Dublin’s classic hotel, The Shelbourne reopens

Following a magnificent total restoration, Marriott International has reopened Dublin’s most famous hotel to the public today as The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel.

The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel will boast 265 luxurious bedrooms along with 19 suites [Pictured right] named after famous guests who had a long association with the hotel.

Guests will have the opportunity to experience this unique atmosphere of traditional and contemporary elegance and luxury.

The hotel’s much loved Horseshoe Bar and Lord Mayor’s Lounge have both been faithfully restored to their original glory. A brand new bar called Number 27 has been added and the hotel’s new restaurant will be known as The Saddle Room, a modern steak and seafood restaurant.

For events and meetings, the hotel’s ballroom, which hosted some of Dublin’s most glittering social events through the years, has been expanded. A new spacious grand ballroom will cater up to 350 guests for dinner. Twelve other conference and banqueting suites will be available. A luxurious spa, due to open in the fall will complete the restoration of this national treasure, the Grande Dame of St. Stephen’s Green, the Shelbourne Hotel.

First established as a hotel in 1824, the Shelbourne Hotel has been inextricably linked with Irish history. The hotel was one of the first locations in Dublin to get gas lighting in 1867 and electricity in 1881.

The Easter Rising in 1916 was a seminal date in the Shelbourne’s history. Forty British soldiers were garrisoned in the hotel and as a result the Shelbourne came under regular fire. On Easter Monday when fighting broke out on the Green, afternoon tea was transferred from the Drawing Room to the Writing and Reading Room at the rear of the hotel for safety. This room is now the famous Horseshoe Bar!

During the Civil War, The Shelbourne was home to the new army of Ireland. From February to May 1922, The Shelbourne played host to its most historic meeting – the drafting of the Irish Constitution. Bunreacht na hÉireann was drawn up in room 112, under the chairmanship of Michael Collins. This room is now The Constitution Room.

Through the years the Shelbourne has provided a meeting venue for many of Ireland’s musical and literary geniuses, including Count John McCormack, Sean O Riada, Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and Seamus Heaney, to name but a few. In fact, one of Ireland’s greatest traditional musical groups, The Chieftains, was formed after Sean O Riada suggested it to Paddy Moloney in The Horseshoe Bar.

In 2004 the Shelbourne Hotel returned to Irish ownership when a consortium of leading Irish business men bought the hotel.

The Shelbourne, A Renaissance Hotel, along with over 2,500 Marriott-affiliated hotels worldwide, participates in Marriott Rewards, the guest reward program that allows members to earn their choice of points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay.

Advance reservations can be made through reservation systems, on www.marriott.com or calling toll free in local markets.

Marriott-appointed general sales agents and the local Marriott Global Sales Office can also provide assistance and additional information.

Report by The Mole