If you want to know why The Westbury Hotel, Dublin − a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and part of The Doyle Collection (an iconic family-owned group of stylish boutique hotels) − has been named Business Destinations’ Best Business Hotel, Ireland, 2013, just step inside.
What you see around you is sure to impress, but its charm is as much about what you don’t see. The warmth of the genuine Irish welcome from staff not only trained to perfection, but who really want to help, ensures a truly memorable experience. It’s a bit like dropping in to see friends who just happen to live in the best area of one of the world’s greatest cities.
The location of The Westbury Hotel is unrivalled: just off Dublin’s Grafton Street, halfway between historic Trinity College and Stephen’s Green, at the very heart of Dublin’s premier business, retail and entertainment quarter. It has traditionally been known as one of Dublin’s favourite meeting places, and it’s not difficult to see why.
Leisurely business
Guests can relax in the magnificent setting of The Gallery, the hotel’s design showpiece, which features marble flooring, handmade rugs, mahogany columns, bespoke 1960s chandeliers and a fine collection of original Irish art and sculptures, all with a street-side view of the real-life drama of the city. The Gallery has become synonymous with informal corporate meetings, leisurely afternoon teas and smooth
evening cocktails.
The Marble Bar, named after its sumptuous black nero marquina marble, provides a palatial setting with a dash of edgy sophisticiation in which to enjoy the finest selection of champagne and cocktails in Dublin. The recent redesign has broadened the bar’s appeal as an all-day meeting place, offering an informal space for business lunches while transforming into a buzzing and intimate cocktail bar in the evening.
And let’s not forget the AA award-winning Wilde: The Restaurant, which offers a fine dining experience in contemporary, metropolitan surroundings. Head Chef Thomas Haughton performs his magic using the finest local fare and seasonal produce to create menus of simply cooked, exquisitely presented dishes.
Then there’s Café Novo, a fashionable international bar and brasserie with a menu of traditional favourites presented with a fresh twist to appeal to the time-conscious business executive.
Chic design is the order of the day in the 178 guest bedrooms and 27 suites. Expect extraordinarily comfy Sealy beds adorned with Irish Lissadell linen, duck-down duvets, Blanc d’Ivoire throws, custom-designed George Smith furniture and Porto Romano lamps.
In every room there is state-of-the-art technology, all designed to make doing business a pleasure, including complimentary wi-fi, flat screen LCD TVs, iPod-compatible entertainment systems and US and European ports. Best of all, a Nespresso coffee machine comes as standard.
Seven magnificent boardroom suites can host eight to 50 people, offering cutting-edge technology, and feature around-the-clock support from the hotel’s business centre and a highly-experienced meetings and events team. For larger events, the grandeur of the Grafton Suite, capable of hosting 200 guests, is matched by its versatility, making it a regular venue for private dinners and prestigious international forums. It is little wonder that The Westbury Hotel is first choice for the most discerning guest.
Whether checking in for business or leisure, every guest will be embraced by the top quality services. There’s the curbside check-in programme for VIP and regular guests, express check-out, 110v adaptors for international business travellers, a one-hour pressing service and an express breakfast for the time-constrained business guest.
Luxury collection
The Westbury Hotel, doyen of Dublin’s hospitality business, may be the flagship of The Doyle Collection but there are other equally luxurious boutique-style hotels in the family. Over €200m has been invested in The Doyle Collection to reposition it as a brand for those seeking something different in their travels, whether on business or for leisure.
Also in Dublin, there is The Croke Park Hotel, conveniently located beside the famed stadium and, like The Westbury Hotel, a favoured meeting place for all kinds of travellers. Getting away from the capital, The River Lee Hotel in Cork has again been totally renovated to offer the perfect retreat with its getaway spa, lively bistro and bar and an enviable location on the bank of the city’s river.
Meanwhile in London, The Kensington Hotel, located off Brompton Road in the city’s smart, southwest Kensington area, is a collection of Georgian townhouses, now home to one of the capital’s finest pied-a-terre hotels, offering exceptional comfort, elegance and period charm. Centrally, The Marylebone Hotel − with its stylish furnishings and iconic photographs lining the walls − exudes urban cool and cosmopolitan flair and has Oxford Street, Bond Street and the whole of theatreland within hailing distance. The Bloomsbury Hotel, a listed Lutyens-designed building, is an architectural gem and a convenient base for exploring specialist shops, museums − including the British Museum, just down the street − and historic sites, as well as providing every facility for dining, meetings and events.
By contrast, The Bristol Hotel in the charming West Country city of Bristol is a contemporary classic, recently revamped to offer cutting-edge design and a central location near the Floating Harbour, amid art galleries, theatres and shops.
In North America, an unrivalled location and exquisite design are among the hallmarks of The Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington DC, which has had a $52m restoration including the introduction of ‘Level Nine’, an exclusive ‘hotel within a hotel’, as well as a brand new bar lounge to enhance its reputation in the capital city.
Seeking to revive traditions of hospitality, when travel was a delight and the exploration of a new city exhilarating, The Doyle Collection offers a very different type of hotel experience − one without unnecessary corporate credos and trendy lifestyle ambitions, but nonetheless with a very real DNA of luxury hospitality.
Like any collection of precious artefacts, first editions, or art, the hotel properties are an eclectic mix of the historic and the modern. Stylish décor, exquisite art collections, knowledgeable concierge services, a central but engaging neighbourhood location, a team that will go the extra mile with their thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit − guests of The Doyle Collection are assured of a genuine welcome and anticipatory attention from hosts
that care.
With a broad range of facilities and attractions underpinned by a commitment to bespoke luxury, The Doyle Collection shows those business travellers seeking something a little bit different the true meaning of ‘the art of hospitality’.
Further information
Tel: +353 (0)1 679 1122
www.doylecollection.com/westbury
