The Hendrick Smithfield
Certification: LEED Gold (first in Ireland for any hotel) County: Dublin (Smithfield, Dublin 7) Type: 4-star hotel, 147 rooms
The Hendrick Smithfield is Ireland’s first hotel to achieve LEED Gold certification, awarded by the Irish Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system, administered by the US Green Building Council and adopted globally. LEED Gold represents high performance across site sustainability, water efficiency, energy performance, materials use, and indoor environmental quality.
No other hotel in Ireland holds this specific certification. It is an internationally recognised green building credential applied at the design and construction level, which means the hotel’s environmental performance is built into the structure itself rather than bolted on through operational practices alone.
The Certification
LEED Gold is awarded following assessment across multiple categories: sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation. The Hendrick scored at Gold level following assessment by the Irish Green Building Council.
The certification is notable because it addresses the hotel’s physical infrastructure rather than just its management practices. A LEED Gold hotel is inherently more energy and water efficient than a conventionally built property.
What This Means in Practice
The Hendrick’s LEED Gold performance is delivered through: extensive rooftop PV solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, LED lighting throughout, high-performance energy-efficient climate control, reuse of materials from demolished structures on the site, fresh air ventilation systems to maintain indoor air quality, and cycle storage and public transport access to reduce transport emissions.
The hotel achieved LEED certification partly by integrating these systems at design stage rather than retrofitting them, which produces measurably better results.
The Hotel
The Hendrick Smithfield is a 4-star hotel with 147 guest rooms in the Smithfield area of Dublin 7, on the north side of the Liffey close to the Four Courts, Stoneybatter, and the Jameson Distillery. It is well-connected to Dublin city centre by Luas Red Line (Smithfield stop) and close to multiple cycling routes.
Practical Information
Location: Smithfield, Dublin 7 Nearest Transport: Luas Red Line (Smithfield stop), Heuston Station (10-minute walk) Booking: Book via Booking.com or directly
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Why EcoStay Ireland Lists This Property
Ireland’s first and only LEED Gold certified hotel. A green building credential applied at construction level, delivering intrinsically better environmental performance than operational certification alone. The most rigorously certified eco hotel in Dublin.
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