Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008 - (Page 9)

ADVISOR INSIGHT: Luigi M. Di Lucia, owner of Adventureland Travel & Tours in North Hollywood, says, “A visitor to Dublin can only be bewitched by its charm, beauty and lively atmosphere. With its wealth of architectural styles and cultural treasures, chic stores, busy pubs and cosmopolitan cafés, the capital of the Irish Republic has something to offer to travelers with all kinds of interests and tastes. Magnificent former townhouses containing some of Ireland’s national treasures make up the Museum District between Kildare Street and Merrion Street. Particularly eye-catching in Dublin are the Georgian houses with brightly painted doors, wrought-iron fanlights and ivy-covered red-brick walls of certain residential areas. The city is bisected by the River Liffey. On one side of the river stands the Guinness Brewery, whose chimneys fill the air with an exhilarating aroma. Beer and whiskey give the area its working-class atmosphere. The Guinness Storehouse is the city’s number-one visitor attraction: a real slice of Irish history and tradition, and a must for the 360-degree views of the city. Restaurants, cafés and other tourist attractions have recently sprung up in the picturesque village of Smithfield, across the river, where the distilleries used to be. Even folklore is not missing in Dublin: Each year, on Bloomsday, June 16, Dubliners dress up in costumes of the early 20th century to recreate the journey of Leopold Bloom, the hero of James Joyce’s Ulysses, who walked around Dublin on June 16, 1904, stopping at 14 different places, all now marked by plaques.” sinks, sunken tubs, contemporary chrome fittings and Garden of Ireland Heather & Moss toiletries. All but five have separate showers and bath stalls. Michelle Butler (tspa@merrionhotel.com; 353-1-603-0600), manager of the hotel’s Tethra Spa, says the Aromatherapy Full Body Massage is a favorite with guests, as are the oxygen-filtered pool and the gym. Head Concierge Sean Lally (concierge@merrionhotel.com; 353-1-603-0600) can arrange for guests private curator tours of galleries and museums, personal meetings with Dublin personalities and personal shopping trips to Brown Thomas, Dublin’s exclusive Grafton Street store. General Manager Peter McCann (generalmanager@merrionhotel. com) and the hotel’s wedding coordinator (events@merrion hotel.com) assist with any queries regarding intimate weddings and meetings in the six private dining rooms. The Cellar Restaurant in the original 18th-century vaults has regular themed food promotions featuring truffles, game and seafood. But for guests who want the ultimate gastronomic experi- ence, it has to be Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (www.restau rantpatrickguilbaud.ie), Ireland’s only two-Michelin-star establishment, where French décor blends with discreet Irish charm. Here, advance bookings are de rigeur. The three-course table d’hote lunch menu is of a good value, but for a more complete experience, we recommend the sevencourse Surprise Tasting menu. The Four Seasons Hotel Dublin (www.fourseasons.com) is in the residential and embassy district of Ballsbridge, next to the Royal Dublin Society grounds, home to the annual horse show and a venue for concerts by big bands. The hotel’s 197 accommodations include Moderate, Superior, Deluxe and Premium rooms and 26 Four Seasons Executive Suites, 10 Deluxe Suites, three Premium Suites and a Presidential Suite. Practical amenities in the Superior Rooms include twoline speaker phones, a port for high-speed Internet, a mini-bar, satellite TV and a room safe. However, we particularly liked the bathrooms, which are decorated in white marble and feature deep soaking tubs, separate glass-walled showers, large vanities with night lights and “WCs” with telephones in a separate alcove. In the lower categories the toiletries are L’Occitane; from the Deluxe Suites up, guests are treated to Bulgari products. For clients who like extra relaxation and working space, request a Premium Room (830 square feet) or a Four Seasons or Deluxe Suite. These have separate living rooms that can connect to another room to create two-bedroom suites. What we liked about the Premium Suites was the additional powder room, the full-size closet and the equipped pantry for inroom catering. The Presidential Suite is the ultimate for guests who crave space—it can connect with two bedrooms and has an eight-seat private dining room. Overlooking the manicured grassy courtyard, a large lobby lounge adjoins a living room and bar, but guests like the ICE bar for its signature Wasabi Cocktail and the best selection of Irish whiskeys in town. The Seasons Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, while The www.luxuryta.com March 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 9 http://www.restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie http://www.restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie http://www.fourseasons.com http://www.luxuryta.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008

Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Dublin: We Tour the Irish Capital’s Top Offerings Puglia, Italy: Where to go for Complete Tranquility Small Meetings: Inspiring Settings for your Corporate Client The Thompson Beverly Hills: Bold New Style Arrives in Southern California US Grant: Unabashed Luxury in Downtown San Diego Sailing the Danube: Low-Key Luxury on River Cloud II Sin City Spas: The Latest From Some of our Favorite Las Vegas Retreats Bob Boulogne: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' COO Targets Elite Travel Advisors The Pulse Exotic Car Rental Jetset Report Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.