Number 31 is a boutique guesthouse on Leeson Close in Dublin 2, tucked behind a low white wall a short walk from St Stephen's Green and the Grand Canal. The property is split across two connected buildings: a Georgian townhouse fronting Fitzwilliam Place and a 1960s modernist coach house to the rear, originally designed by architect Sam Stephenson as his private residence. The walk to St Stephen's Green takes around seven minutes; the LUAS Green Line at Harcourt Street is a five-minute walk; Merrion Square and the National Gallery are ten minutes.
Stephenson's coach house is the architectural centrepiece: a low-slung modernist structure built around a sunken conversation pit, with floor-to-ceiling glass looking onto a walled garden. The contrast between this space and the period rooms in the adjoining Georgian house — all corniced ceilings and antique furniture — is deliberate and genuinely unusual. The property has been a guesthouse since the late 1980s and has maintained its character through successive ownership, most recently under the Croke family who have operated it since the 1990s.
Number 31 has 21 rooms across both buildings. Rooms in the Georgian house are traditionally furnished with period pieces and tend to be larger; the coach house rooms are more compact but benefit from the dramatic modernist interior spaces shared by guests. Family rooms are available and the house accommodates children without difficulty.
Breakfast is included in all rates and is cooked to order each morning in the conservatory dining area — a notable feature in this price category. The full Irish breakfast is generously portioned and made with produce from named Irish suppliers. There is no restaurant or bar; the neighbourhood's restaurants along Leeson Street, Baggot Street, and Fitzwilliam Street are within easy walking distance.
The garden provides a quiet outdoor space uncommon for a city-centre property at this price point. The atmosphere is deliberately informal and residential rather than hotel-like, with guests typically mixing at breakfast and in the shared sitting areas.
Room types
- Standard
- Deluxe
- Family
Amenities
- Garden
- Breakfast included
- Unique modernist design
- Free parking
- Close to St Stephen's Green
Location
31 Leeson Close, Dublin 2, D02 TK93
53.3347, -6.2522 View on map
Highlights
- Sam Stephenson's modernist coach house with iconic sunken conversation pit, a listed architectural interior
- Full Irish breakfast cooked to order and included in all room rates, using named Irish produce
- Walled garden courtyard offering rare outdoor space for a central Dublin city guesthouse
- 21 rooms across two architecturally contrasting buildings — Georgian townhouse and 1960s modernist coach house
- Quiet residential Leeson Close address seven minutes' walk from St Stephen's Green
Tips for visiting
- Specify your building preference when booking — the coach house rooms are closer to the sunken sitting room and garden but tend to be smaller; the Georgian rooms are larger and more traditional.
- Breakfast is the social centre of the stay; it is served at set times (check when booking), so plan morning activities accordingly.
- Leeson Street has several late-night venues; the guesthouse is a short walk from the noise, but the walled garden side is very quiet.
- Free parking is available on Leeson Close — a significant saving compared to paying hotel parking rates in central Dublin.