Guest Information

Portmarnock

First of all, it might be a nice idea to explore the village of Portmarnock itself. Portmarnock is located just to the north of Dublin City and enjoys a fine stretch of sandy beach, or as the locals call it, ‘The Velvet Strand’. It is one of the most sought after locations in Ireland, not just because of its stunning shoreline but also because of its laid back village atmosphere.

Why not take a stroll through the village itself or along the beach and stop in at one of the locally owned businesses or pubs along the way?

In 2022, Portmarnock Beach was awarded a Blue Flag. The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained. Our hotel beautifully overlooks this gorgeous beach with many of our rooms and suites offering views of the Irish Sea, Lambay Island and Ireland’s Eye.

How to get to the Velvet Strand – Located directly behind hotel, 5 kilometres long (3.10 miles)

Walk through Lobby, past Jameson bar, exit hotel through glass doors, turn left, walk through car park, passing hotel on left side, you will see a sign that says ‘Beach Access’ , walk through here, under the bridge and you will arrive at the beach.

Howth

Situated just 8km south of the hotel on its own peninsula, Howth is an instantly likeable, laid-back coastal town that bustles with activity. There is a great mixture of fishing, shopping, tourism and village life that make it one of the most popular places for Dubliners and tourists alike.

Howth happens to have some wonderful pubs as well. O’Connell’s just north of the harbour is a famous resting and meeting spot where tourists, day-trippers and locals mix for either drinks or great seafood. The Abbey Tavern sets the standard in traditional conviviality with a more local flavour, while The Harbour Bar offers a more seafaring experience.

The range of walks in Howth is impressive with one for every level of ability on any day of the week. Why not try the Cliff Top Loop or the Box of Frogs Loop, taking in some of the spectacular views of the cliffs, Lambay Island and the Baily Lighthouse.

How to get there – 

Malahide

Just 15 minutes by bus or five minutes by taxi, Malahide is another lovely gem of a seaside town. The historical “heritage” town has a very polished and affluent feel to it, with the concentration on the large marina rather than fishing activity.

One of the most worthwhile sites to visit here is the magnificent 12th century Malahide Castle. Situated close to the village on over 260 acres of land, it has a visitor centre, stunning gardens and regular tours.

One again, there are numerous choices in Malahide for eating out; from the Irish to Thai, by way of Italian, French, Steakhouse and Indian

Siam Thai, meanwhile, offers something very special for those looking for a more oriental flavour, with a combination of modern, creative and traditional Thai food in a sumptuous setting. They are open daily from midday.

How to get there – If it is a nice day and you would like to take the scenic route you can walk from the hotel to Malahide Village. 4 km (2.5 miles) approximately 53 minutes walk. Exit hotel, through car park at entrance, on departing premises, turn right and commence walk. Stay on right hand side.

You can also get the 102 bus or 42 bus to Malahide Village.

Dublin City Centre

There are a host of great places to see and things to do in “Dublin’s Fair City” – a vibrant, friendly and culturally rich and diverse international metropolis of very manageable size. It was recognised as such by National Geographic Traveller, featuring our capital city on its “2018 Best of the World” list.

A recommended way to plunge right into the history and warmth of Dublin is the begin with a hop-on-hop-off tour with Dublin Bus. It takes you to all the main sights with guided commentary along the way, giving you a strong feel for what Dublin has to offer in a short space of time. You can stop and visit places on the route and then get the next available bus that comes along to continue the loop.

After that the choice is up to you. you can spend time ambling through the city’s wonderful green spaces, such as St. Stephen’s Green or the 440 year old Trinity College. Why not spend some time on Grafton Street; Ireland’s premier pedestrian shopping street with wonderful street artists and entertainment showing their talent.

Few visitors to Dublin want to leave without having visited the home of “The Black Stuff”. The Guinness Storehouse is the country’s most popular tourist destination, located in the heart of the St. James’ Gate Brewery and offering an entertaining and fascinating historical tour of the world famous dark stout.

And considering where you are, no visit to Dublin will be complete without visiting the Jameson Distillery on Bow Street. Located just off the historic and wonderful Smithfield Square, this is the original site of the Jameson distillery and it was where all t heir wonderful whiskey was produced up until 1971. Today, it’s one of Ireland’s favourite tourist attractions, offering visitors a variety of tours through time. Opening hours are from 10am – 5.30pm Monday – Thursday and 10am – 7pm Friday & Saturday.

How to get there – The capital city is just a short trip away by DART. The Portmarnock station is 2km from the hotel and can be reached by taxi or a 20 minute walk with the train taking up to 20 minutes to reach Dublin City Centre or the bus which takes around 40 minutes.

Dart  (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) Electric Rail system, running from Malahide, North County Dublin to Greystones, Co. Wicklow, South County. Dart crosses the city, passing the coast on north and south side of city.

Tickets can be purchased at the local Dart stations or a TFI leap card can be purchased on a prepaid basis, the card reduces the fares by 30%, also used on the local bus service. The station is 2.8 kilometres from hotel .