Gresham Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Gresham Hotel is a hotel
in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Located on O'Connell Street
, the hotel is a Dublin institution. This landmark building has recently been refurbished.
. He was named after the founder of that institution Sir Thomas Gresham a famous merchant-politician in the Elizabethan era.
Gresham came to Ireland, and as a very young man obtained employment in the service of William Beauman of Rutland Square (now Parnell Square), Dublin. After some time, and while still comparatively young, he became butler
to this family. This was an important position in the Georgian household, with its complicated domestic structure.
In 1817, Thomas Gresham left William Beauman's household and purchased 21-22 Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street). How he acquired the capital to undertake an enterprise of this kind is not known. Over the next 48 years, Gresham operated the hotel as a first class lodging house catering mostly to the wealthy aristocracy and MP
s who passed through Dublin on their way to London
.
Like most of O'Connell Street, the hotel was destroyed during the 1916 shelling by the British military, but was rebuilt during the 1920s. The hotel was rebuilt to a high specification, and many of the original features from this time remain including stunning Waterford crystal chandeliers. The hotel became part of the Ryan Hotel group in 1978, which became a significant hotel group with 10 hotels in total (6 in Ireland and 4 in other European destinations; London, Amsterdam, Brussels and Hamburg) The hotel operated successfully in this group. At the turn of the century, the group decided to scale down the number of properties and began to sell some, in order to invest further in existing capital. Then Ryan Group was bought by independent owners in 2004 and became a private company; The Gresham Hotel Group. From 2006, the group began major refurbishment and investment in the existing properties in city locations; Dublin, Cork, London, Brussels and Hamburg.
Now, the hotel has 288 bedrooms including 7 suites, 3 of which have penthouse balconies with views of the city through to the Dublin Mountains. The suites are named after famous people who have stayed in the hotel over the years.
Deputy General Manager: Michael Sullivan
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Located on O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
, the hotel is a Dublin institution. This landmark building has recently been refurbished.
History
Thomas Gresham was a foundling child, abandoned on the steps of the Royal ExchangeCity Hall, Dublin
The City Hall, Dublin , originally the Royal Exchange, is a civic building in Dublin, Ireland. It was built between 1769 and 1779 to the designs of architect Thomas Cooley and is a notable example of 18th-century architecture in the city.-Overview:...
. He was named after the founder of that institution Sir Thomas Gresham a famous merchant-politician in the Elizabethan era.
Gresham came to Ireland, and as a very young man obtained employment in the service of William Beauman of Rutland Square (now Parnell Square), Dublin. After some time, and while still comparatively young, he became butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
to this family. This was an important position in the Georgian household, with its complicated domestic structure.
In 1817, Thomas Gresham left William Beauman's household and purchased 21-22 Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street). How he acquired the capital to undertake an enterprise of this kind is not known. Over the next 48 years, Gresham operated the hotel as a first class lodging house catering mostly to the wealthy aristocracy and MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s who passed through Dublin on their way to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Like most of O'Connell Street, the hotel was destroyed during the 1916 shelling by the British military, but was rebuilt during the 1920s. The hotel was rebuilt to a high specification, and many of the original features from this time remain including stunning Waterford crystal chandeliers. The hotel became part of the Ryan Hotel group in 1978, which became a significant hotel group with 10 hotels in total (6 in Ireland and 4 in other European destinations; London, Amsterdam, Brussels and Hamburg) The hotel operated successfully in this group. At the turn of the century, the group decided to scale down the number of properties and began to sell some, in order to invest further in existing capital. Then Ryan Group was bought by independent owners in 2004 and became a private company; The Gresham Hotel Group. From 2006, the group began major refurbishment and investment in the existing properties in city locations; Dublin, Cork, London, Brussels and Hamburg.
Now, the hotel has 288 bedrooms including 7 suites, 3 of which have penthouse balconies with views of the city through to the Dublin Mountains. The suites are named after famous people who have stayed in the hotel over the years.
Senior Management Team
Group Operations Director: Paul McCrackenDeputy General Manager: Michael Sullivan