A new Dublin hotel is fully powered by an underground river

Dublin’s newest accommodation offering, Iveagh Garden Hotel, will source its energy from an underground river that runs 50 metres below the hotel. This makes it the first hotel in Europe to develop a unique low energy system that creates the lowest carbon footprint possible. The four-star hotel in the Irish capital opened this week on Harcourt Street, a renowned Georgian street.

The sustainable hotel utilises natural energy that is harvested by turbines onsite, with the underground river Swan acting as an energy reserve for cooling and heating the hotel without burning fuel. The hotel has been built into existing four-storey buildings, comprising 56,000 square feet. These were renovated and two new storeys were added. Their Georgian facade was carefully restored, and the new hotel’s interior features a blend of modern styling with original features, including the original tall Georgian windows facing onto Harcourt Street.

The hotel has 152 bedrooms ranging from deluxe to premium, and it has suites with balconies that overlook the historic Iveagh Gardens. The gardens were known in 1756 as Leeson’s Fields, after Joseph Leeson, the first Earl of Milltown, and they had several owners after that. On 4 May 1939, their owner, Lord Iveagh, wrote to the Irish prime minister, Éamon de Valera, offering the Iveagh complex as a gift to the nation.

The Iveagh Garden Hotel is the latest addition to seasoned hoteliers, Brian and Sally McGill’s portfolio, which includes the neighbouring Harcourt Hotel and Harrington Hall. It has a spacious ground floor bar and bistro called Elle’s, and inside the foyer, you’ll find coffered ceilings featuring modern chandeliers and large patterned glossy porcelain tiles. The reception area contains black marble highlighted with brass framing, and guests can relax on luxurious velvet sofas and couches inspired by mid-century style.

Check out the Iveagh Garden Hotel here.