It has been a long time coming but Dublin's Morrison Hotel officially opened its doors to some media darlings on Friday lunchtime. Apparently it wasn't the "official" opening - an event that is already being touted as the party to end all parties, but which is probably quite a long way off considering that phase two of the plans aren't even under way yet.
Dublin's glams are just going to have to content themselves with the bits that are open, which are really rather spectacular. At yesterday's lunch, guests gathered in the restaurant, which is dominated by three large paintings executed (as is all the art in the hotel) by artist Clea van der Grijn, for a lunch executed by chef Jean Michel Poulot.
Those on the guest list for the reception included general manager Gerard Denneny; designer John Rocha, who was design consultant for the project; designer Monica Gumbrielle; architects Hugh Wallace and Grainne Weber of Douglas Weber Architects who was in charge of re-designing the building, and marketing manager Aoife Henderson.