Dylan

With daring design, vivid colours and excellent service, this bold luxury hotel in Dublin's leafy fringe will dazzle and delight

If this is the new generation of design hotels, then 21st-century travel should be fun. Walk through the Victorian red-brick building and its limestone extension, and you journey through several worlds. Tactile wallpaper, red-and-white Murano glass chandeliers, gold skirting boards, Louis XIV chairs - this is no white-minimalist haven, but a collage of sets from a Tim Burton film. In the slick 'dylanbar' you'll find an Art-Nouveau pewter counter, double-sided hearth and fibre optic mood lighting; in the lift, emu skin walls; elsewhere, showstopping mirrors and metal sculptures. You half expect a cast of fantasy characters to saunter past. Even the all-white restaurant glimmers with pearlised leather and full-length voile curtains, like an ice palace.

No expense was spared in the 44 suites either. Expect a panoply of gadgets with all the right names - Bose, Bang & Olufsen, Etro (that's champagne bath oils) - along with 7th Heaven beds which are as good as they sound. This is the hotel of choice in Dublin for excellent service, stunning food presentation and superb, no-holds-barred comfort.

Highs

• Fabulous design with great verve and attention to detail (in the library, all books have been rebound to match the green-grey colour scheme!)
• Extremely comfortable beds and indulgent toiletries, including his-and-hers bath menus
• Immaculately dressed, helpful staff exemplify the hotel motto 'Good Service with Style'
• Gastronomic heaven - fine dining, ample breakfasts, long cocktail list
• 15 minutes walk from St Stephen's Green, so near the action but in a quiet back street away from the hubbub
• This is the place to be seen at weekends

Lows

• As you may expect, these levels of service and style fetch a high price tag
• Not in the heart of town, but more peaceful as a result
• You will need to book in advance for a weekend table at their much-vaunted restaurant, Still
• Not to be confused with the (unrelated) Dylan in Amsterdam - in case you hadn't gathered by now!