TAYLOR MADE LUXURY
EVERYONE wants to be Irish on St Patrick's Day! And this year Dublin will be hosting the best St Patrick's Day celebrations in the world.
From March 12-17 thousands of Irish people and visitors alike will paint Dublin green for five fantastic, fun-filled days.
And with Enterprise tickets priced around 10 locals can leave Newry station and be in the capital in little over an hour.
With the 2009 theme celebrating 'the sky is the limit!' St. Patrick's Festival is virtually bursting at the seams with street theatre, Irish music, dance, street spectacles, comedy, film, a treasure hunt, Irish language events, family fun and of course the best St. Patrick's Day Parade in the world.
An annual favourite, the Parade features highly original and inventive street theatre troupes, artists, giant puppetry, dancers and marching bands from Ireland and across the globe.
I recently made the journey south after long neglecting Dublin in favour of citybreaks in other European cities. I'll admit most of the cross-border traffic is flowing in the opposite direction these days due to the exchange rate but if you're not planning on making extravagant purchases a trip to Dublin need not break the bank.
Dublin is still one of the most lively and entertaining cities in Europe packed full of fantastic restaurants, shops and bars - oh and apparently there's a brewery which makes a little-known drink called Guinness which i'm assured is worth sampling.
One of Dublin's most famous hotels is the Gresham Hotel on O'Connell. It's a Dublin Hotel which I am sure every Irish person has heard of but incredibly I had never stayed there.
The deluxe four-star hotel is in the heart of Dublin with Grafton Stree, Temple Bar and the River Liffey just minutes away - it really is the best base for a stay in Dublin.
But don't just take my word for it - the hotel has entertained some of the biggest stars in the world down through the years with past guests Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Matt Lamb and Ian Ritchie all having suites named after them.
It was too much of a temptation to pass up and my wife and I checked into the Elizabeth Taylor suite, although I doubt either of us brought the same star-quality to the room that Liz and Richard Burton did during their time there.
To give you an idea of what I am talking about in terms of class, and let me point out I am not proud of this, I was excited about being able to say I had used the same toilet as Cleopatra. I know childish in the extreme but there you have it - I also mentioned to my wife that we should nip to the shops for a couple of gallons of milk for the bath but she wasn't impressed.
The suite is the last word in luxury and neither of us wanted to leave - it was like a spacious apartment as opposed to a hotel room.
To the right of the entrance hall was the master bedroom which included a four-poster super-king size bed, straight ahead was the bathroom with his and hers sinks, a massive whirlpool bath kitted out with a built-in television and the toiletries were from the exclusive White Company.
To the left of the hall was the living room, kitchen and bar area (yes bar area not a mini-fridge) The living room had a sofa, two armchairs, fireplace and flat-screen television with DVD player on which you could watch Cleopatra.
It is the sort of hotel room you just want to cocoon yourself away in and completely recharge the batteries which makes it harder to see the best of what Dublin has to offer.
Wile the Liz Taylor room is on request from the hotel direct, the Gresham has been fully refurbished so anyone wanting to get the film star treatment but for a fraction of the price can check out Hotelopia. A room in the refurbished wing is available from just 40 per person per night.
If getting out there and discovering Dublin's many attractions is in your plans on a trip south then I would reccommend one of the Gresham's 288 rooms.
Refurbished in 2006, each of the standard bedrooms in the Gresham Hotel Dublin has been tastefully decorated in a contemporary style boasting the modern conveniences for the business or leisure traveler, as you should expect from one of the finest 4 star hotels in Dublin.
The mixture of double and twin bedrooms, each with comfy white duvets, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, complimentary WIFI access and interactive TV services accompanying the superb location of O'Connell Street in Dublin's City Centre makes The Gresham Hotel one of the top event hotels in Dublin, and the perfect place to stay.
Please visit http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie for a full round-up of events taking place in Dublin this St Patrick's Day.
FACTBOX
Book the four star Gresham hotel in Dublin with online hotel specialists, Hotelopia (www.hotelopia.co.uk). Located smack in the centre of Dublin, the Gresham is within stumbling distance of the city's nightlife as well as shops, bars and sights.
The Gresham is available to book now on Hotelopia from 80 per on a bed and breakfast basis, (based on two people sharing a twin or double room). Other three-star hotels are available to book in Dublin city centre from 58 per night. To book, log onto www.hotelopia.co.uk or telephone 0871 711 9494.
Hotelopia offers guaranteed low prices on all 25,000 hotels and apartments, five star to budget from key cities to off the beaten track in 900 destinations, as well as 24/7 customer service whether at home or abroad.
Also new to Hotelopia, are independent customer hotel reviews which carry the "Trust Advantage" since they can only be submitted by customers who have actually booked and stayed at the hotel. The website also offers brochure style content on each hotel with detailed information on facilities as well as easy-to-use location maps.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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