Remembering times past
This will date me, but I had some of the best nights I can remember (and some that I can't) at Bartley Dunnes. The wonderful pub was always an adventure, and when it was demolished in 1990 to make way for Break for the Border, my gelled-up hair wilted with sorrow.
Now the latest incarnation, The Grafton, harks back to even earlier times, with a 1920s inspired vibe, including art deco touches, and a décor that tends towards glitzy fun. Family rooms include bunk beds – though you don't have to be family to bunk in together. Rooms are from €140, and get a further 15 per cent off the best available rate for three night stays.
thegrafton.ie
Sign of the times
I don’t know if it’s alarmingly prescient, or simply a sign of the times, but the 1920s are having a real design moment. The style of the post-pandemic (back then it was the “Spanish flu” that had wreaked havoc), between-the-wars era is also behind the Arthaus Hotel on Dublin’s Mercer Street, a 41-bed boutique spot designed and peppered with art that celebrates the Bauhaus and its contemporaries.
Bauhaus teacher Annie Albers said "art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness". See if its your kind with B&B and dinner from €116.50pps.
arthausdublin.ie
Turn left
Ahh the thrill of turning left as you board the plane. Behind that curtain lurks champagne, lie-flat beds, and more hot and cooling mini towels than you could easily dream of. Sure isn’t it only an added bonus that the flight is taking you to Bali?
Book by Monday March 28th for Emirates Business Class and 10 nights B&B at Bali's The Laguna, which is located by the beach at Nusa Dua. You get a "Deluxe Lagoon Access Room", by which they mean you can step directly into one of the seven swimming pools. Travel between October 1st and 20th, from €5,759pps.
emiratesholidays.ie
Uncertain age
I'm not quite sure how they police it, but if you've passed a few milestones, this one might be for you. Travel Department's over-50s trips to France take in Monte Carlo, St Paul-de-Vence, Cannes and Antibes. You even get a day visit to Monaco where you can ogle the vulgarity of the clustered super yachts.
From €899 including flights, transfers, seven nights' B&B, and guides to keep you on the right track. Emotional maturity not obligatory. Departures from April 21st, with dates through to October.
traveldepartment.com
