The Mayson Hotel, Dublin, is beautifully designed and full of character

THE PLACE

Opened just before the pandemic, The Mayson is one of Dublin’s trendiest new hotels, part of the growing stable of Irish hospitality giant Press Up. Containing 94 rooms and suites and various food, drink and fitness options, it’s an appealing marriage of reimagined industrial heritage and contemporary cool, spanning a converted townhouse (from 1860), a warehouse (1870) and an extension in glass and corten steel.

THE LOCATION

Attracting business and leisure travellers, The Mayson sits on the north bank of the River Liffey, close to gleaming tech and finance offices, luxury apartments, construction sites and entertainment hubs of Dublin’s resurgent Docklands (“Silicon Docks”, as they call it). You are a 20-30 minute walk from the city center and sights such as Trinity College and Temple Bar, but travel time is adjustable with the Luas Tram from The Point (one block behind the hotel) or via the Dublin Bikes pod for hire. in the front.

SPACE

Funky tunes, friendly staff and the gurgles (and scents) of an espresso machine greet you in the Mayson’s lobby, where the Dime Coffee Bar sells locally roasted drinks and smoothies to guests and guests. passers-by. Here, decor of exposed brick, brass, velvet, leather, pottery, vegetation, art from emerging Irish talent pervades much of the hotel. Also at street level, on the site of a 19th century ‘spirit grocer’, is The Bottle Boy, a new pub that feels old with its wood paneling, cosiness, open fire, draft beers, his clichés of Dublin dockers of yesteryear and a retro barber shop, the Green Dolphin. Hotel guests can use the private members’ Power Gym for free, which is hidden away in the basement and also offers classes (€15), a steam room spa, sauna, and heated outdoor mini-pool.

BEDROOM

Overall, the rooms have lots of natural light. Typical features are hardwood floors, white linens, Netflix-enabled smart TVs, Marshall Bluetooth amps, coffeemakers, Smeg refrigerators, and blue-tile bathrooms with walk-in rainfall showers and toiletries. Lake House Toiletries from Ireland.

The 12-square-meter doubles are a little tight but fine for overnight stopovers, perhaps if you have a gig at the nearby 3Arena or Convention Center or on a ferry to Britain from Dublin Port. Super 22 square meter rooms or 50 square meter suites are ideal for longer stays. The latter are outfitted with freestanding copper tubs, armchairs, vinyl players (there’s an LP rack in the lobby), cocktail shakers, and include the gracious, nautically-themed Victorian-inspired Townhouse Suite with one queen bed. four-poster and the Warehouse Penthouse Suite with covered terrace and jacuzzi.

I’m in the spacious and moody Suite 501, which sleeps up to four people and has views and sunrises over the River Liffey, walnut-hued wooden walls, Scandi-style lamps and a convertible sofa in ultra-comfortable velvet (which can transform the living room into an additional bedroom). It is ideal for groups and families.

THE FOOD

Ryleigh’s excellent full Irish breakfasts will set you up for the day, but this upmarket rooftop steakhouse can tempt you for lunch and dinner or the sunsets on its heated terrace (look out towards Dublin Bay and two city icons, the striped chimneys known as the Poolbeg Stacks). Near the hotel lobby, Elephant & Castle is an all-day dining restaurant around a gleaming brass bar, with menus blending Irish produce with international flavors. A specialty – and good to share – are the spicy chicken wings and crunchy celery sticks covered in a blue cheese dressing.

GET OUT OF

The Mayson is a 15-minute riverside walk from EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a top-notch high-tech attraction in a cast-iron former tobacco, tea and spirits warehouse (epicchq.com) . Alternatively, hop over the harp-shaped Samuel Beckett Bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, a multipurpose arts venue in sublime 21st-century architecture by Daniel Libeskind (bordgaisenergytheatre.ie).

THE VERDICT

The Mayson is a beautifully designed hotel with beams of character and creativity in a rapidly changing area of ​​Dublin.

ESSENTIAL

Rooms from around €129 ($207), suites from €329 ($529). Wi-Fi is free; The Mayson. 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin. DO1 XR83. See themayson.ie and ireland.com

HIGHLIGHT

The interior courtyard evokes a Southeast Asian seaside resort with its lush green wall, its 36 s “relaxation pool”. and its terrace planted with palm trees above. But The Bottle Boy is a cracker: a real Dublin pub.

LOW LIGHT

The hotel is a bit far from Dublin’s main tourist attractions, so expect to get tired feet or regularly use the tram or taxi. Light sleepers may be bothered by rumbling port traffic if you stay in a front room or suite.

Steve McKenna was guest of Tourism Ireland and The Mayson.