By Terry Trucco

At a glance:  What makes the Fitzpatrick Manhattan stand out in the crowded field of mid-size Midtown hotels? This is the closest you’ll get to Dublin without boarding Aer Lingus (or staying at its  sister hotel, the Fitzpatrick Grand Central).

The first thing you see upon entering the vibrant red lobby is a framed portrait of Michael D. Higgins, Ireland’s president. And though we’ve encountered guests with Southern accents, Irish accents usually drown them out.

But just as Dublin is more hip than it once was, this traditional, 92-room hotel is more sophisticated than when it opened in 1991, even if Irishness is still the most persistent — and intriguing — feature.

You probably won’t linger in the lobby, a traditionally attractive, wood-paneled room with those tomato-colored walls, a glittering chandelier (Waterford, naturally) and a smattering of seating, including two inviting leather club chairs.

But check-in, a sit-down affair at a Chippendale-style desk by the window, is friendly, almost cozy, and often culminates in a chat.

And if you’re looking for a place to stay for a while, Fitz’s bar, which is off the lobby, is open until midnight.

Rooms: Updated tradition. You don’t come to the Fitzpatrick for cutting edge style, but comfort is another story. Rooms are handsome, dressed in taupes and creams. The smallest may lack an entry hall but are big enough to accommodate a club chair, a small, traditional writing desk, a deep closet with an ironing board and a queen-size bed dressed with crisp white sheets and backed by a massive tufted headboard.

The larger doubles sport nice little hallways and wet bars but have queen-size beds. Prefer a king? You’ll have to book a suite. Bathrooms are (fairly) newly renovated with granite countertops and large stall showers lined with chic one-inch glass tiles. (Suites have tubs as well.) One odd note: the flatscreen TV was mounted on a wall to the side of the bed in the room we saw so you had to angle yourself – or twist your neck — to watch in bed.

Food and drink: Fitz’s bar and lounge offers a medley of rooms, depending on your order and mood.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the main dining room overlooking Lexington Avenue and walled with handsome wood paneling and blue-and-white toile (we love the big armchairs, upholstered in black-and-white houndstooth and leather).  The signature Irish breakfast — scrambled eggs, Irish bacon, sausages, black and white pudding (yummy if you don’t ask what’s in it), tomato, wheat toast and a pot of coffee — is served all day.

Fitz’s bar, once a rollicking, dark-green hangout, is recast as a library in masculine blacks, grays and reds. The dimly lighted main room consists of a classic long bar with ample seating and a row of tall tables for two with high, leather chairs that swivel. Sandwiched between the restaurant and bar is a bonus room — Fitzpatrick red with walls of books, a working fire place and two tables for semi-private drinks. The bar looks more English than Irish, but that didn’t stop a group of lads from cheering on Ireland in a championship football match on three flatscreen TVs. In other words, it feels like a hangout, in a good way. Besides the usual strong stuff, the bar menu includes seasonal cocktails.

Surroundings: Great if you’re in the mood for Midtown. The block is boring but Bloomingdale’s, a riot of brand-name stores, Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral are nearby. Grand Central Station, Times Square and the Theater District, the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park are walkable — if you like to walk. Bus stops and the subway station are close by.

Back story: The Fitzpatrick Manhattan occupies the site of the former Dover hotel, a 17-story brick structure built in 1926 that stands in the middle of the block. The Dover housed pied-a-terre apartments used by wealthy suburbanites until World War II.

After the war, it became a transient hotel, and in 1982 it closed. It was purchased nine years later by the Fitzpatrick family, owners of a small chain of hotels in Ireland. The Fitzpatrick, the chain’s first American property, opened in October 1991. The family eventually sold the company, and the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group is now based in New York.

The hotel was renovated top to toe between 2007 and 2008, and the kitschy, if endearing touches disappeared, like the emerald green elevator carpets emblazoned with the day of the week in Gaelic. More recent room refreshes have occurred.

Keep in mind: A 17 percent service charge is automatically added to your restaurant bill just like VAT (though there’s also a line for a tip, which seems like double-dipping).