Four-star Dublin hotspot proves you don’t have to travel far to get a break

Office Christmas parties, girly nights out, annual family dinners and one freakishly-brave Borat styled stag party all added a collective sense of celebration to the air as we walked hand in hand around the capital on what we firmly believed was a well-deserved break.

Financial worries were forgotten about for 24 hours as we threw caution to the wind and availed of an appetising B&B offer, which included dinner, at the Trinity City Hotel.

The red brick building stretches along Pearse Street, right opposite the famous university that shares its name but it is easy to miss.

I’ve driven past it thousands of times through the years but never darkened the door, and the fact that it is situated so centrally was actually an initial concern. But we were thankfully naive to think that it would be a noisy hotel.

Even when we were given a room overlooking Pearse Street, we couldn’t hear a single thing until we stepped out onto the balcony.

Neither could we hear any of the craic downstairs as an office party was in full swing and football fans were cheering on the incredible match between Argentina and the Netherlands.

Our sanctuary in the room couldn’t have been further from the elation and excitement just a few floors below. Modern and comfortable, it had everything we needed. And more than we expected to be honest.

The personalised welcome notes are always a nice touch in hotels and help to assure us that despite being a fully-booked hotel in peak season, we were able to convince ourselves that we were the only people in the whole hotel.

Dining options in the hotel include the Brunswick Bar and Lounge or the Courtyard Restaurant. On check-in, we were offered a choice as well as a nice seating area between reception and the bar. Old school us opted for the restaurant, and we were thrilled we did because the food was to die for.

We went for a large bowl of their crispy chicken wings to start, and for a main course I had the Knockanore Smoked Wild Mushroom & Leek Carbonara and my wife went for the Chargrilled Dry Aged 8oz Hereford Rib Eye Steak (there was no supplement applied when we paid) and not a single morsel was left.

In fact, I chose not to eat dessert at all, I was so full but herself went for the Mango and Passion Fruit Eton Mess, which she devoured happily as we sat back drinking cocktails and wine without a single care in the world.

There was no rush to get off our table which was alongside the floor-to-ceiling windows that look onto an outdoor area that would be amazing in the warmer months, but was rightly closed in the depths of December.

But the draw of the city’s atmosphere, coupled with our new-found and temporary freedom from parenting duties, meant that there was nightlife to be soaked up.

Grafton Street at night looks completely different without daughters hanging off you, as we managed to marvel at things normally ignored or missed.

The pre-Christmas lights and on-street banter definitely added to the occasion but we genuinely felt like we were a million miles away from home.

A few swanky bars were tried and tested before we retired back to our room for an uninterrupted marathon sleep.

The obligatory hotel breakfast was also situated in the Courtyard Restaurant and like a lot of top hotels these days, they offer an array of table service or buffet options.

There were loads of healthy options too, but considering this was a complete treat we let fly at the delicious buffet before picking our kids up from our generous pals and headed home.

We were well-fed, watered and completely rejuvenated after less than 24 hours away. The only confusion we had as we left the stunning hotel was why we hadn’t done it sooner.

TRAVEL FACTFILE

TRINITY HOTEL, DUBLIN See trinitycityhotel.com ■ Being so central, the Trinity City Hotel is a perfect base for shopping trips, girlie nights away or romantic breaks. They have a whole host of deals and a selection of rooms to suit everyone’s taste and budget.