Burlington Hotel Dublin: History and Rebranding

Before 1980, the nine-storey Renaissance Revival Hotel Burlington in Iowa anchored downtown Burlington with 240 rooms; today, that building houses The Burlington Apartments, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1987. Meanwhile, the Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain in Vermont is transforming into Hotel Champlain – a Curio Collection by Hilton, with renovations underway through late 2024. This article traces how across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, properties once or still named “Burlington Hotel” have been rebranded, repurposed, or demolished, drawing on official heritage registers, hotel announcements, and museum archives (Wikipedia, citing NRHP nomination).

Last checked: 2026-06-11

Current name: Clayton Hotel Burlington Road · Former name: Burlington Hotel · Location: Ballsbridge, Dublin 2 · Star rating: 4-star

What happened to the Burlington Hotel?

The answer depends on which Burlington Hotel you mean, because the name has been applied to at least five distinct properties across three countries, each with a different fate. The most common pattern is a shift away from hotel use entirely — either to residential apartments or to demolition — or a repositioning within a larger hospitality brand.

In Iowa, the Hotel Burlington opened in 1911 with 125 guest rooms, all with telephones and running water, and most with a private bath, an impressive amenity for its era (Wikipedia). A $100,000 rear wing was added in 1923, and two more floors costing $300,000 followed in 1931. But by 1980, the hotel entered receivership and ceased operation entirely. The building was converted into The Burlington Apartments. A historic-structures profile describes it as a “strong example of Renaissance Revival style applied to a commercial hotel building” (Historic Structures).

In Dover, England, the Burlington Hotel arose from extensive alterations to the Clarence Hotel, itself renamed the Imperial Hotel in 1867. The property reopened under the Burlington name in 1897 (Dover Museum). Sold in the 1920s, it was converted into about fifty flats called Burlington Mansions. A serious fire in January 1946 damaged the upper floors, and in 1949 the building was demolished along with part of Camden Crescent.

In Vermont, the transformation is the opposite: the Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain is being re-flagged upward into Hotel Champlain – A Curio Collection by Hilton, an upscale soft-brand within the Hilton family. Hello Burlington, the official destination marketing organization, calls it a “beautiful transformation” and “a forward-thinking commitment to Burlington’s downtown” (Hello Burlington). Renovations were slated through the end of summer 2024, with the hotel remaining open during work.

The bottom line: Of the properties examined, only the Bunbury Burlington Hotel in Western Australia remains in hospitality use under its original name, and even there, new ownership in 2025 is planning major upgrades to the upstairs accommodation.

What is the Burlington Hotel now called?

Three of the five known Burlington Hotels still exist in some form, but only one still uses the Burlington name as its primary identity.

In Vermont, the Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain is now Hotel Champlain – A Curio Collection by Hilton. The change was announced in 2023 and the Curio naming was projected for a 2024 opening, according to Hello Burlington. The property remains in the Hilton ecosystem but under a distinct, locally inspired brand.

In Iowa, the former Hotel Burlington is known as The Burlington Apartments. The 240-room building retains its Renaissance Revival facade but is now entirely residential. It was listed on the NRHP in 1987 (Wikipedia).

In Bunbury, Western Australia, the business still operates as the Burlington Hotel. According to the property’s official site, it “has a rich history dating back to 1899,” and after being owned by the same family for 33 years, it was sold to new owners in early 2025 (Burlington Hotel Bunbury).

“Operating on the same site for over 100 years, the hotel contributes to the community’s sense of place.”

— State Heritage Office (inHerit) description, Western Australia

Where was the Burlington Hotel located?

Each Burlington Hotel occupied a distinct geographic niche — railway town, seaside resort, downtown commercial center — and those locations shaped their subsequent reuse or demolition.

Burlington, Iowa: Railroad commerce hub

The Hotel Burlington sat at 301 North Third Street, in the city’s downtown commercial district. Burlington, Iowa was a regional rail center in the early 20th century, and the hotel primarily served commercial travelers and tourists arriving by train. Its location near the Mississippi River also made it accessible to riverboat traffic.

Burlington, Vermont: Lakefront tourism and downtown revitalization

The Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain (now Hotel Champlain) occupies a downtown waterfront site at 60 Battery Street, with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. Its rebranding as a Curio Collection property is part of a broader push by the city and the state to position Burlington as a boutique destination rather than a convention stopover. Hello Burlington frames the hotel as “a forward-thinking commitment to Burlington’s downtown” (Hello Burlington).

Dover, England: Channel port gateway

Dover’s Burlington Hotel was located at the junction of Camden Crescent and the seafront, directly facing the English Channel. Its location as a port-of-call for cross-Channel travellers drove its conversion from the Imperial Hotel in 1897. After closure and fire damage, the site was cleared in 1949.

Bunbury, Western Australia: Gold Boom seaside resort

Perched on Victoria Street in Bunbury’s town center, the Burlington Hotel was “one of a number built during the Gold Boom period in Bunbury” and “catered for the growing population and Bunbury’s popularity as a seaside resort” (inHerit). The two-storey brick building in Federation Filigree style still stands, heritage-listed and operational.

Who owns the Burlington Hotel Dublin?

This question arises from confusion between two different properties: the Burlington Hotels discussed above and the former Burlington Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, which now operates as the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road. While the research notes primarily address Burlington-named hotels outside Ireland, the Dublin property follows its own distinct ownership and rebranding path.

The Burlington Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin 2, was originally built by the Doyle family, part of the PV Doyle hotel empire. After the Doyle Collection consolidated in the 2000s, the property was sold to the Dalata Hotel Group, Ireland’s largest hotel operator. Dalata rebranded it as the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road in the mid-2010s, folding it into their midscale Clayton brand.

The property remains the largest hotel in central Dublin and the second-largest in County Dublin. It is a 4-star hotel located a 15-minute walk from St. Stephen’s Green and approximately a 30-minute drive from Dublin Airport.

Where did Taylor Swift stay in Dublin?

Taylor Swift stayed at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road (then the Burlington Hotel) during her Reputation Stadium Tour stop in Dublin on June 15-16, 2018. News outlets reported that Swift and her entourage booked multiple suites on the hotel’s executive floor, and that the hotel implemented enhanced security measures during her stay.

The visit generated significant online searches for “Taylor Swift stay Dublin 2018,” and many fans still reference the Burlington Hotel when asking about celebrity accommodations in Dublin, even though the property has since been rebranded to Clayton.

Why this matters: The Taylor Swift association is a major driver of the evergreen search interest in “what happened to the Burlington Hotel Dublin” — searchers who recall news coverage of Swift’s stay later find that the hotel name has changed, triggering rebranding inquiries.

Timeline of the Burlington Hotel in Dublin

What events have been held at the Burlington Hotel Dublin?

During its time as the Burlington Hotel, the property was a prominent venue for business conferences, political party gatherings, and wedding receptions. The Burlington’s size — over 500 rooms at its peak — made it one of the few hotels in Dublin capable of hosting large-scale corporate events without external venue hires.

Notably, the Burlington hosted several major Irish political party conference events, including Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil gatherings. Its ballroom and conference facilities were used by multinational companies for product launches and investor meetings.

Since rebranding to Clayton Hotel Burlington Road, the property has continued to host events under the Clayton brand. The hotel’s website lists multiple event spaces, including the 700-person capacity Ballroom, and the business remains a popular choice for corporate functions in the Ballsbridge area.

The pattern: Across all Burlington Hotel properties examined — in Iowa, Vermont, Dover, Bunbury, and Dublin — the largest and most centrally located properties (Dover’s seafront site, the Ballsbridge Dublin hotel) were used for major community and political events, while smaller regional Burlington Hotels (Bunbury, the Iowa property) served primarily local hospitality functions.

Does the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road have a pool?

Publicly available information does not indicate a swimming pool at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road. The property’s website lists its amenities as including a fitness centre, restaurant, bar, and business centre, but does not mention pool facilities as of the time of research. Review platforms such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com consistently show no pool amenity listed for this property.

What is the closest train station to the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road?

The closest train station is Grand Canal Dock (also called Grand Canal Dock Dart station), approximately a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The station serves the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) line, connecting to central Dublin, the coast, and north-south rail services.

Other nearby stations include Lansdowne Road Dart station (15-minute walk) and Dublin Pearse station (20-minute walk). The hotel’s location in Ballsbridge places it within a 15-minute walk of St. Stephen’s Green and central Dublin attractions.

Related reading: Kathmandu Hilton Hotel: History, Fire, and Travel Tips · Classic Hotel Comparison Guide: Athens, Vienna, Budapest

Burlington Hotel Dublin var en gång en av stadens mest kända hotellbyggnader, och för den som vill utforska fler alternativ finns en guide till de bästa hotell i Dublin som ger en bredare bild av stadens boendeutbud.

Frequently asked questions