Docklands

Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane

★★★★★

Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane is the hotel we suggest to families who want a pool, and to anyone heading for a show or concert in the Docklands. It is a contemporary four-star in the south Docklands, near Grand Canal Dock, the glassy waterfront district that is home to tech companies, the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and some of the city's newest restaurants and bars. Its standout feature is the leisure centre, which guests can use free of charge: a twenty-two-metre swimming pool, described by the hotel as one of the largest in Dublin city, with a separate children's pool, a fully air-conditioned gym with free weights and cardio machines, and beauty treatment rooms. After a day of sightseeing with children, a swim is the best possible reward, and on a rainy day it can save a holiday. Rooms range from standard doubles and singles through deluxe doubles and family rooms to superior rooms and suites, all in a clean, modern style with good beds. The hotel has a bar and restaurant serving breakfast, with a Vitality breakfast option, and evening meals, including pre-theatre dining timed for shows across the square, and the stylish bar has a signature cocktail list. It is also a busy conference hotel, with meeting space for over two hundred, so weekdays bring business travellers and weekends more families and theatre-goers. The location is excellent for the waterfront and for events: the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is a short stroll, and the 3Arena and the Aviva Stadium are within walking distance. Pearse DART station is close by for the coast, Howth and Dún Laoghaire, and the city centre around Trinity College is about fifteen to twenty minutes on foot.

Who it suits: families above all, thanks to the pool, family rooms and Docklands space to roam; concert and theatre-goers; and couples who prefer a modern hotel near the water to the bustle of Temple Bar. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and the Jeanie Johnston famine ship are a pleasant walk along the quays, and Grand Canal Dock has boat trips and paddle-boarding in summer.

Things to know: children's swimming hours at hotel pools in Ireland are normally restricted to set times, so check the leisure centre schedule on arrival and plan your swims around it. On big concert nights at the 3Arena and match days at the Aviva, the area is crowded and room prices rise, so book early for those dates. Check the hotel's parking arrangements before arriving by car, as the Docklands has limited on-street parking.

Getting around: walk to Trinity College and Merrion Square in fifteen to twenty minutes, take the DART from Pearse to the coast, or use the Luas red line across the river at the Point and the Docklands. A taxi from the airport takes around twenty to thirty minutes, depending on traffic through the Port Tunnel. Compared with the Marker hotel nearby, which has a rooftop bar and a luxury spa feel, Clayton Cardiff Lane is more relaxed, more family-oriented and usually better value.