The high-tech Dublin hotel that’s perfect for a winter city break

Metro Checks In to The Chancery, a high-tech, eco-friendly hotel in one of the best locations in Dublin.

I was born in these streets 32 years ago, but walking beneath the battlements of Dublin Castle, it dawned on me that I’d never spent a single night in a hotel in my fair city.

I was on my way to change that at The Chancery, a four-star hotel with an underground spa that provides the perfect base for a weekend city break.

The rooms are wonderful. The service is exceptional. The only downside is the food, which we’ll get to later.

But with many of Ireland’s finest bars and restaurants right around the corner, there’s no reason to let that deter you.

The location

Perched metres away from the Old City Walls, right at the rear of Dublin Castle and just to the south of St Patrick’s Cathedral, The Chancery is quite literally steeped in history.

It is also, however, only a few minutes’ walk from the city’s top attractions, including Grafton Street, St Stephen’s Green, and the Guinness Storehouse.

Fade Street and Drury Street, the cool kids of the Dublin social scene, are right around the corner.

Loot vintage shop, The Long Hall pub, Loose Canon wine bar, and Rei Momo Brazilian restaurant are all worth checking out.

It’s just far enough away from the hubbub to feel quiet, but still close enough to mean that the city is on your doorstep.

Better yet, the 16 bus direct from Dublin Airport leaves you on Aungier Street, about five minutes from the hotel’s front door.

What’s the vibe of the hotel?

The Chancery was built on two pillars: technology and sustainability, and it shows dedication to both causes through water recycling, reclaimed furnishings, self-generating electricity, and sensors that switch off lights and heating when no one is in the room.

The Green Hospitality Award it won recently was well deserved. 

The lobby is what you would expect from a stylish four-star: an intimate but open-plan layout that combines the reception and bar to form one collective social space. 

There are floor-to-ceiling windows, touches of Connemara marble (known in Ireland as ‘green gold’) and, most interestingly, artwork by the lifts which tells the story of local characters from this once working-class part of Dublin.

From the moment you arrive, the staff are friendly and accommodating, pleasant without being overbearing.

They are a shining example of Ireland’s famous céad míle fáilte (one hundred thousand welcomes).

The facilities

There aren’t many Dublin city centre hotels with spa facilities, unless your budget stretches to the likes of The Shelbourne, where room-only rates can be upwards of £1,000 a night.

So I was delighted to find a small but pleasant wellness space in the basement, complete with a spacious sauna, steam room and whirlpool, where I spent much of the evening.

It’s a lovely place to unwind after a day of shopping and sightseeing.

There’s also a gym and a treatment room for Jo Browne facials and a menu of massages. Prices start from €65 (£57).

The rooms

The Chancery has 150 rooms in total, including a 26sqm terrace suite with a private balcony and hot tub. My digs were more humble, but on looks alone, the suite is fabulous.

Unusually, the rest of the rooms are roughly the same size. The categories (and prices) come from the floor on which they’re placed. 

All have the same floating beds (with extremely comfortable Irish-made King Koil mattresses), Nespresso machines and clothes steamers, plus herringbone floors, circular mirrors and walnut wood features.

They’re pretty high-tech. Bedside panels control the lights, and my favourite modcon is the VDA-controlled blinds and curtains, which make you feel like you’re in a Bond movie.

They automatically close and open when you leave or return to your room.

The bathrooms are spacious with large rainfall showers. There are welcome touches you don’t always find in four-star properties, such as Votary toiletries and vanity kits with toothpaste, shaving foam and shower caps.

Can you eat and drink at the hotel?

Alongside the bar, which serves decent but expensive cocktails (a classic margarita was €16), there is Fawn restaurant, where both breakfast and dinner are served.

Breakfast is good, with a buffet of pastries, waffles and breads, alongside Greek yoghurt with homemade compotes and toppings. The self-service hot stuff is decent, though nothing out of the ordinary.

Dinner, however, was a bit of a letdown. While the staff were incredibly attentive, the food was bland and, to be honest, a little odd.

One of the dishes was pasta with schnitzel-like fried chicken, and the tiramisu dessert was generous but tasteless.

Pub grub is served in the bar (we’re talking hearty fish and chips and club sandwiches), and as I passed on my way back to my room, I regretted not eating there instead.

How much does it cost?

Standard rooms in January start from £200 (€229) per night, based on two people sharing. Breakfast is not included.

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