The lifestyle brand The Hoxton, which has been operating in Edinburgh since last summer in a series of townhouses converted into a 211-room hotel, has just crossed the Irish Sea to the heart of Dublin. This time, it has transformed one of the Irish capital's historic establishments, the Central Hotel. Recognisable by its red brick façade on the corner of South Great George's Street and Exchequer Street, the venue has long been a favourite, not least for its Library Bar. Dubliners have now returned to this pub for future odysseys, where they can enjoy a pint of Guinness by its marble fireplace, in a new warm atmosphere.
Locals and business travellers passing through the Irish capital will also be able to enjoy a lobby bar at Hoxton Dublin, and a new venue, Dollars, which is a New York-style deli by day and a relaxed wine bar by night. As for the hotel's restaurant, Cantina Valentine, it plays on Peruvian flavours, with ceviches and pisco sours.
All are suitable for hosting corporate or private events, in addition to another new feature for this 129-room hotel: the Hoxton brand's first nightclub, called Groundwork. A 220-seat space with an industrial decor for creative events, it will open its doors in early 2026.
Next year, The Hoxton will also be adding a new European capital to its list of destinations: Madrid. The brand owned by Ennismore, the subsidiary of the Accor group dedicated to developing lifestyle hotels, will be setting up shop in Santa Ana Square, replacing what was until last summer the ME by Melia Madrid Reina Victoria. Opened in 2004, the original hotel under the ME brand continued the hotel's history as a favourite haunt of bullfighters, including the famous Manolete, who always booked room 220 out of superstition.
It is now up to Hoxton to continue the adventure. The handover between these two lifestyle brands is reflected in a renovation phase due to be completed in 2026. While the hotel's modernist façade, dating back to the Belle Epoque and designed by Jesús Carrasco-Muñoz y Encina, will remain unchanged, the interior will feature a coffee bar and a lounge area in the lobby where mobile workers can relax throughout the day, a trattoria on the restaurant side and, to top it all off, the Cayo Coco bar on the rooftop. With 192 rooms and suites, the Hoxton Madrid will also incorporate the brand's MICE concept, The Apartment, with meeting spaces grouped around a kitchen and a communal living area.
Following on from The Hoxton, Poblenou, which opened in Barcelona in 2022, this new hotel will continue the growth of the upmarket chain in Europe. " We are delighted to expand The Hoxton portfolio with another exciting property in Spainsaid Sharan Pasricha, founder and co-CEO of Ennismore. The Hoxton's pipeline for the coming years is strong, with Madrid among several openings we have planned in Europe alongside Oslo, Krakow and Hamburg, as well as Melbourne in Australia and Nashville in the United States. "
