Clarence Hotel
{{Short description|Hotel in Dublin, Ireland}}
{{distinguish|Royal Clarence Hotel}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox hotel
| hotel_name = The Clarence Hotel
| logo = Clarence Hotel logo.png
| image = frameless
| image_caption = The main façade of the hotel, November 2006
| location = Dublin, Ireland
| address = 6–8 Wellington Quay,
Dublin 2
D02 HT44
| coordinates = {{coord|53.345263|-6.266782|region:IE_type:landmark|display=title, inline}}
| classification = {{rating|4}}
| opened_date = {{start date and age|1852}}
| operator = Lifestyle Hospitality Capital Group{{cite news |title=Lifestyle Hospitality Capital to acquire majority stake in Dean Hotel Group |url=https://www.independent.ie/business/lifestyle-hospitality-capital-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-dean-hotel-group/a1057663006.html |access-date=7 February 2025 |publisher=Irish Independent |date=31 October 2023}}
| ren_cost = 8 million US dollars
| renovation_date = {{start date|1996|10|6|df=y}}
| owner =
| number_of_rooms = 45
| number_of_suites = 4
| number_of_restaurants= 3 — Cleaver East, The Study and the Octagon Bar
| floors = 7
| website = {{URL|theclarence.ie}}
}}
The Clarence Hotel is a four-star 51-room hotel located at 6–8 Wellington Quay, Dublin, Ireland. It is in the Temple Bar neighbourhood, on the River Liffey. It first opened in 1852, and bought by U2 lead singer Bono and lead guitarist The Edge and their business partners in 1992, and opened after refurbishment in 1996.
The hotel was constructed on land that was originally reclaimed for the building of the Old Custom House around 1704.
History
The Clarence Hotel first opened in 1852 in the original premises consisting of a number of adjoining quayside houses which were replaced by the present building in the 1930s.{{cite web |url=https://www.archiseek.com/2013/clarence-hotel-wellington-quay-dublin/ |publisher=Archiseek |website=archiseek.com |title=1852, Clarence Hotel, Dublin |access-date=19 October 2023 |quote=quayside houses}}
In 1992, Bono and U2 lead guitarist The Edge bought and later refurbished the two-star 70-room hotel, and converted it into a "contemporary boutique" 49-room hotel.{{cite web |url=https://theclarence.ie/about/ |publisher=The Clarence Hotel |website=theclarence.ie |title=At the Clarence | access-date = 8 June 2020 | quote = In 1992, U2's Bono and The Edge bought The Clarence, turning what had become a tired and worn stopover into a gorgeous and contemporary boutique hotel }} After an 18-month renovation costing US$8 million,{{cite news | title =An 1852 Dublin Hotel Reopens, Redone | newspaper =The New York Times | date =6 October 1996 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/06/travel/an-1852-dublin-hotel-reopens-redone.html | access-date =1 July 2013}} enabled in part, due to a tax-exemption scheme which aimed to revive the Temple Bar district the hotel re-opened in 1996.{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/dec/03/pop.architecture |title=Building plans give U2 hometown blues | World news | The Guardian |first=Henry |last=McDonald |work=The Guardian |date= 2 December 2007|publisher=GMG |location=London |issn=0261-3077 |oclc=60623878 |quote=revitalised thanks in part to a tax-exemption scheme. |access-date=5 July 2013}} In 2019, Bono, the Edge and developer Paddy McKillen Sr. sold the leasehold to a company called Press Up Entertainment (owned by developers Paddy McKillen Jr. and Matt Ryan), which manages the hotel's operations.{{cite web |url= https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/bono-and-the-edge-sell-clarence-hotel-leasehold-to-mckillen-jnr-s-press-up-entertainment-1.3932348 | work = The Irish Times| title =Bono and The edge sell Clarence Hotel leasehold to McKillen jnr's Press Up Entertainment | date = 20 June 2019 | access-date = 8 June 2020 }} McKillen Jr. and Ryan acquired the property outright in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.businesspost.ie/news/bono-and-edge-sell-their-stake-in-dublins-clarence-hotel-after-30-years/|title=Bono and Edge sell their stake in Dublin's Clarence Hotel after 30 years|website=Business Post|first=Daniel|last=McConnell|date=19 October 2023|access-date=31 March 2023}} Subsequently McKillen's Press Up Entertainment spun off of their hotel assets into the Dean Hotel Group, which then had a majority stake taken by London based Lifestyle Hospitality Capital.
The hotel's main restaurant, Cleaver East, replaced The Tea Rooms in July 2013.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
Expansion proposals
File:Octagon bar inside the Clarence Hotel.jpg
In 2004, plans were announced for an expansion of the hotel, which would include adjoining properties 9 Essex Street and 9, 10 and 11 Wellington Quay.{{cite news |last=Lyons |first=Tom |title =Bono aims to double size of Clarence Hotel |newspaper=Irish Independent |date=21 April 2004 |url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/bono-aims-to-double-size-of-clarence-hotel-26009407.html |access-date=1 July 2013}} All of the historic buildings would be gutted, leaving just the façades. Everything else would be new. The budget was projected at US$237.2 million. There was opposition from historic preservation groups including An Taisce,{{cite news |last=Doyle |first=Dara |title =Bono's Dublin hotel plan pits rocker against preservationists |newspaper=The New York Times |date =25 February 2008 |url =https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/business/worldbusiness/25iht-hotel.4.10378289.html?_r=0 |access-date=1 July 2013}} but support from some city agencies. The proposed project was approved in 2008 by An Bord Pleanála, the Irish planning appeals agency.{{cite news |title=U2 hotel revamp gets green light but only if rooftop is open to all |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph |date=18 July 2008 | url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/u2-hotel-revamp-gets-green-light-but-only-if-rooftop-is-open-to-all-28440090.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130705150347/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/u2-hotel-revamp-gets-green-light-but-only-if-rooftop-is-open-to-all-28440090.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 July 2013|access-date=4 July 2013 }} However, the planning approval for these plans expired in 2013.{{cite web|url = https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/press-up-seeks-to-add-54-bedrooms-to-clarence-1.3943257 | work = The Irish Times| title = Press Up seeks to add 54 bedrooms to Clarence | date = 1 July 2019 | access-date = 8 June 2020}}
The hotel lost money during the early 21st century recession,{{cite news |title=U2's Clarence hotel sees losses rocket |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph |date=27 September 2010 |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/u2s-clarence-hotel-sees-losses-rocket-28561285.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130705150320/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/u2s-clarence-hotel-sees-losses-rocket-28561285.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 July 2013 |access-date=1 July 2013 }} but returned to profitability as of 2011.{{cite news| last =Deegan | first =Gordon | title =Bono and the Edge help Clarence Hotel back to profit | newspaper =Irish Examiner | date =15 October 2011 | url =http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/bono-and-the-edge-help-clarence-hotel-back-to-profit-170820.html | access-date =4 July 2013}}
Media
In September 2000, a month before the release of the U2 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, a live version of the song "Beautiful Day" was filmed on the rooftop of The Clarence Hotel
for the BBC programme Top of the Pops.{{cite AV media| people=Cubillo, Carolina (Director) | date=7 December 2009 | title=Callejeros Viajeros|trans-title=Street Travellers| medium=Television production | location=Ireland | publisher=Cuatro}}{{cite news |url= http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/937-u2/291668-u2-live-on-roof-of-clarence-hotel/ |title=Beautiful Day on Roof of Clarence Hotel – RTÉ Archives |work=rte.ie |year=2013 |quote=a filmed insert for the BBC programme 'Top of the Pops' |access-date=5 July 2013}} It is featured on the extra features of the Elevation 2001: Live from Boston DVD (although it is incorrectly labelled on the DVD as "Toronto, Canada").{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Clarence Hotel}}
- {{official|http://www.theclarence.ie/}}
Category:Hotel buildings completed in 1852
Category:Tourist attractions in Dublin (city)