Gresham Hotel

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Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin
Gresham Hotel is located in Central Dublin
Gresham Hotel
Location within Central Dublin
Hotel chainRIU Hotels & Resorts
General information
ClassificationStarStarStarStar
Location23 Upper O'Connell Street
Dublin 1, D01 C3W7
Coordinates53°21′06″N 6°15′38″W / 53.351666°N 6.260638°W / 53.351666; -6.260638
Opening1817
OwnerRIU Hotels & Resorts
OperatorRIU Hotels & Resorts
Technical details
Floor count6
Design and construction
ArchitectRobert Atkinson
Other information
Number of rooms404
Number of restaurants
2
Website
Official website

The Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin, formerly The Gresham Hotel, is a historic four-star hotel on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1817, it is one of the oldest hotels in the city. The current building, completed in 1927 after the earlier hotel was destroyed during the Irish Civil War, was designed by Robert Atkinson and later passed to RIU Hotels & Resorts.[1][2]

After a refurbishment completed in 2024, the hotel has 404 rooms, a fitness centre, restaurants, bars and meeting facilities. It draws both leisure and business travellers, with nearby destinations including Temple Bar, Croke Park, Dublin Castle, the River Liffey, the Henry Street shopping area and the Convention Centre Dublin.[3][4]

History

Background

Thomas Gresham, the hotel's founder, was a foundling child, abandoned on the steps of the Royal Exchange, London. He was named for the founder of that institution, Sir Thomas Gresham, a merchant and financier of the Elizabethan period. Gresham came to Ireland and, as a young man, obtained employment in the service of William Beauman of Rutland Square, now Parnell Square, Dublin. He later became butler to the family.

The first hotel

In 1817, Gresham left Beauman's household and purchased two adjoining Georgian townhouses at 21 and 22 Sackville Street, now O'Connell Street. He combined them into a lodging house, known as Gresham's Hotel, which catered largely to wealthy aristocratic travellers and MPs passing through Dublin on their way to London. In 1820, Gresham bought the neighbouring townhouse at 20 Sackville Street and expanded the establishment.

By 1834, Gresham was also recorded as owning the Royal Marine Hotel in Kingstown. In 1833 he was the main local spokesman for opposition to a bill for the Dublin and Kingstown Railway extension to Dalkey, spending £1,200 in the process and receiving a silver plate from local residents when the bill failed. On being asked not to oppose an 1834 bill for an extension to Kingstown only, he agreed, saying that he would not have opposed the earlier bill if the railway had acted with more courtesy. He also accepted £400 for D&KR shares that he had bought for £100 in recognition.[5]

The property was sold to a consortium in 1865 and renamed The Gresham Hotel.[1] The new owners rebuilt the establishment, joining the façades of the three connected townhouses into a single hotel building.[6]

The hotel became part of the literary geography of Dublin through James Joyce. It is the setting for the final section of Joyce's short story "The Dead", published in Dubliners in 1914.[7][8] The story refers to the hotel in the early twentieth century, though not in an entirely favourable manner, including references to staff sleeping on duty and broken lighting.

During the Irish Civil War, the Gresham was occupied by anti-treaty forces under the command of Cathal Brugha and Constance Markievicz. It was the site of heavy fighting during the Battle of Dublin and was destroyed by fire on 6 July 1922.[1]

Political and civic associations

The hotel was also connected with the early formation of the Irish state's police service. On 9 February 1922, Michael Collins, then chairman of the Provisional Government of Ireland, convened a secret meeting in Room 85 of the Gresham Hotel to form a Police Organising Committee. The meeting, attended by TDs, military figures and selected serving or former members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police, led to the creation of the Civic Guard, later Garda Síochána.[9][10][11] A centenary commemoration of the inaugural committee meeting was held at the hotel in 2022.[9]

Collins was also associated with the hotel in the period between the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Civil War. One of his last meetings with Seán MacBride took place at the Gresham, where Collins argued that the Treaty could be used as a "stepping stone" toward further Irish independence.[12] The hotel featured in accounts of Collins's movements and political contacts in the months following the Treaty's ratification.[13]

The modern hotel

The hotel's owners were awarded £93,550 in compensation by the new Irish Free State, and on 29 October 1926 they signed a contract with the McLaughlin & Harvey construction company to build a 250-room replacement hotel.[14] The replacement building was designed by English architect Robert Atkinson[1] and his business partner Alexander Frederick Berenbruck Anderson, combining Art Deco and neo-classical elements. The rebuilt hotel opened on 16 April 1927.[14] Some period features were retained or incorporated in the later hotel, including Waterford crystal chandeliers.[15]

The hotel was bought by the Ryan Hotel group in 1978. Ryan Hotels was renamed Gresham Hotel Group in 2001.[16]

In 2016, the Gresham was sold to the Spanish chain RIU Hotels & Resorts for approximately €90 million to €92 million and renamed Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin.[17][2][18][19][20] At the time of acquisition, the hotel had 323 rooms and suites, meeting rooms, a restaurant and a bar.[21]

In January 2018, Dublin City Council began rehoming 14 homeless families that had been living at the Gresham, so that bedroom and suite refurbishments could proceed.[22]

RIU completed a major refurbishment in 2024, renovating almost all existing rooms and adding 16 more, bringing the total to 404. All electricity consumed by the hotel is certified as coming from renewable sources.[3][23][24][25][26]

Architecture

The 1927 building combines Art Deco and neo-classical elements. Its façade, faced with Portland stone, is one of the more recognisable hotel frontages on O'Connell Street.[1] Patrick Wyse Jackson, curator of the Geological Museum in Trinity College Dublin, assessed the building in 1993 as part of his book The Building Stones of Dublin: A Walking Guide and wrote:

The Gresham Hotel is regarded as one of the finest buildings on the street. Like Clery's, it is faced with Portland Stone which is highly carved.[27]

A conservation and cleaning project was carried out on the Portland stone façade in the late 2010s. The hotel stands within an Architectural Conservation Area, and the works were conducted while it remained open on one of Dublin's busiest streets.[1] The façade has decorative carvings, scrolls and arched double-height windows at street level.[1]

Facilities

The hotel has 404 rooms, including standard, superior, family rooms and suites.[4] Rooms have television, in-room safes and Wi-Fi access.[28][29] The 2024 refurbishment updated nearly all rooms while retaining elements of the historic building.[3][30]

Food and beverage facilities include The Gallery, where breakfast is served, Toddy's Restaurant or Toddys Brasserie, and the Writer's Lounge bar.[3][30] A buffet breakfast is included with stays. Other services include a bar, business services and a 24-hour gym.[28]

The hotel is used for meetings and events. It has nine meeting rooms, including a ballroom with capacity for 300 people, increasing to eleven meeting and conference rooms after the 2024 works.[4][31][3] The hotel has approximately 977 square metres of event space.[32][33]

The hotel's central location places it within walking distance of Henry Street, the Gate Theatre, Abbey Theatre, Temple Bar and several commercial areas. It is also close to Croke Park and the Convention Centre Dublin, making it a common choice for business travellers.[4][3][30]

Events and institutional uses

The Gresham's event rooms have been used for civic, cultural, institutional and private functions. The venue has hosted corporate meetings, receptions, broadcasts, private celebrations and cultural functions.[33][34]

The Irish Society of Community and Public Health Medicine has held its Annual Scientific Meeting at the hotel, including meetings in 2022, 2023 and 2024.[35][36][37] Other health-sector events have also been held at the hotel, including health protection conferences organised in Dublin.[38]

Dublin's Q102 has broadcast live morning programmes from the Gresham before the St Patrick's Day parade.[39] Other recurring events held at the hotel include staff Christmas functions, embassy receptions, mayoral or civic breakfasts, and meetings attended by Irish government representatives.

Notable guests and cultural associations

The hotel has hosted political figures, performers and visitors connected with Dublin's cultural life. Former guests have included Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, John Wayne, James Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, The Beatles, Laurel and Hardy, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.[1][40]

Taylor and Burton stayed at the hotel in 1965 while Burton was filming scenes for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. The couple occupied an entire floor of the Gresham with their entourage; Taylor also brought a pet monkey during the stay.[41] The hotel was also part of The Beatles' 1963 Dublin visit: after their Adelphi Cinema performance, the group was taken to the Gresham amid Beatlemania crowds in the street.[42]

Other names associated with the hotel in promotional, event or guest accounts include Pat Boone, Ian Ritchie, Antonio Orozco, Andy y Lucas, Liam Cunningham, Ed Sullivan, João Gomes, Golden Age, Café Quijano and Marky Ramone.

Awards and ratings

The hotel has received travel-industry awards based on guest reviews. In 2025, it received Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Best of the Best distinction.[43][29] As of May 2026, the hotel had a Booking.com rating of around 8.7 and an Expedia rating of around 9.2, though both figures reflect ongoing guest reviews.[44][28] The hotel has also been associated with HolidayCheck awards in travel listings.

References

  1. "Transformation of the Gresham Hotel facade". PMAC. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. Gleeson, Colin (28 November 2016). "Sale of Gresham most significant in booming hotel market". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  3. "Refurbishment of the Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin complete". TUI Group. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  4. "Riu Plaza The Gresham Hotel". Visit Dublin. Fáilte Ireland. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  5. Murray 1981, pp. 34, 38–39.
  6. "History of the Gresham Hotel". ARROW@TU Dublin. Technological University Dublin. 2009. doi:10.21427/D79K7H. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024.
  7. O'Shea, Cormac (14 June 2016). "Seven places across Dublin depicted by James Joyce's works for Bloomsday". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  8. "Exploring Dublin in the footsteps of James Joyce". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  9. "A Century of Keeping People Safe". Garda.ie. An Garda Síochána. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  10. "Gardaí celebrate 100 years since inaugural meeting at Gresham Hotel". Hotel News Ireland. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  11. "Today Marks Centenary Meeting Which Led To Creation Of Garda Síochána". Tipp Mid West Radio. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  12. Rodger, Fionnbharr. "The ghost of Michael Collins is nowhere to be seen". History Ireland. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  13. "Michael Collins: From Treaty to Civil War". RTÉ. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  14. O'Riordan, Colum (1 September 2022). "Gresham Hotel under construction". Irish Architectural Archive. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024.
  15. O'Connor, Ulick (c. 1965). The Gresham Hotel, 1865–1965. Guy & Co., Ltd. p. 30. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023.
  16. Hanley, Cathal (27 June 2001). "Ryan Hotels change to Gresham Hotel Group". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  17. "The Gresham Hotel in Dublin Sold for €92 Million". Hotel News Resource. 16 September 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  18. Rafael, Luis Manuel (3 August 2016). "Riu Hotels compra el emblemático Gresham de Dublín". El Español. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  19. "Riu compra el hotel Gresham de Dublín". Expansión. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  20. "Sale of Dublin's Gresham Hotel part of O'Connell Street renaissance". Hotel Management. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  21. "Luis Riu adquiere el Hotel Gresham de Dublín". RIU Hotels & Resorts. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  22. Clarke, Vivienne; Power, Jack (5 January 2018). "Refurbishment plan means homeless families must leave Gresham Hotel". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  23. "RIU Hotels & Resorts Completes Renovation of Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin". Hotel Online. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  24. Percival, Geoff (14 June 2024). "RIU Hotels & Resorts Completes €11m Refurbishment of Dublin's Gresham Hotel". Irish Travel Trade News. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  25. "Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin ready to show off its renovation". Travelweek. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  26. "RIU Plaza hotel in Ireland receives facelift". Hotel Management Network. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  27. Wyse Jackson 1993, p. 44.
  28. "Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin Reviews, Deals & Photos". Expedia. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  29. "Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  30. RIU Plaza Blog (9 June 2025). "Rediscovering an Icon in the Heart of Dublin: Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin". TravelPulse. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  31. "Riu Plaza The Gresham". Meet in Ireland. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  32. "Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin - Dublin, Ireland". Meetings & Conventions. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  33. "Hotel Riu Plaza the Gresham Dublin". Cvent. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  34. "Meetings & Events at Hotel Riu Plaza the Gresham Dublin". Conference Hotel Group. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  35. "Annual Scientific Meeting 2022". Irish Society of Community and Public Health Medicine. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  36. "Annual Scientific Meeting 2023". Irish Society of Community and Public Health Medicine. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  37. "Annual Scientific Meeting 2024". Irish Society of Community and Public Health Medicine. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  38. "Health Protection Conference 2023". Health Protection Surveillance Centre. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  39. "The Morning Show broadcast from the Gresham Hotel". Dublin's Q102 via Facebook. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  40. "Living in hope for the rebirth of the country's premier throughfare". Senior Times. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  41. IrishCentral Staff (14 December 2021). "When Elizabeth Taylor brought a pet monkey to her Dublin hotel". IrishCentral. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  42. Brophy, Éanna (7 November 2023). "It was 60 years ago today – Éanna Brophy on the night The Beatles rocked Dublin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  43. "67 RIU Hotels in 18 Countries Win Tripadvisor 2025 Travellers' Choice Awards, 12 Earn Best of the Best". Travel PR News. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  44. "Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin". Booking.com. Retrieved 20 May 2026.

Sources