Going Outside
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is a few minutes north of the hotel. It’s a pleasant stroll down the towpath, and there’re several nice cafes if you’re after a coffee.
Herbert Park
A few minutes south-east of the hotel is Herbert Park. Plenty of space to run around, and a duck pond. There’s a farmers market with food trucks on Sunday mornings.
The River Dodder
From Herbert Park you can easily get to the River Dodder and follow it west. It’s a lovely, chill stroll.
If you want a destination you can follow the river to The Dropping Well, a country pub on the river. Nothing special, but decent enough pub food, and they have a coffee and pastry place outside.
The Beach
Sandymount strand is a 45 minute walk east from the hotel. It’s a nice beach, with a few beachfront restaurants and cafes. The Orange Goat is a good place to stop for coffee or a snack on the way there or back.
If you feel like a longer walk there’s an easy path you can follow along the coast through Irishtown nature park, past the Poolbeg Smokestacks to the Great South Wall, the 18th Century south wall of Dublin harbour. Follow that all the way to the end and you’ll reach Poolbeg Lighthouse.
It’s further than you think out to the lighthouse, so getting a bus to or from Sandymount beach isn’t the worst idea.
Central Dublin Parks
Stephen’s Green Park, Iveagh Gardens and Merrion Square Park are three parks about 15 minutes north down Leeson Street from the hotel. Stephen’s Green is the most interesting, with sculpture and history and swans in the lake, but also the busiest. Any of them are a good place to wander through with a coffee or an ice-cream, and they’re right by a bunch of shops, cafes and restaurants.
Ranelagh Gardens
About 15 minutes west of the hotel, it’s a secret little park tucked away behind Ranelagh’s main street known mostly to locals. It’s a good place to wander round the duck pond with a coffee from Nick’s Coffee, or any of the other Ranelagh cafes.
Phoenix Park
A huge park in the west of Dublin. It’s a long walk, so you’re better getting public transport out there. Take the Luas red line west to the Museum or Heuston Station stop.
It’s the former Guinness estate, the largest walled park in Europe, home to a huge herd of deer, and where the President’s residence and the US Ambassador’s residence are.
There’s a tea rooms in the east of the park a short walk from the entrance, and the phoenix cafe is further north.
Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo is part of Phoenix Park. It’s a decent, modern zoo and the animals seem happy.
Further afield
There are a lot of nice places outside the city.
A short way south is Bray, a lovely seaside town. There’s a beautiful, and well known, cliffside walk between Bray and Greystones to the south, but right now it seems to be closed due to landslides.