Location: on Stillorgan Road, in the prestigious Dublin district of Booterstown, three miles southeast of the city centre.
Target market: business travellers and conference organisers.
Rates: Garden Room single £149, double £167; business-class room single £192, double £209; manor suite £231; special suite £269, both for single or double occupancy.
Accommodation: 151 guest rooms, including 26 suites. All offer views of the hotel’s four-acre grounds and Dublin Bay, and have individual air-conditioning, marble bathrooms, a large desk with two phone lines and ISDN links, fax machine, multi-channel TV with CNN and in-house movies, minibar, trouser press, and tea/coffee-making facilities.
Style: the Irish capital’s latest five-star hotel, formerly Seamount, one of the notable country houses in County Dublin, opened in August 1998, after a £25m renovation.
Services: 24hr room service; same-day laundry service; underground car parking.
Restaurants and bars: the elegant LePanto serves international cuisine and specialises in Irish seafood, although general manager Aileesh Carew plans to broaden the scope of the menu to compete with Dublin’s top restaurants. The La Talavera offers Italian dishes and has a cosy bar, and guests can enjoy snacks in The Orangerie and Ballroom Lounge.
Facilities: beauty salon; gym and snooker room; and guests can use Powerscourt Golf Club and Druids Glen Golf Club.
Overall impression: in a quiet setting, yet within easy reach of Dublin’s business and entertainment districts The atmosphere is genuine Irish country house.
Reservations: toll-free 0800-374411 (UK), 1800-557474 (Ireland).