The Best Hotels in Dublin, by the Record
The best hotels in Dublin, by the professional record: Michelin Guide and Forbes Travel Guide have both weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. The Merrion comes out on top.
InterContinental Dublin and The Shelbourne hold the next two places. Forbes Travel Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Michelin Guide close behind.
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Four Georgian townhouses, knocked through and turned into a luxury hotel on Merrion Street, which means the rooms feel like rooms rather than hotel rooms. Fresh flowers on the tables, art on every wall, and a fireplace doing actual work. The Forbes Four Star rating sits quietly on the shelf. The Irish government buildings are next door, so the neighborhood has a certain gravity to it, and the hotel leans into that without getting stiff about it.
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Tucked into Dublin 4 among embassies and Georgian townhouses, this hotel trades central buzz for genuine quiet, which is exactly the point. Rooms are unfussy and generously sized, and the private car park alone makes it feel more like a serviced apartment than a hotel stay. The Whiskey Bar stocks over a hundred Irish and international blends in a room of leather and oak, while the Reading Room does afternoon tea overlooking the garden.
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One of the original copies of the Irish Constitution lives in a suite here, which tells you most of what you need to know about The Shelbourne's place in Dublin life. This grande dame hotel on St Stephen's Green has been around forever, all marble floors, chandelier light, and rooms overlooking the park. The Horseshoe Bar, a 1957 Sam Stephenson design of brass and low ceilings, is worth the visit on its own.
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A hotel tucked just off Grafton Street, The Westbury sits at the seam of Dublin's shopping and arts quarters, which means you're never far from anything. The lobby floral arrangements come from local suppliers, the martini at The Sidecar is shaken tableside, and afternoon tea in The Gallery tends to riff on whatever Dublin is doing at the moment. It wears the city rather than just existing in it.
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Across from the National Concert Hall and a short walk from St. Stephen's Green, this Forbes Four Star hotel trades on calm in a city that isn't always known for it. Mossy greens and branch-shaped fittings nod to the nearby Iveagh Gardens, while 192 rooms come with herringbone blankets and bedding soft enough to make checkout feel unreasonable. Lemuel's handles cocktails downstairs; the courtyard garden handles everything else.