The Shelbourne
A landmark Dublin hotel overlooking St Stephen's Green and associated with major episodes in Irish political and cultural history.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Shelbourne is a historic luxury hotel on the north side of St Stephen's Green in central Dublin, Ireland. Its setting in a landmark building overlooking one of the city's principal Georgian squares has made it both a hospitality business and a prominent civic and cultural landmark. The hotel traces its foundation to 1824, when Martin Burke, a native of County Tipperary, acquired three adjoining townhouses facing the green and combined them into a substantial hotel. Burke named the establishment after William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne. From its early years, the hotel attracted international visitors, literary figures, political actors and members of high society. William Makepeace Thackeray stayed there in 1842 and later referred to the hotel in The Irish Sketch-Book. Emperor Pedro II of Brazil visited in 1877, while the building also appears in the cultural memory of Dublin through James Joyce's Ulysses. In the early twentieth century, Alois Hitler Jr., Adolf Hitler's elder half-brother, worked at the hotel during a period spent in Dublin. The Shelbourne's location also placed it close to major political events. During the 1916 Easter Rising, British troops occupied the hotel as part of efforts to oppose forces holding nearby St Stephen's Green. In 1922, room 112 was used for drafting the Constitution of the Irish Free State and is now known as the Constitution Room. The building underwent a major redesign by architect John McCurdy in 1867. That work established much of the hotel's external identity, including four decorative caryatid-style torchère statues produced by the Val d'Osne foundry. The statues became the subject of public debate in 2020, when management temporarily removed them amid international protests over racial injustice and concerns that they depicted enslaved people. Subsequent historical and art-historical examination concluded that the figures were mass-produced decorative representations of women associated with Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa, rather than established representations of Nubian slaves. Following cleaning and restoration, the statues were returned to their plinths in December 2020. Ownership and operating arrangements changed repeatedly from the late twentieth century onward. The Cotton Jury family, which had controlled the hotel for almost a century, sold it in 1960 to Trust House Hotels, later associated with the Forte Group. The hotel subsequently passed through the Forte, Granada, Compass and Le Méridien-related corporate structures. In 2001, Le Méridien was sold to Nomura Securities, after which the hotel was acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland. Marriott took over operation in 2004 under its Renaissance Hotels brand, and the property was later renamed The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection in 2019. The property was sold in 2004 to Kantaka Enterprises, a consortium of Irish developers that undertook an extensive renovation financed by Irish banks. During the Irish financial crisis, Kennedy Wilson acquired the hotel from receivership in 2014. It remained a major Dublin hospitality asset and event venue, hosting, among other events, the draw for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals in 2018. In 2024, Kennedy Wilson sold the hotel to Dutch investment firm Archer Hotel Capital for just under 260 million euros. Marriott continues to operate the property under the Autograph Collection framework, with the reported management arrangement extending to 2026. The Shelbourne offers luxury accommodation, restaurants and bars, meeting and event facilities, and heritage-oriented spaces that emphasize its connection to Irish history. A major renovation was scheduled for late 2025.
History
The Shelbourne Hotel began in 1824 when Martin Burke brought together three adjoining townhouses overlooking St Stephen's Green in Dublin. The new hotel took its name from William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne. Its location, architecture and proximity to Dublin's political institutions helped it become a prominent meeting place for visitors, writers, politicians and social figures. William Makepeace Thackeray stayed there in 1842 and later wrote about the establishment in The Irish Sketch-Book. Emperor Pedro II of Brazil made a discreet visit in 1877. The hotel also acquired a place in literary and biographical history through its association with Dublin and with Alois Hitler Jr., who worked there in the early twentieth century. A substantial redesign by John McCurdy was completed in 1867. The exterior incorporated four torch-bearing caryatid figures cast by the Val d'Osne foundry in France. These decorative figures, based on designs attributed to Mathurin Moreau, became one of the building's most recognizable visual features. Their later interpretation generated controversy because earlier accounts had described some of them as slave or servant figures. In 2020, management removed them amid heightened public attention to monuments and racial representation following the murder of George Floyd. Further examination by architectural and art historians found that the statues were catalogue-produced decorative figures and did not correspond to the established iconography of Nubian slaves. After conservation work, they were reinstalled in December 2020. The hotel's political history is closely connected to the surrounding area. During the Easter Rising in 1916, approximately forty British troops occupied the building under Captain Andrews while opposing Irish forces held St Stephen's Green. In 1922, room 112 was used in drafting the Constitution of the Irish Free State. The room is now identified as the Constitution Room and forms part of the property's heritage identity. James Joyce also referred to the Shelbourne in Ulysses, further embedding it in Dublin's literary landscape. Ownership changed in 1960, when the Cotton Jury family sold the hotel after nearly a century of control to Trust House Hotels, later linked with the Forte Group. The property became part of the corporate hotel consolidations involving Forte, Le Méridien, Granada and Compass. It was renamed Le Méridien Shelbourne Hotel in 1996. Following the 2001 sale of Le Méridien to Nomura Securities, the hotel was sold later that year to the Royal Bank of Scotland. Marriott assumed operation in 2004 under the Renaissance Hotels brand, and the property became known as The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel. In December 2004, RBS sold the hotel to Kantaka Enterprises, a consortium of Irish developers. The consortium invested heavily in renovation, with financing from Bank of Ireland and Anglo Irish Bank. During the Irish banking and property crisis, the hotel entered receivership and was acquired in 2014 by Beverly Hills-based Kennedy Wilson from Bank of Ireland and the liquidators of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation. The facade was refurbished in 2016 and received an award from the Irish Georgian Society. In 2018, the hotel hosted the UEFA draw for the 2019 Nations League Finals. The property moved into Marriott's Autograph Collection in 2019, emphasizing its individual historic identity within Marriott's international distribution and management system. In 2024, Kennedy Wilson sold it to Archer Hotel Capital for just under 260 million euros. The hotel remains active as a luxury Dublin property, with accommodation, food and beverage, meetings and events, and heritage spaces. A further renovation valued at approximately 50 million euros was scheduled for late 2025, while Marriott's management contract was reported to run through 2026.
- 2024
Sold to Archer Hotel Capital
[1]Archer Hotel Capital acquired the hotel from Kennedy Wilson.
- 2020
Exterior statues removed and restored
[1]The statues were temporarily removed during a public debate about racial representation, then returned after expert review and cleaning.
- 2019
Property joins Autograph Collection
[1]The hotel moved from Renaissance Hotels to Marriott's Autograph Collection and became The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection.
- 2016
Facade refurbishment recognized
[1]The refurbished facade received an award from the Irish Georgian Society.
- 2014
Kennedy Wilson acquires the hotel from receivership
[1]Kennedy Wilson purchased the property from Bank of Ireland and the liquidators of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.
- 2004
Marriott assumes operation under Renaissance Hotels
[1]Marriott entered a long-term operating arrangement and the property became The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel.
- 1996
Renamed Le Méridien Shelbourne Hotel
[1]The hotel adopted the Le Méridien name during the period when the brand was associated with Forte and later Granada.
- 1960
Cotton Jury family sells the hotel
[1]After nearly a century of family ownership, the hotel was sold to Trust House Hotels.
- 1922
Constitution of the Irish Free State drafted in room 112
[1]Room 112 was used in drafting the Constitution of the Irish Free State and is now called the Constitution Room.
- 1916
Hotel occupied during the Easter Rising
[1]British troops occupied the hotel while opposing Irish forces holding nearby St Stephen's Green.
Products and positioning
A heritage luxury hotel positioned as a prestigious Dublin landmark, combining high-end accommodation and event services with architectural character, central location and associations with Irish political, literary and cultural history.
Accommodation
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's core offering is luxury accommodation in a historic central Dublin building overlooking St Stephen's Green. Rooms and suites combine the property’s heritage architecture with contemporary hotel services and are marketed to leisure travelers, business guests and visitors seeking a landmark Dublin experience.
Restaurants and bars
Food and beverage
The Shelbourne operates hospitality venues serving hotel guests, local customers and visitors. Its food-and-beverage business forms part of the property's broader luxury positioning and includes dining, drinks and traditional hotel hospitality experiences.
Events and conferences
Meetings and private events
The property provides rooms and facilities for meetings, conferences, weddings, banquets and other private functions. Its historic interiors and central location support both corporate events and ceremonial or social occasions.
Heritage venue · 1922
Constitution Room
The Constitution Room is the historic room associated with the drafting of the Constitution of the Irish Free State in 1922. It functions as a distinctive heritage feature and event space within the hotel.
Brand decisions
2025
Scheduled major renovationStrategyBackground
Following Archer Hotel Capital's acquisition of the property, a substantial renovation was scheduled for late 2025.
Action taken
A renovation budget of approximately 50 million euros was reported for the hotel.
Reported renovation budget. Approximately €50 million (Scheduled for late 2025)
2020
Removal and reinstatement of exterior statuesOtherBackground
Management acted amid global protests about racial injustice and uncertainty over whether the statues represented enslaved people.
Action taken
The statues were removed, examined by specialists, cleaned and later returned to their original positions.
Aftermath
Expert review concluded that the figures were decorative representations rather than established depictions of Nubian slaves, allowing the statues to be restored.
2019
Move to Marriott's Autograph CollectionStrategyBackground
After operating under Marriott's Renaissance Hotels brand, the property was repositioned within Marriott's collection of individually characterized hotels.
Action taken
The hotel adopted the name The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection.
Aftermath
The change reinforced the hotel's standalone heritage identity while retaining Marriott's operating and distribution platform.
Recent events
- 2024
Kennedy Wilson sells The Shelbourne to Archer Hotel Capital[1]
M&A
Kennedy Wilson sold the Dublin hotel to Dutch investment firm Archer Hotel Capital for a reported price of just under 260 million euros.
- 2020
Shelbourne statues temporarily removed amid racial-justice debate[1]
Other
Management removed the four exterior statues as a precaution during international protests following the murder of George Floyd. Historical and art-historical review later disputed the interpretation that the figures represented slaves, and the statues were restored and returned.
- 2019
The Shelbourne joins Marriott's Autograph Collection[1]
Other
The property moved from Marriott's Renaissance Hotels branding to the Autograph Collection and adopted the name The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection.
- 2018
UEFA Nations League Finals draw held at The Shelbourne[1]
Other
UEFA's executive committee conducted the draw for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals at the hotel.
Sources1 sources
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