Hotels Near the RDS Dublin
Heading for the RDS?
St. Helen's Puts You Five Minutes From the Gates
Whether you’re in for the Ideal Home Show, a Leinster match at the newly rebuilt Laya Arena, the Dublin Horse Show or three days on a trade stand, the RDS is easy to get to and a nuisance to park at.
St. Helen’s Hotel sits on the Stillorgan Road in Booterstown, about ten minutes from Ballsbridge in normal traffic, set in four acres of private gardens. Free on-site parking, a five-star bed, and none of the circling for a space that everyone else is doing on Anglesea Road.
Close enough to be early. Far enough to hear yourself think.
Standard Room
Designed for comfort and ease, our Standard Rooms provide everything you need for a restful stay. Each features a large double or twin bed, tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, and essentials such as a magnifying mirror and hairdryer. A quiet and practical base from which to enjoy Dublin.
- 16 M² space
- Queen size bed
- Free wifi
- Free breakfast
- Air conditioning
Superior Room
With added space and refined touches, Superior Rooms include an in-room espresso machine and a choice of twin, queen, or king beds. These rooms are tailored for guests who want both practicality and room to unwind, whether visiting for work or leisure.
- 20 M² space
- King size bed
- Free wifi
- Free breakfast
- Air conditioning
Why St. Helen's Is the Easy Choice for the RDS
1/4
Free parking, right at the door
On-site parking is free for guests and included with every room. If you’re driving in for a show, arriving with stock for a stand, or towing a box for the Horse Show, that matters more than a few hundred metres. Park once, and leave the car where it is.
2/4
Ten minutes to Ballsbridge
The RDS is roughly 3km from the hotel along the Merrion Road, around ten minutes by car or taxi outside of peak. Close enough to go back to the room between sessions, which is the part people underestimate.
3/4
A Georgian manor, not a conference block
St. Helen’s is a restored eighteenth-century manor house in four acres of gardens. After eight hours on a trade floor or a stand, the difference between this and a business hotel off a dual carriageway is not a small one.
4/4
Built for early starts and late finishes
Breakfast served early enough for a 9am conference session, and flexible check-out when a show runs long. Ask the team at the time of booking and they’ll do what availability allows.
Getting to the RDS From St. Helen's
The RDS sits on Merrion Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, with entrances on Merrion Road, Anglesea Road and Simmonscourt Road. From St. Helen’s on the Stillorgan Road, it’s a straight run in along the coast side of the city, and you never have to touch the city centre.
Tip: On big show days, Ballsbridge parking fills early and street parking is restricted. Most of our guests leave the car at the hotel and take a taxi or the bus in, then walk or ride back. It’s faster, and it’s cheaper than the venue car park.
By Car or Taxi (easiest)
The RDS is approximately 3km from St. Helen’s, around ten minutes by car in normal traffic via the Merrion Road.
Taxis from the hotel run in the region of €12–€16 and our team would be more than happy to book one for you at reception.
Parking at the RDS itself is limited and paid, and sells out on busy days. We’d recommend the stress free option of parking for free at the hotel and travel the last leg in by taxi.
By Bus
Dublin Bus stops directly at the hotel gates on the Stillorgan Road, with services every ten minutes towards the city.
Routes 4 and 7 serve the RDS directly, and the 84x and 155 run along the Merrion Road corridor.
Journey time is roughly fifteen to twenty minutes.
By DART
Booterstown DART station is a short walk from the hotel. Take a northbound train and get off at Sandymount or Lansdowne Road, both a walk of ten to fifteen minutes from the RDS.
It’s the slower option of the three for the RDS specifically, but it runs late and it runs after concerts.
On Foot
About 45 minutes along the coast road and through Ballsbridge.
Pleasant on a dry evening, not a plan for a wet February morning.
What's On at the RDS
The RDS runs one of the busiest event calendars in the country, and it isn’t only rugby. Across the year the venue hosts the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, the PTSB Ideal Home Show, Comic-Con Ireland, the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show, Gifted craft fair, the Christmas market and a full conference programme across the Simmonscourt and Shelbourne Halls. Add Leinster Rugby at the Laya Arena and the summer concert season, and there are very few weeks when nothing is on.
Planning ahead? Here’s some of what’s coming up. We update this list through the year.
| Event | Month | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BKT United Rugby Championship Leinster v Cardiff | Sat 10 October 2026 | Laya Arena | |
| The Autumn PTSB Ideal Home Show | 16–18 October 2026 | RDS Simmonscourt | |
| Comic-Con Ireland | 21–23 November 2026 | RDS | |
| Elf Town Dublin | 14 November – 23 December 2026 | RDS | |
| Gifted – Contemporary Craft & Design Fair | 2–6 December 2026 | RDS | |
| Leinster v Glasgow Warriors (BKT URC) | Sat 19 December 2026, 5.30pm | Laya Arena | |
| Megacon Live Dublin | 16–17 January 2027 | RDS | |
| Catex | 16–18 February 2027 | RDS Simmonscourt |
Event Day Stays at St. Helen's
A three-day stand at Simmonscourt or a conference in the Shelbourne Hall is a different kind of trip to a Saturday match, and we set rooms up accordingly. Early breakfast, fast wifi throughout, desk space in every room, free parking for the duration, and a quiet lounge for those meaningful conversations that make the weekend worthwhile.
For teams working a show, we can hold a block of rooms across the hotel’s 150+ bedrooms, arrange private dining for client entertaining, and invoice the company directly rather than room by room.
To arrange a group booking or a corporate rate, call our reservations team on +353 (1) 218 6000 or email reservations@sthelenshotel.ie.
About the RDS, Now the Laya Arena
The Royal Dublin Society has been in Ballsbridge since 1879 and has run the Dublin Horse Show since 1881. Most people in Dublin still call the whole site the RDS, and always will.
The stadium within it is the part that changed. In November 2025 the RDS Arena was renamed the Laya Arena under a naming-rights partnership with Laya Healthcare and Leinster Rugby, and the €59 million redevelopment of the Anglesea Stand lifted capacity to around 20,600. Leinster Rugby play their home fixtures there.
So if your ticket says Laya Arena and your taxi driver says RDS, they’re the same place, and St. Helen’s is ten minutes from both of them.
Hotels Near the RDS – Your Questions Answered
St. Helen's Hotel is approximately 3km from the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, which is around ten minutes by car in normal traffic via the Merrion Road. Dublin Bus stops at the hotel gates, and Booterstown DART station is a short walk away.
Yes. On-site parking is free for all hotel guests and included with every room, with no need to book it in advance. Parking at the RDS itself is limited and paid, so most guests attending events leave the car at the hotel and travel the last leg by taxi or bus.
Yes. The RDS Arena was renamed the Laya Arena in November 2025 under a naming-rights partnership with Laya Healthcare and Leinster Rugby. The stadium sits inside the wider RDS site in Ballsbridge, which still goes by the RDS. Tickets may show either name for the same venue.
Yes. St. Helen's has over 150 bedrooms and regularly holds room blocks for teams working shows at Simmonscourt and the Shelbourne Hall, with corporate rates, direct invoicing and private dining available. Contact reservations on +353 (1) 218 6000 or reservations@sthelenshotel.ie.
Several hotels sit within walking distance in Ballsbridge itself. St. Helen's is a ten-minute drive away in Booterstown and is the closest five-star option, with free on-site parking and four acres of gardens, which suits guests who are driving in or staying several nights for a show or conference.
Where availability allows, our team will accommodate flexible check-in and check-out around major RDS events, including early breakfast for morning conference sessions. Please request this when you book so we can note it against your reservation.