5* The Westbury

NYX Hotel Dublin Christchurch drops you right into one of the most useful parts of central Dublin. Christchurch Cathedral is opposite, Dublin Castle is around the corner and Temple Bar starts just a few streets away. For a night out, Street 66 is particularly close, while The George and the bars around Capel Street are all comfortably walkable. There are also enough pubs, restaurants and cafés around this part of town to make choosing dinner considerably harder than getting there. The hotel has a colourful, music-influenced look and a livelier feel than many of Dublin’s four-star hotels, with DJs and live music on selected nights. GayMapper tip: a great choice if you want to walk to both the sightseeing and the nightlife and would prefer your hotel to have a bit of personality too.

Generator gives you a slightly different Dublin experience in Smithfield, a lively neighbourhood west of the main shopping streets with cafés, pubs and the Jameson Distillery right outside. Smithfield Luas stop is beside the hostel, so getting into the centre is easy, although plenty is walkable too. Capel Street — home to PantiBar and Pennylane — is around a 15-minute stroll away, while the Guinness Storehouse and the Liberties are particularly convenient from this side of town. Private rooms are available if dorm life has lost its charm, while the bar and regular events keep things sociable downstairs. GayMapper tip: a good fit if you want a lively, affordable stay with a bit of neighbourhood character rather than being dropped straight into touristy Temple Bar.

The Spencer is for a slightly different kind of Dublin trip. Rather than squeezing you into the busy streets around Temple Bar, it sits beside the Liffey in the Docklands, giving you more space and a more modern neighbourhood around the hotel. It’s especially handy for 3Arena, the Convention Centre and Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, with plenty of restaurants and bars around the IFSC and Grand Canal Dock. The Luas runs right through the area, so getting back towards the traditional centre is easy. The George, PantiBar and the other LGBTQ+ venues aren’t on the doorstep, but they’re straightforward to reach when you want them. GayMapper tip: particularly useful if a concert or show is part of the weekend, or if you prefer staying somewhere calmer and travelling into the nightlife when the mood takes you.

Number 31 feels more like being invited into an exceptionally stylish Dublin home than checking into a conventional hotel. Hidden away near St Stephen’s Green, it combines a Georgian townhouse with a rather fabulous modernist mews, with just 22 individually designed rooms. The location is pleasantly residential but still very central. Grafton Street, Camden Street and the restaurants around the Creative Quarter are walkable, as is The George when you want a gay night out. Service gets particularly strong feedback here, but breakfast is the thing people tend to become evangelical about — worth allowing rather more time for than your usual coffee-and-run routine. GayMapper tip: especially nice for couples who want somewhere intimate and grown-up while keeping central Dublin and the nightlife within walking distance.

The Morrison gets one of those Dublin locations that works especially well for LGBTQ+ travellers. You’re right on the Liffey: cross the bridge and Temple Bar is immediately in front of you, while head north for a few minutes and you’ll reach Capel Street, PantiBar and Pennylane. That means you can choose between different parts of Dublin’s nightlife without needing taxis, while O’Connell Street, Trinity College, Grafton Street and most of the major central sights are walkable too. Jervis Luas stop is just behind the hotel when your feet eventually object. The atmosphere is contemporary and polished without feeling excessively formal, and staying on the north bank keeps you slightly removed from Temple Bar’s late-night chaos. GayMapper tip: our favourite Dublin all-rounder for combining gay nightlife, sightseeing and a genuinely convenient city-centre location.

The Merchant House is for travellers who like the idea of staying right in old Dublin but don’t particularly want a conventional five-star hotel. There are just a handful of large suites inside an 18th-century townhouse in Temple Bar, so it feels much more private and individual. Step outside and you’re surrounded by pubs, restaurants and historic streets, with Street 66 just around the corner and The George easily walkable. Capel Street is only across the river, so most of Dublin’s LGBTQ+ nightlife can be reached on foot. There are a couple of quirks worth knowing about: there’s no conventional hotel reception and the historic building has stairs rather than a lift. Being in Temple Bar also means accepting that Dublin occasionally gets a little enthusiastic after dark. GayMapper tip: a romantic choice for couples who want space, history and nightlife outside the door rather than all the trappings of a large luxury hotel.