The Dean Galway – Now Open
It has been on everyone’s radar for some time. Now, we can reveal that Galway’s newest and hottest hotel, The Dean Galway, is now open!
The Dean Galway is a 100 bed boutique hotel of over 5,000 square metres. The hotel, located a stone’s throw from Eyre Square, is a perfect blend of old and new. The building incorporates unique historic structures, including a portion of the Galway to Clifden railway tunnel built in the 1890s, and a two-storey stone building originally built in the 1830s. These unique features have been meticulously restored and incorporated into the design of this brand-new hotel.
The front of The Dean Galway, designed by Irish firm Lawrence and Long Architecture, is a striking folded facade built in Irish limestone. The stone has been finished with an alternating bush hammered and sand blasted finish which provides a contrasting light and dark appearance. The stone elevation is inspired by the craft and appearance of traditional stone walls built throughout the West of Ireland. The graphic black and white chequerboard elevations at the rear of the hotel are a further abstraction of the light and shaded appearance of these traditional walls.
What’s on Offer?
The Dean Galway has so much going on under one roof. From the top, Sophie’s Rooftop Restaurant and Terrace dishes up excellent food with a side of stunning views over Galway city. The 120 seat restaurant has three spacious terraces wrapping around the rooftop of the building, making it the perfect spot for every season with its awning, heaters and plenty of cosy seating.
Sophie’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and weekend brunch. Favourites include the selection of wood fired pizzas and daily pasta specials, succulent steaks and fish, all crafted using the best of local and seasonal ingredients.
There are one hundred comfortable, design led bedrooms and suites on the upper ground, first and second floors. Expect super cool and comfortable rooms filled with stuff that will make you smile, designed to ensure you have everything you need at your disposal. We’re talking big bouncy beds, rainfall power showers, fully stocked Smeg fridges. We’re talking Netflix enabled smart TVs, a Munchie Box filled with sweet and savoury Irish snacks and boose, Marshall Amp for your tunes, record players and vinyl by the dozen, luxury Brooks & Co. toiletries and loads more. The Penthouse, which sleeps up to eight guests, will be the best room in town, bar none. Soak it all up while relaxing in the standalone copper bath, or have your own private party in the spacious living area and private balcony, filled with all the high-tech gadgets, treats and games you could ever want.
Stepping in from Prospect Hill, you will be greeted by our signature reception desk, where our friendly team will welcome guests under the glow of the bespoke neon light fixture by Irish artist Domino Whisker. At DIME Coffee on the Ground Floor, you can grab and go, or relax in the spacious Lobby area. Free Wi-Fi and plenty of charging spots throughout the Lobby makes it a great spot to get some work done.
The West’s very first Elephant & Castle restaurant,renowned for its famous chicken wings, will open on the Ground Floor from the hotel’s launch in May. Elephant & Castle, which first dished up its hearty, home cooked dishes in Dublin’s Temple Bar in 1989, will undoubtably become a popular fixture on Galway’s buzzing food scene.
A nod to the buildings colourful past and unique location, a small and snug pub called Peg’s Bar will open in phase two of the hotel’s launch in May, in what was once home to Hogan’s Bar. Hogan’s was a famous music pub where local music legends would come from near and far to play tunes late into the night. The name and interiors, however, hints at another nugget of history unique to this building. Located beneath the building are the perfectly intact remains of the railway tunnel which formed part of the Galway to Clifden line. This line, built in the 1890s to connect distressed regions of the West and provide relief work to hundreds, ran until 1935 when it was decommissioned.
On the Lower Ground Floor, which is scheduled to launch in May, is The Blue Room, a dedicated event space which overlooks the inner courtyard, home to POWER Gym’s outdoor heated pool. Tons of natural light flows into the space, designed with herring bone floors, panelled walls, and all the high-tech equipment needed for a functional yet comfortable event space.
POWER Gym, opening in summer 2022, is a luxury, boutique health club, and the first of its kind in Galway City. Guests can enjoy world class fitness experiences or relax in the outdoor heated pool, sauna and steam room. Located on the Lower Ground Floor of The Dean, the gym utilises and highlights the original vaulted brickwork railway tunnel, making it one of the most striking features of the hotel.
POWER will offer two unique class concepts; POWER Box and POWER Run. Delivered by some of Ireland’s best trainers, these high intensity classes are designed to push you to new fitness heights while making the whole experience enjoyable and fun.
POWER’s changing rooms are also finished to the highest standards – with waterfall showers, sumptuous Brooks & Co. toiletries, fluffy towels and Dyson hairdryers to ensure you finish each workout refreshed and recharged. POWER Gym and thermal suite will be available for hotel guests free of charge, with a supplement for taking part in classes. POWER Gym memberships and class passes are also available, see powergym.ie.
The Dean are creative partners of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and proud providers of The Dean Arts Studio, a dedicated artistic hub and cultural space in Dublin which provides over 20 artists with free of charge studio space. At The Dean Galway, art is a prominent feature across the building. The art collection, curated by Sync & Swim, aims to promote and support Irish art, particularly regional artists local to the hotel.
‘Sync & Swim are delighted to have collaborated with artist Debbie Godsell in curating a unique and inspiring collection of artworks on behalf of the Dean Galway. This ongoing significant investment by Press Up Hospitality Group in Irish artists and makers has enabled us to purchase more than 450 works by both emerging and established artists from across Ireland. The Dean Galway collection includes works by Samuel Walsh, Sophia Vigne Welsh, James Kirwan, Robyn Carey, Tom Climent, Kurb Junki, Signs of Power, Ruth Medjber, Maria Atanackovic, Blaise Drummond, Maser, Emma O’Hara, Grainne Nagle and many more . We are particularly proud to showcase works and commissions by many Galway based artists including Shane O’Malley, Leah Beggs, Jennifer Cunningham, Lola Donoghue, Tony Irvine, Cecilia Danell and many more. All works have been beautifully framed in Galway by The Frame Shop, part of our ongoing commitment to uplift and support local arts ecosystems.’ Aileen Galvin, MD, Sync & Swim and committee member of the National Campaign for the Arts.
