The Shelbourne Autograph Collection
The Shelbourne Autograph Collection brings 5-star standards to Georgian Dublin (Merrion Square): a considered choice for a special trip to Dublin City, moments from central Georgian Dublin (Merrion Square).
Guests typically choose Georgian Dublin (Merrion Square) for its balance of location and price; The Shelbourne Autograph Collection is a good fit if you want to be near the action in Dublin City.
Key facts
What’s included
Around Georgian Dublin (Merrion Square)
Getting around Dublin City
You do not need a car in Dublin City. The centre is compact: O’Connell Street to St Stephen’s Green is a 15-minute walk, Trinity College to Temple Bar is 5 minutes, and Grafton Street to Merrion Square is 10. The Luas Green Line runs from St Stephen’s Green to Sandyford, the Red Line from Smithfield to the Docklands and The Point, and the Dart serves Pearse, Tara Street and Connolly for Ballsbridge and the Aviva Stadium.
A Leap Card costs €5 and caps fares at €8 a day for city travel; single Luas or bus fares are around €2. A taxi from Dublin Airport to the city centre is €25–€35 and takes 20–40 minutes depending on traffic, while the Airlink 747 bus is €10 single and the 16 bus is €2.60 with a Leap Card. Driving in the centre means paying the €2.50 toll on the Port Tunnel and hunting for parking at €15–€25 a day; take the car only if you are leaving the city for Glendalough or the Wicklow Mountains.
How many nights should you stay in Dublin City
Three nights is the right length for a first visit to Dublin City. That gives you one day for Trinity College, the Book of Kells and Dublin Castle, one for the Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol, and one for Grafton Street, Merrion Square and the National Museum of Ireland — plus two evenings in Temple Bar or Smithfield. Two nights is enough if you are on a city break from Britain and only want the centre; five nights lets you add a day trip to Howth on the Dart or Glendalough by bus.
A sensible first-timer shape: arrive, walk O’Connell Street to the GPO and Trinity College, eat in the Liberties. Day two, book the Guinness Storehouse for 10am (€18.50 online), then Kilmainham Gaol in the afternoon (€8) and Smithfield for dinner. Day three, the National Gallery and Merrion Square, lunch on Grafton Street, and a evening in Temple Bar. Book the Gaol and the Storehouse online at least a week ahead in July and August — both sell out.
What accommodation actually costs in Dublin City
Budget rooms in Dublin City mean €80–€130 a night: a small double in a guesthouse in Rathmines or a bunk in a Smithfield hostel, usually with a shared bathroom and a 15–25 minute walk to the centre. Mid-range is €150–€230 and gets you a private room in a three- or four-star hotel in the Liberties, the Docklands or near O’Connell Street, with breakfast extra at €12–€18. Top-end is €280–€450 and buys a room at a five-star on Merrion Square or St Stephen’s Green, with a proper restaurant and a doorman.
Rates spike hardest on St Patrick’s weekend in March, when central doubles hit €350, and during the Dublin Horse Show in August and any Aviva Stadium concert — Taylor Swift fans pushed Ballsbridge rooms past €400 in 2024. New Year’s Eve on Temple Bar is another €300-plus night. Book six to eight weeks ahead for summer and you will pay nearer the lower end of each range; walk in on the day and you will pay the top.