airport, offering similar low rates and operating a convenient shuttle service to the main airlines terminals. € to €€  Web site: www.bewleyshotels.com

Burlington Hotel, Upr. Leeson St., Dublin 4; tel. 01-474-4120; e-mail: info@burlingtonhotel.ie. Although sold to developers and closed on January 3, 2008, the “Burlo” is back (at least for awhile). It is now part of the “new” Great Southern Hotel group (along with a Cork airport hotel and the former Great Southern at Parknasilla). As Dublin's largest hotel (504 rooms), the Burlington has always been a year-round hub of social activity for visitors and locals alike who check-in for meetings, groups, and tours. Guest rooms include 300 standard rooms and 200 executive-style rooms (with air-conditioning, mini-bar, and access to a gym/fitness room and private lounge); and 4 suites. It's located just beyond the city center, south of the Grand Canal, a 10-minute walk to St. Stephen's Green. Facilities include a restaurant, café, and two bars. €€ to €€€€  Web site: www.burlingtonhotel.ie

Clontarf Castle, Castle Avenue, off Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3; tel. 01-833-2321; fax 01-833-0418; e-mail: info@clontarfcastle.ie. If you want to spoil yourself in the regal surroundings of an authentic castle (dating from 1172), this revamped 111-room hotel is an obvious choice. The turrets and towers are medieval, but the guest rooms are housed in a new wing with 21st century comforts including air-conditioning in some rooms. Facilities include a restaurant and two bars, set within the original castle walls, with high vaulted ceilings, open fireplaces, stained glass windows, and Tudor-style furnishings. The castle sits in its own grounds, amid a residential setting, within walking distance of Dublin Bay and just 2 miles north of the city centre, or 5 miles south of the airport. Closed: 24-25 December. €€ to €€€       Web site: www.clontarfcastle.ie

D4Hotels, Pembroke & Lansdowne Rds., Dublin 4; tel. 01-668-4468; email: rooms@d4hotels.com.  Remember the Berkeley Court Hotel, Jurys Hotel and Jurys Towers, all of which closed at the end of summer, 2007? Well, they’re back! And at prices less than half of what they used to be. This Ballsbridge trio of well-established and popular 5-star hotels closed for redevelopment, and then were given a new lease on life in October 2007, by the developer, Sean Dunne. Rather than let the properties lie idle, Dunne has leased the hotels to operate on a limited-service basis for bargain rates – from €39 per room in winter. Named after their postal location (Dublin 4), the hotels are now known as Ballsbridge Inn (former Jurys), Ballsbridge Towers (former Jurys Towers), and D4 Berkeley (former Berkeley Court). There is no fine dining, but food/bar facilities are franchised to well-known Dublin eateries, and the legendary Dubliner Bar & Grill has been resurrected. The AirCoach from Dublin Airport stops outside the door and DART and bus stops are an easy walk.  It may have the ethos of a room factory, but where else in Dublin can you get 5-star accommodations in a convenient location at B&B prices? Take advantage while it lasts.  € to €€. Web site: www.D4hotels.com

Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney Hill Rd., Killiney, Co. Dublin; tel. 01-230-5400; fax 01-230-5466; e-mail: dublin@fitzpatricks.com. For anyone planning a first or second honeymoon or a romantic visit and seeking proximity to Dublin, this 17th century Victorian-style castle is perfect. Settle in and live like a king or queen, complete with turrets, towers, battlements, and suits of armor, as well as modern facilities such as a leisure center with indoor swimming pool. Tucked between the villages of Dalkey and Killiney, this 4-star castle sits amid nine acres of hilltop grounds and gardens overlooking romantic vistas of Dublin Bay. Even the guest rooms are regal — four-poster or canopy beds, Louis XIV-style furnishings, and original oil paintings. It's just 9 miles from downtown Dublin, with lots of car parkin. €€ to €€€       Web site: www.fitzpatrickcastle.com

Four Seasons Hotel, Simmonscourt Rd., Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; tel. 01-665-4000; fax 01-465-4099; e-mail reservations.dublin@fourseasons.com. A member of the worldwide Four Seasons chain, this stunning redbrick 5-star hotel was purpose-built to blend in with the historic character of its neighbor, the Royal Dublin Society Showgrounds and the surrounding posh Ballsbridge area, home of embassies and million-dollar homes. Set back from the main Merrion Road amid its own gardens and tall trees, the Four Seasons has brought a new level of luxury to Dublin — travelers who are accustomed to the Four Seasons brand will be at home here, with all the traditional perks, from overnight shoeshines and one-hour pressing to turn-down to unpacking services. No expense was spared and everything is on a large scale — main floor lounges and restaurants with high ceilings, 197 sumptuous guestrooms including 67 suites, and palatial marble-floored public areas and corridors. Facilities include a leisure centre with indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, an outdoor courtyard with well-tended gardens, and outdoor and underground parking. €€€€ to €€€€€    Web Site: www.fourseasons.com/dublin

Herbert Park Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; tel. 01-667-2200; fax 01-667-2595; e-mail reservations@herbertparkhotel.ie. Situated midway between the American Embassy and the Royal Dublin Society Showgrounds, this new contemporary hotel conveys the spirit and style of "the new Ireland" - lively, creative and well-equipped with every 21st century amenity including air-conditioning. It's a favorite haunt of international visitors, business travelers and film and music stars (many of whom come to perform next door at the RDS) - who enjoy the privacy of the bucolic setting overlooking Herbert Park, yet close to the city centre. Facilities include a wide-windowed restaurant overlooking the park, a terrace-style lounge (a gathering spot for Dubliners enjoying afternoon tea), a circular avant-garde-style bar (displaying contemporary abstract Irish art), an in-house gym, and complimentary underground car parking. € to €€€    Web site:  www.herbertparkhotel.ie

Sandymount Hotel, Herbert Rd., Lansdowne Rd., Dublin 4; tel. 01-614-2000; e-mail: info@sandymounthotel.ie. Over the years, I have seen this Victorian-style property grow from a 20-room guesthouse into a 168-room full-service hotel. Originally the family home of Lord Robinson and set in its own grounds amid lovely gardens, it is located in the heart of Ballsbridge, near a DART station, the Aviva Stadium and major bus routes. The Loughran family, who have been providing a warm welcome here for over 50 years, always manage to keep the prices reasonable.  Closed: Several days at Christmas. €€ to €€€     Web site:  www.sandymounthotel.ie