Number 31 is a strange hybrid between a hotel and a B & B. It is in an excellent setting, in a quiet street in a very smart downtown area. It has no public bar or restaurant, but there is a restautrant within 10 paces of the front door. The bedrooms are located in the Georgian house, and no two are the same. Each is decorated in an individual style, and all are en suite. The Coach house features an exclusive collection of original art, ranged around the sunken seated area. The coach house was built in the late 60s by Ireland's most controversial architect, Sam Stephenson, as his home and the design is stylishly retro, -straight out of a 1960s movie! Guests can relax at the specially designed mirrored bar, and enjoy a delicious Irish breakfast in the plant filled conservatory. From avant garde style to traditional luxury, Number 31 has it all.
The easiest way to describe it is to quote from various reviews:-
Behind the locked gate of 31 Leeson Close, Noel Comer, his wife, Deirdre, and their dog, Homer, offer a friendly welcome. The guesthouse has a total of 20 rooms, 5 of which are in the basement of two modernized 19th-century coach houses. White brick walls and tile floors contribute to a cozy, informal atmosphere. Breakfast is served family-style in the upstairs conservatory of the coach house."
----- The New York Times, Sunday, July 25, 1999
"A tall, creeper-covered wall and a discreet plaque are the only indications that you have arrived at 31 Leeson Close. Ring the buzzer, open the tall doors, and you enter an oasis of tranquillity and greenery far from the clamor of the surrounding city. Number 31 was home to Ireland's most controversial modern architect, Sam Stephenson, who fashioned it from two coach houses and Noel and Deirdre Comer, the present owners, have kept the cool, clean lines of this modern home. A bright, contemporary painting hangs above the fireplace in the living room where the leather sofa, the only piece of furniture,hugs the wall of the conversation pit and stark, whitewashed brick walls contrast texturally with the mosaic tiled floor strewn with Oriental rugs. A great variety of bedrooms is spread over two buildings. The main house has rooms that vary in size from grand, high-ceilinged affairs to snug, while the coach house naturally has lower-ceilinged rooms, several of which have their own private patio. Noel, Deirdre, and Homer (the Labrador) work hard to give a gracious welcome and (Homer excluded) provide you with all the information you need on what to see and where to go in Dublin. Directions Lower Leeson Street runs off the southern end of St. Stephen's Green. A secure, off-road car park is adjacent to Number 31.
----- Karen Brown's Ireland Charming Inns & Itineraries
There are three individuals who you need to know about in Number 31 Noel Comer; Deirdre Comer; and Homer. Together, they are a good team, and they have managed to do what many people would have thought impossible, and have made it one of the finest places to stay in the city and the country. A hard act to follow, then, but the Comers have done it. The same spirit of bonhomie and stylishness which always graced this house is alive and well and properly tended to by the Comers, and Homer. They have had the good sense to leave the house virtually unchanged, save for some different paintings, and the great room with its mosaic of tiles and its sunken leather seating in front of the fire is as striking as ever.
The breakfast too is still full of the endlessly fascinating characters who always seem to stay here, and the breakfasts are as good as ever; fine light mushroom frittata; marvellous cranberry bread which should not be missed; good cereals and coffee and juices, and, yes, the little potato cakes are still served. Noel Comer conducts the room, offering wise and amusing chat or useful advice depending on what is needed, making introductions so you soon know everyone. Number 31 is as lighthearted as it ever was, and as special an address as ever it was."
----- The Bridgestone, 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland 2000.
"An award winning four star guest house right in the heart of Georgian Dublin. The former home of Ireland's leading architect, Sam Stephenson. An oasis of greenery tranquillity, where guests are encouraged to come back to relax and feel at home at any time of the day. Vast breakfasts in the dining room or in a sunny plant filled conservatory."
----- The Essence of England, Scotland Wales & Ireland
The brochure for No 31 describes it as one of Dublin's best-kept secrets', and your inspector has to agree that he was immensely surprised and delighted by the location, standard of accommodation and welcome which all guests receive. An award winning guesthouse in the heart of Georgian Dublin, it is the former home of leading architect Sam Stephenson. Set almost in the epicentre of Dublin, St. Stephen's Green, owners Deirdre and Noel Comer have made No 31 into a haven of quiet good taste, tranquillity and greenery.
There are 18 en suite bedrooms, all large, comfortable and spacious. The beds are firm and comfortable and the furnishings blend with the house, long lined expensive curtains covering the Georgian windows. Being so central, Number 31 does not provide dinner, but a breakfast the size of many dinners, with excellent fresh ground coffee. The helpful staff will park your car for you, relieving you of the worry of clampers and ever vigilant wardens. No 31 is extremely comfortable, quiet and a great find in central Dublin. Children over the age of 10 are welcome. Parents with younger children may be worried about the abundance of fine furniture and paintings. No 31 is within walking distance of Dublin's art galleries, fashionable shops, museums and top restaurants."
----- Signpost Selected Premier Hotels in Great Britain & Ireland
