If you have the kind of budget that allows for upmarket accommodation, then there are a number of luxurious and respectable hotel options in Temple Bar for you to choose from. However, you should be aware that Temple Bar has a deserved reputation as being over-priced and something of a tourist trap. The Clarence Hotel on Wellington Quay, Blooms Hotel on Anglesea Street, and the River House Hotel on Eustace Street, are a few examples of hotels that in our experience do not live up to the expectations set by their pricepoints.
Handel’s Hotel
The best hotel in Temple Bar, in our humble opinion, is the George Frideric Handel Hotel – now known simply as Handel’s Hotel, located on Fishamble Street.
Handel is an honorary Dubliner by dint of Messiah; his most famous symphony being performed for its very first time on Fishamble Street on the 13th of April, 1742.
This hotel pays homage to this great composer, and its historic location is also off-set by Christ Church Cathedral which is just over the road in the Medieval Quarter.
The building that was used for the first performance of Handel’s Messiah no longer exists, and Handel’s Hotel now sits next to that vacant ground; but four months after the death of Germany’s most famous export to Dublin, Guinness was invented a few blocks away. A few toasts have been made to the memory of Handel in Dublin since, and none the least in Handel’s Hotel.
The Temple Bar Hotel
Another hotel in Temple Bar which we do recommend is the aptly titled Temple Bar Hotel at 13 Fleet Street. This hotel has achieved a 73% rating on TripAdvisor, and during our stay we felt welcomed, comfortable and that we were enjoying good value for money.