The Merrion – Dublin's Georgian jewel with Two MICHELIN Keys

On Upper Merrion Street, opposite the seat of the Irish Government, The Merrion occupies four restored Grade I listed Georgian townhouses built in the 1760s by Lord Monck for Dublin's merchant and noble families, one of which, leased to the Earl of Mornington in 1769, is celebrated as the birthplace of Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. The hotel opened in October 1997 and belongs to The Leading Hotels of the World. Behind the restrained façades sit 142 bedrooms and suites decorated in Georgian period colours and arranged around two eighteenth-century-style gardens, their walls hung with Ireland's largest private collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century art, more than a hundred works shown through the public spaces, drawing rooms, hallways and gardens. The MICHELIN Guide awards The Merrion Two MICHELIN Keys, and within its walls Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud is the only restaurant in Ireland to hold two MICHELIN stars.

01The house

Charles Monck built and lived at No. 22, and its terrace neighbours share the same restraint: Flemish-bond brown brick walls rise over a dressed limestone basement, with timber sliding sash windows that diminish in height toward the top floor in the Georgian manner. The individuality the leases forbade on the street went into the doorways instead — a pedimented limestone doorcase with a delicate peacock's-tail fanlight and engaged Doric columns remains the architectural focal point of the otherwise classically restrained façade. Next door, No. 24 was leased in 1769 to Garrett Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, and is remembered as the birthplace of Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington.

The four houses, together with a specially commissioned Garden Wing, form The Merrion's Main House, arranged around two private period gardens, and have formed part of the hotel since 1997. Mornington House itself, attached to the hotel, now holds six private dining and meeting rooms reached through their own separate entrance.

02Rooms and suites

The 142 bedrooms and suites, decorated in Georgian period colours, are arranged around the hotel's two eighteenth-century-style gardens, split between the high-ceilinged Main House and a newer Garden Wing. Bathrooms throughout are finished in Italian Carrara marble, with separate bathtubs and power showers. At the top of the house, the Merrion Penthouse spans two floors and 2,200 square feet, with a further 1,000-square-foot rooftop terrace of its own.

Insider tip

Member of The Leading Hotels of the World; Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud closed Sundays and Mondays.

03Where to eat

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud occupies the ground floor of the former No. 21 Upper Merrion Street, built in the 1760s by Lord Monck, overlooking the hotel's private garden. The restaurant began as Europe's first purpose-built restaurant, in St James's Place, before Patrick Guilbaud and architects Arthur Gibney & Partners built its current dining room at The Merrion in 1997. It has been a centre of dining excellence for over thirty years, and Executive Chef Guillaume Lebrun now leads the kitchen, with Patrick Guilbaud himself still at the helm as manager, serving lunch from 12.30pm to 2pm and dinner from 7.30pm to 10.15pm, closed Sunday and Monday.

For something less formal, The Garden Room was conceived as a less formal space beside a formal garden, with a menu designed for sharing tastes and flavours, and is presided over by Executive Head Chef Ed Cooney, serving modern Irish food built on the best local and seasonal ingredients. The Cellar Bar, meanwhile, keeps a pub-style menu built around The Merrion's own famous fish and chips. The art collection extends to the table too: Art Afternoon Tea, served in the Georgian Drawing Rooms, takes its inspiration from works on the walls, with pastries designed to echo specific paintings.

04The bar

No. 23, its dark green walls and artwork lending it a peaceful, intimate atmosphere, is the spot for guests to unwind or meet friends over a drink, while The Cellar Bar, also designed by David Crowley, occupies the vaulted rooms beneath No. 24, where the long bar and floor are built from native Irish oak. The bar sits within the original wine vaults of the Georgian houses, and was named Five Star Hotel Bar of the Year in 2026.

05Spa and wellbeing

The Merrion Spa is built around an 18-metre pool, with a steam room, sauna, fully equipped gymnasium and private treatment rooms, now operating under the name Tethra Spa.

06The neighbourhood

The Merrion stands opposite Government Buildings, a few minutes' walk from galleries, museums, the IFSC, the Dublin Convention Centre and the shops of Grafton Street, and close enough to the National Gallery and the National History Museum that art-minded guests can carry a day of looking at pictures straight from the street into the hotel's own collection.

07Making the most of a stay

More than a hundred works hang throughout The Merrion's public spaces, drawing rooms, hallways and gardens, including masterworks by Jack B. Yeats, Paul Henry and William Leech.

The Merrion arranges bespoke walking tours, behind-the-scenes visits to Windmill Lane Recording Studios, art-focused excursions and pub experiences for guests who want Dublin's history and culture built into their stay. Recent recognition includes a Condé Nast Traveler Triple Crown and a Travel + Leisure World's Best Award naming it Dublin's No. 1 hotel, in 2026.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.