O'Connell Street

Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin

★★★★★

The Gresham is a Dublin institution, a grand hotel on O'Connell Street that has welcomed guests since 1817, and it is now one of the best-value full-service hotels in the city centre under the Spanish RIU group's Riu Plaza brand. Its history mirrors the city's: the original hotel was destroyed in the fighting of the Civil War in 1922 and rebuilt a few years later, and for much of the twentieth century it was the north side's society hotel, where politicians, entertainers and wedding parties gathered. Under RIU it has been refreshed into a polished, efficient city hotel with a large number of rooms, all with television, a safe and free Wi-Fi, a buffet breakfast with a wide choice, 24-hour room service and a gym open around the clock. The building's historic public spaces give it more character than most hotels in its price bracket. The location is its great strength for sightseers: you step out onto Dublin's widest boulevard, with the GPO Museum a few minutes' walk south, the Spire and Henry Street's shops beside you, Parnell Square, the Garden of Remembrance and 14 Henrietta Street just north, and the Abbey and Gate theatres close by. Cross O'Connell Bridge and you are at Trinity College and Temple Bar in about ten to fifteen minutes. The Luas red and green lines both stop on or near O'Connell Street, making the Guinness Storehouse, Heuston station, Smithfield and St Stephen's Green easy to reach, and the airport express buses stop nearby; the airport itself is about eleven kilometres away.

Who it suits: first-time visitors who want a central, full-service hotel at a fair price, groups and families who need several rooms, and travellers arriving by airport bus who want a short walk from the stop. It is a good choice for theatre-goers and for anyone focusing on the north side's history, from the GPO to Glasnevin.

Things to know: O'Connell Street is busy day and night, and the north inner city has a grittier edge than the south side, especially late at night; the street itself is well lit and patrolled, but as in any big city centre, keep your wits about you after dark and use main streets. Ask for a room at the back or on a higher floor if you are a light sleeper. Being a large hotel, it can feel less personal than a boutique property, and room sizes and outlooks vary, so read the room descriptions carefully when booking. Check current parking arrangements before arriving by car, as the hotel is on a busy city street.

Compared with nearby options: the Morrison on the quays is more design-led, and Moxy Dublin City around the corner is cheaper and more casual. The Gresham sits between them, with the reassurance of a big full-service hotel and a famous name, and its buffet breakfast and round-the-clock services make it an easy, comfortable base for a busy itinerary. Take a moment in the lobby and public rooms, which carry the sense of occasion of a hotel that has seen two centuries of Dublin life pass its doors.