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Beacon Hotel

In burgeoning south county Dublin, Sandyford has become the focus for extensive development, and the Beacon Hotel is a most welcome facility. Located within sight of the M50 motorway, five minutes walk from the Luas tramline, (15 minutes to the city centre) and about 20 minutes by car to the ferry at Dun Laoghaire it looks no different to the neighbouring glass/concrete exteriors of a private hospital and office block but that is just on the outside: internally the hotel is a model of cutting edge design.

Although it resembles its sister hotel, The Morgan in Temple Bar (see entry), The Beacon is bolder, more designer led. The open plan, light-filled foyer has the appeal of an art gallery with elegant candelabras, moulded wall sculpture and bizarre seating arrangements as exemplified by a cleverly adapted four poster bed. It is unashamedly a business hotel with several air-conditioned meeting rooms equipped to the highest standards, also free underground parking for guests, accessible by lift from the lobby.

Bedrooms are ultra modern, a happy amalgam of provocative lighting, both over and under the bed, beds set playfully at an angle and crimson velour "headboards"; pristine bathrooms are behind sliding, opaque glass doors, emphasising the streamlined experience, and housekeeping overall is excellent.

There is a ground floor bar and a Thai Restaurant which doubles as breakfast room - breakfast, as in the Morgan, is expensive at €19.95 but not at all as well done here. Sunday Brunch at The Beacon features a jazz band and well known local artists.

Reception is cool and uninvolved- and, despite the sexy ambience, it is not a place for lingering; very few guests are in the bar at night and breakfasts are devoured in minutes.

Directions:

In the heart of the Sandyford business region.