The Merrion

Design plays an important role in the function of any environment, and it’s no secret that we’re suckers for a well-designed hotel. In fact, if you’re reading this, it’s probably true of you as well. The current obsession with ultra-modern interiors misses an important consideration, though: smart design is not the exclusive province of trend-chasing minimalists or post-modern iconoclasts.

A look at the Merrion should go a long way toward dispelling any notions of absolute progress in design. This hotel, comprising four meticulously restored Georgian townhouses just across from the Irish Government, was designed in the Nineties, but in a remarkably authentic traditional style. Thus unlike some genuinely very old hotels, where every antique and scrap of lace is preserved where it lay like the preserved houses at Pompeii, the Merrion is consciously designed as an homage to the 18th century.

This old-fashioned elegance exists side-by-side with all the luxuries of a modern hotel—Italian linens, marble bathrooms, ISDN lines and CD players—as well as a rather more contemporary collection of Irish artworks from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also quite contemporary is the Tethra spa, with an 18-meter swimming pool and and private treatments.

Out back lies a classical garden by the famed Irish landscape artist Jim Reynolds—perfect for a quiet moment or a cup of tea. Two bars and two restaurants make for plenty of entertainment options, including the Patrick Guilbaud restaurant, noted by many as among Ireland’s best.

How to get there: The Merrion is approximately a 30-minute drive from Dublin International Airport and a taxi ride can cost upwards of 35 euro.