The Chicago-based Hyatt Hotel Corporation has more than 800 properties in some 55 countries across six continents. Its subsidiaries own 14 premier brands and enjoys a loyalty membership of more than 18 million. The opening of the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Dublin’s Liberties offers a new destination for Hyatt’s loyalty members worldwide.
According to Jason Ballard, vice president for Hyatt EAME, “Hyatt Centric, the Liberties, captures the essence of the brand like no other. The location and vibe of the Liberties is just perfect. The entire Hyatt team are truly excited to have finally arrived in Dublin.”
The 900-year-old story
The Liberties in Dublin is one of those special places with a depth of history so rich that every building, street, and landmark carries a hundred tales. Perhaps it should have been unsurprising then for the team behind Ireland’s first Hyatt Hotel that when they began to peel back the layers on the site in one of Dublin’s oldest neighbourhoods, many secrets of the past were revealed.
Following an extensive six-month excavation Hyatt Centric Hotel was left with a literal treasure trove of precious historical finds. Spanning an incredible 900 years, archaeologist Aisling Collins, expertly knitted the story from the Viking residents of the 11th and 12th century, through to inhabitants of the late medieval times right up to the 20th century. The dozens of artefacts uncovered range from a beautiful 17th century Dutch tile to an exceptionally well-preserved, 12th century, slate etching of the Norse god Odin.
Bringing the past in to the present
What to do with these unexpected discoveries was an easy decision for Hodson Bay Group, the Irish, family-owned company behind the development. The group are keenly aware they are now in the unique position of being able to share The Liberties, and Dublin city, directly with a global audience of more than 18 million through the World of Hyatt loyalty programme.
Local artists and experts, including historian Liz Gillis and renowned artist and sculptor Vivienne Roche, were commissioned to express the wealth of history and archaeology discovered beneath and around the Hyatt Centric Hotel prior to its construction. Roche created a permanent exhibition of artworks which she titled What Once Was Here. Comprising 10 individual artworks made in a variety of materials, this body of work is the artist's response to specific artefacts unearthed during the excavations.
Guest can also enjoy this story through an interactive, museum-quality, historical timeline. Mobile devices can scan QR codes along the timeline providing immediate access to digitised video content of the real experts telling the 900-year-old story.
Other features include a one-of-a-kind whiskey wall and masterclass developed in partnership with three local Liberties distilleries. The interactive wall will give guests a flavour of the whiskey history of the area but that’s not all, guests can even take home their own preferred blend with a personalised label of their choice.
Exploring Dublin
All of this means your experience of the capital begins before you even leave the hotel, but the beauty of the Hyatt Centric Hotel is that Dublin’s top attractions are right on the doorstep. The hotel is just a seven-minute walk from Grafton Street and the best of the city centre’s shopping, restaurants, nightlife, and theatres. Many of Dublin’s top tourist attractions including the Guinness Storehouse, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and Dublin Castle are less than 10 minutes away making it the ideal base for a savvy explorer.
Hyatt Centric team have gone one step further to help their guests explore the Liberties and the capital. Partnering with Story Tracks, an Irish start up software technology company, a bespoke app, Savvy Centric, has been developed, providing immediate access to an easy navigable library of experiences. The curated digital content gives the guest a mini tour of what is on offer before they set foot outside the door of the hotel.
The hotel offers cutting edge technologies in 234 modern, rooms and suites, most of which boast views of the city and nearby St Patrick’s Cathedral.The majority of the hotel’s furniture has been specially designed and handcrafted incorporating the personality and history of The Liberties. The design-forward hotel will offer delicious local food and expertly mixed drinks in The Liberties Gate Bar & Restaurant, state-of-the-art conferencing facilities, a relaxed reading lounge and its very own private urban oasis — The Poddle Garden.
