Two up-market newcomers are the Four Seasons, constructed of traditional brick design on a corner of the Royal Dublin Showground in Ballsbridge, and the Westin, right in town by Trinity College. Ballsbridge is a leafy suburb south of the city centre, about 25 minutes walk from Grafton Street and the main downtown area. It already boasts a number of well-known hotels, including Jury's and The Berkeley Court . The new Four Seasons is nicer than either of these, with large airy rooms, good quality reproduction furniture, well-finished bathrooms and fine public areas. It also has reasonable parking, normally at a premium in Dublin, and a leafy aspect. The Westin may not quite reach the quality of the Four Seasons but it has advantages for those wanting to be in the heart of town. Trinity College is close by, Grafton Street is a block or two away and Temple Bar, with its pubs and nightlife, is just a short walk.

St Cleran's near Galway has a fascinating history. Ancestral home to the Burkes since the Norman conquest, the current mansion was built in 1784. Gambling debts were responsible for the loss of much of the family fortune, with the result that the house fell into disrepair and was eventually sold to the Land Commission in 1954. Film director John Huston spotted the stately pile while out hunting with the Galway Blazers soon after and concluded the purchase a few months later. Incidentally, the hunt got its name when riotous behavior at a hunt ball led to the venue being set on fire. Huston, who served as joint master for ten years, felt right at home in Galway - not just at St Cleran's but in the company of the county set. Naturally, he invited his own friends over too, with Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Paul Newman being among the Hollywood names to visit.

Although Huston sold up in 1971 another Californian legend stepped into the breach in 1997 when the house again came on the market in need of refurbishment. With the help of Dublin-based interior designer Elizabeth O'Mahony, Merv Griffin again transformed the old house, creating a small country house hotel of considerable style and quality. The atmosphere is distinctly informal, however, with friendly staff, a fine (Japanese) chef and a house party ambiance. Momentos of the Huston era remain - caricatures of Hollywood greats on the dining room walls, many retained features in the master suites, paintings, antiques and the rebuilt Angelica Suite, which was once his daughter's playroom.

Recent additions are a driving range laid out to the east of the house, a putting green, reached by crossing a wooden bridge over the dry moat, and an illuminated fountain in front of the moat. All 12 bedrooms have every comfort as well as discreetly concealed modern communications, from modems to digital videos.