Hampton Hotel contents, including dance floor, come to auction

Michael Bolton

The entire contents of an iconic hotel, including its dance floor, are up for grabs in a €200,000 auction.

The dancehall of many people’s youth, Dublin 4’s Hampton Hotel, formerly known as Sachs, closed in April.

Now stripped bare, 1,200 lots are set to find new homes ahead of an online auction on September 4th and 5th, organised by Niall Mullen in conjunction with auctioneer Aidan Foley.

“What’s unusual about the Hampton is the fact that it was a completely functioning hotel until earlier this year - it wasn’t run down or being refurbished,” said antiques dealer Mullen.

“It has just come to the end of its natural life. It is a significant venue in Dublin, epitomising a time when nightclubs were ingrained in people’s social lives, which is not so much the case anymore.”

The auction comprises 1,200 items with an overall valuation of €200,000.

The catalogue will be of particular interest to small business owners, as it includes the 39-room Donnybrook hotel’s full kitchen interior and a food truck.

Alongside the contents of the Hampton, the interiors of the recently refurbished five-star Dylan Hotel in Ballsbridge will also be available, providing an opportunity for those looking for statement interior pieces.

Also included in the auction are the contents of three pop-up shops originally used to sell Elton John’s eye-wear range.

The pop-up shops, which ran at Kildare Village as well as locations in London, comprise flight cases (used for transporting equipment by air), display stands, mannequins, Elton John memorabilia, and even a disco ball, and should interest business owners as well as fans of the music legend.

“There is something here for everyone, and these pop-up shops are really something else,” said Mullen.

“They are a bit funky, with the Elton John charm, and everything is purpose-built and sturdy.

“The flight cases are the most heavily branded items from the Elton John pop-up shops, but they would absolutely serve the purpose they were built for at a fraction of the price you would buy them for as new.”

Viewing of the contents, open to the public, will take place at 60 Prussia Street, Dublin 7, from August 31st to September 3rd.

The auction, which is online only, will take place on September 4th and 5th.