Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Dublin

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Transport

Dublin Bus publishes no pet rule. Its bye-laws let the driver or inspector refuse any animal they think could annoy or damage, and only guide and assistance dogs are guaranteed a seat. The Luas takes dogs in an enclosed carrier at staff discretion. Irish Rail, which runs the DART and commuter trains, takes small dogs free on your lap, on a lead unless in a basket, and keeps them out of the restaurant car. Bigger dogs travel only in a guard's van, and that exists on Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Belfast trains alone, so there's no way to put a large dog on the DART to Howth or Dún Laoghaire. Dublin Bus has moved to allow pet dogs on board, but no start date or rules have been published yet, so check before you rely on it. From experience, the DART is no problem with small dogs. Daisy and two other Shih Tzus have travelled on it together without a second look. Take the DART over the bus, and take it out to Howth.

Parks

The Phoenix Park is open 24 hours and dogs are welcome off lead across most of it, on a lead near the roads, the People's Gardens, the Visitor Centre and wherever the fallow deer are close, and not at all in the Ashtown Walled Garden, the playgrounds or the cafés. St Stephen's Green takes dogs, on a lead in the central floral area and not at the playground or the lake. The Iveagh Gardens take dogs on a lead throughout, not in the maze or the rose garden. The National Botanic Gardens, the Garden of Remembrance and Dublin Zoo don't take dogs at all. The Guinness Storehouse, the Book of Kells and Kilmainham Gaol publish no dog policy, so plan those for a time the dog can stay in the room at the Conrad or in Anantara's kennel.

Beaches

Rules change by council. North of the city in Fingal, which covers Portmarnock, Malahide, Howth, Sutton and Donabate, dogs are allowed on the beach all year, and from 1 June to 31 August they must be on a lead in the reserved bathing areas between 11am and 6pm and under control the rest of the day. South in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the bathing areas at Seapoint and Sandycove are closed to dogs all year, Killiney's bathing area is closed to dogs from 1 June to 15 September between 10am and 7pm, and dogs are on a lead there at all other times. Dublin City Council's own rules for Dollymount and Sandymount weren't reachable when we wrote this, so read the signs at the entrance.

Restaurants and cafes

There's no city-wide rule and each venue decides. Terraces are the usual yes, indoors is the owner's call, and the hotels on this list follow the same pattern: The Dylan does terrace and bar, the Conrad does the lounge, The Dean does the bar, and Aloft keeps dogs out of all of its outlets. Ask before you sit down inside.

Hotels that don't take dogs

The Merrion, The Shelbourne, The Westbury, the Herbert Park Hotel and Number 31 don't take dogs, and in Dún Laoghaire the Royal Marine and Haddington House don't either. Nor do the Hilton at Charlemont Place, The Wilder Townhouse, The College Green Hotel (formerly the Westin), the the Hyatt Centric in the Liberties, The Gibson, the Clayton hotels in Ballsbridge and on Cardiff Lane, The Sandymount Hotel and the Grand Canal Hotel. Some booking sites and older guides still show a few of these as dog friendly, including invented welcome packs and pet menus. They aren't, so don't turn up with a dog.

Fees

Nothing at The Hoxton. EUR 30 for the whole stay at Ruby Molly. EUR 40 for the whole stay at The Dean, booked as a Dog Package before arrival. EUR 50 a night per dog at the Conrad and at Anantara The Marker. The Dylan and Aloft charge fees they don't publish, so ask reservations when you book.

Weight limits

The Dean takes one dog under 10 kg. The Dylan takes dogs under 12 kg. The Hoxton takes one dog up to about 18 kg. Anantara The Marker's cap is published as under 25 kg in one place and 35 kg in another, so confirm before you book a bigger dog. The Conrad takes dogs up to 35 kg, Aloft takes two dogs of up to 35 kg, and Ruby Molly publishes no weight limit and takes two dogs, in Wow rooms only.

Getting there

Dublin Airport is 25 minutes from the centre, but the two airlines that fly most routes from Britain don't put dogs in the cabin: Aer Lingus carries pets in the hold through IAG Cargo and Ryanair carries no animals at all. From Britain with a dog the practical route is Stena Line from Holyhead to Dublin Port, where a pet stays free in your car or in a pre-booked kennel at no charge, and on the Stena Estrid you can visit the kennel during the crossing. Foot passengers must book a kennel or a pet-friendly cabin. Irish Ferries also runs Holyhead to Dublin and pets must be pre-booked.

Vets

Pet Emergency Hospital runs out-of-hours care from UCD Veterinary Hospital at Belfield, Dublin 4, on 01 260 9920, weeknights 6pm to 8am and 24 hours at weekends and bank holidays, with free parking. MyVet's Lucan Hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, out of hours on 01 517 5213. In daytime, Anicare has clinics in Clontarf, Botanic, Santry and Blanchardstown.

Eating out

Dublin has shifted a long way towards outdoor dining, and a terrace table is now the easy way to eat with a dog in the city. The Orange Goat in Ballsbridge is the one Daisy goes back to: good brunch and proper food, and they brought her chicken on a plate. The Dylan's heated terraces, around the corner, are the hotel version of the same thing.

Best walks

Howth, on the DART, for the cliff walk round the head and fish and chips on the pier after. The Phoenix Park for space, deer and the Furry Glen, with the Papal Cross lawns for a long off-lead run. St Stephen's Green and the Iveagh Gardens back to back off Harcourt Street. The Grand Canal towpath from Grand Canal Dock past the Conrad's end of town to Portobello, and the Docklands quays from Anantara's door. Sandymount Strand at low tide, and the Dún Laoghaire piers with the DART ruling out anything bigger than a lap dog, so drive.

When to go

May to September for the terraces and the long evenings, when The Dylan's heated terraces earn their keep. June to August brings the Fingal lead rule between 11am and 6pm and the Killiney and Seapoint closures, so a beach dog is better off in May or September. There's no heat to plan around, but there is rain in every month and wind on the coast, and from November to February it's dark by half four. The Christmas week is crowded around Grafton Street and Temple Bar, which is a lot for most dogs, so walk early and stay near the Green.