Girlie pleasures in Dublin’s fair city
It’s the time of year when half the country takes a trip to Dublin, so I thought I’d try out a holiday, a deluxe one-day girlie staycation no less, in our capital city.
ended up in the Conrad Hotel, where it turns out I’m not in bad company in terms of previous guests. When the Goldilocks of fashion, fun and partying, heiress Paris Hilton, jetted into Dublin she rested her head in the Conrad, though the rest of the name (it’s now part of the Hilton Group of global hotels) might be another reason why. Bill Clinton is another on the list.
It’s situated in Earlsfort Terrace, right in the centre of town, ideally located for a girlie break and a short hop, skip and a totter to Grafton Street.
The five-star hotel offers a range of rooms but if your budget stretches then The Presidential Suite has plenty of room to drop off your shopping bags. .
The hotel is literally just minutes from the Grafton Street area, which is a hive of shopping, bars and restaurants. And the next block over is the hip area of Georges Street and Aungier Street that has undergone major renewal in the last few years.
There is also the new wave of hairdressers that offer a funky, and frankly enjoyable, salon experience. I visited Queens Salon on Aungier Street for a blow dry and make over. Now I’m not a fan of spending all day in the hairdressers but with a glass of bubbly on arrival I settled in for some hair renewal and a Charlotte Tilbury makeover by talented make-up artist Gráinne. So, all in all I left the salon looking quite regal. Now, while I live and work in Dublin I have never been to Alfie Byrne’s bar, a relatively recent addition to the Conrad. And it’s a hidden gem. It has plenty of seats and cubby holes and the rugged feel of a local bar.
After a few appetising cocktails it was to dinner in the Alex restaurant just off the main lobby. It feels too open for my taste, but what it lacked in décor it made up for in food. Not to put too fine a point on it, the fare was delicious.
So what to do for a group of girls tired from a day’s pampering and preening? Hit the town, of course. The main bars of Leeson Street were the perfect finishing point for a girlie day out. Then back to rest my head on those wonderfully plump pillows.