This historic 17th century castle is located near the coast, and convenient to both the airport and city centre.
Although it's a pity that the extensive grounds were given over to development some years ago so that special sense of space has been lost, the hotel itself has been sensitively developed with each new development or update imaginatively incorporated into the old castle structure, retaining the historic atmosphere; some rooms, including the restaurant and the old bar, have original features and the atrium linking the old castle to the hotel is an impressive architectural feature.
Recent major refurbishment and upgrade has resulted in a very stylish blend of the contemporary and traditional in all areas which, together with the hotel's longstanding reputation for professional and caring service, makes the Castle a seriously desirable venue for events of all kinds, both personal and corporate.
This Dublin hotels understandably popular with the business community, and their extensive conference and meeting facilities are regularly upgraded, to provide the latest technology for the benefit of anything from a single business guest to a conference for 600 - and with experienced, unobtrusive service to match.
Luxurious, warmly decorated bedrooms are also furnished with pzazz, and equally well equipped for leisure and business guests with wireless broadband, voicemail and US electrical sockets in addition to the many other amenities found in a hotel of this standard. Bathrooms are well designed, and all south-facing rooms have air conditioning.
Off duty, or for informal meetings, the hotel has two bars - the chic Indigo Lounge and, for traditionalists, Knights Bar - and dining in will be no hardship either (see restaurant, below).
Well-trained and friendly staff greatly contribute to the atmosphere and comfort of a visit here, and recent investment has kept the hotel at the cutting edge for business guests.
*Clontarf Castle was our Business Hotel of the Year for 2008.
Conference/banqueting (600/380). Business centre; secretarial services; broadband wi/fi; laptop sized safes in bedrooms. Children welcome (Under 12 free in parents' room; cots available free of charge, baby sitting arranged). No pets.
Rooms 111 (3 suites, 2 junior suites, 7 executive rooms, 97 no-smoking, 2 for disabled, 9 ground floor). Lift. 24 hr room service. Turn down service. B&B €100 pps, SS €80.
Restaurant:
Despite the labyrinth of narrow hotel corridors, Fahrenheit Grill, once reached, is a large, spacious restaurant comprising three interconnecting rooms.
This Dublin restaurants décor is striking, and aside from one room with an impressively high ceiling and old wooden beams, it is modern and glamorous. Bold colours, darkwood furniture, black chandeliers, graphic banquettes and gold panelling all add up to create a chic, comfortable dining space.
The menu is quite extensive, with steaks from the grill the focal point; several cuts of dry-aged Irish beef are offered, all having hung for 21 days.
Seafood is dominant too, with the signature Dublin Bay Prawn cocktail especially good. Vegetables have been given real consideration, and the exciting Mediterranean mix, served in gleaming copper pans, deserves serious attention.
Service is genuinely friendly and professional, and despite a limited wine list Fahrenheit Grill makes for a truly enjoyable dining experience.
Fahrenheit Grill: D Mon-Thurs, 5.30-10pm, Fri-Sun, 6-10.30 (Sun to 10pm); L Sun only, 1-3pm. Earl D €28, Mon-Thurs, 5.30-6.30pm; set D 2/3 course, €50/€60; house wine €25. Bar food available in Knights Bar all day, every day. Hotel open all year.* There are sister hotels, the Crowne Plaza, at Dublin Airport & Dundalk (see entries). Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.
