ompiling the Irish Impartial’s inaugural Scorching 100, I knew I couldn’t please everybody. There’s no sure, scientific method of rating one lodge in opposition to one other — not more than there may be the perfect motion pictures, songs or hurlers.
For me, the perfect motels in Eire are people who exceed your expectations and keep in your coronary heart. That’s it. So there was just one approach to go along with this listing — to make it private.
Positive, we now have star scores. But when they had been the factors, the listing can be loaded with five-stars, they usually actually solely symbolize a fraction of what our hospitality business has to supply.
So I selected motels I see as greatest of their class, a mixture of iconic stays and heat, sincere companies that make me really feel at residence. I’ve ranked the Prime 25 so as, and listed the remaining in teams of 4 (26-50; 51-75; 76-100), in no explicit order inside these groupings.
My standards? As a lodge visitor, I like creativity, innovation (from small cinemas to 100ml wine pourings) and considerate design. I worth motels that worth sustainability, interact with their communities and amplify their places by way of menus, actions, artwork and retail. Be it a finances bolthole or world-famous resort, I feel these motels equal their friends anyplace I’ve travelled, however stay distinctly Irish.
It’s additionally vital for me to really feel like workers get pleasure from their work, are proud to share native suggestions and are revered by administration — nothing tells you as a lot about how a lodge is run because the happiness of its workers.
I frightened about discovering 100 worthy inclusions. In the long run, the actually painstaking calls had been which to go away out; this listing might simply have been twice the size. It’s additionally price declaring that it is a listing of motels, somewhat than broader locations to remain, so I’ve omitted smaller nation homes, campsites and B&Bs. There are additionally Irish motels I haven’t been to (but!) — so I plan to replace this listing yearly, as my travels proceed.
Proper now, motels are having to defend rising room charges. And so they need to. However my picks are locations the place I really feel you get first rate worth to your night time away — whether or not you spend €99 or €999.
I do know you’ll concur with some and quibble with others. However I hope that we are able to all agree on one factor — we’re fortunate to have them.
Worth Information:
- €: Price range bolthole
- €€: Inexpensive for many
- €€€: Mid-range magic
- €€€€: Luxurious at a good worth
- €€€€€: Eye-watering, however well worth the splurge
Prime 25
1. Adare Manor
Adare, Co Limerick
Earlier than JP McManus and household acquired Adare Manor, it felt like a wonderful however fusty lodge, languishing in Limerick’s countryside. At present, it’s a world-class resort that sits on best-of lists within the glossiest publications on the planet. Cash seems to have been little object in its transformation, with high quality oozing out of each expertise, from a spherical of golf (it hosts the Ryder Cup in 2027) to breakfast within the Hogwarts-worthy gallery, dinner within the Michelin-starred Oak Room or cocktails within the Tack Room.
However the informal experiences are simply nearly as good, and arguably higher — the superbly judged Carriage Home for eating or the welcome you get floating previous these residing moss wall items within the cedar-clad Padel Membership and pool. Costly? Eye-wateringly so. However it will probably maintain its personal with any property charging these costs. Learn our Adare Manor overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€€; adaremanor.com
Kelly’s Resort Lodge & Spa
2. Kelly’s Resort Lodge & Spa
Rosslare, Co Wexford
Kelly’s is a sense. It’s as assured as it’s relaxed, as personable as it’s polished; a family-run affair that would stand subsequent to any four-star resort I’ve seen (although it couldn’t exist anyplace however Eire, after all). Generations of friends proceed to flock again to Rosslare, usually reserving subsequent yr’s keep as they try, and Invoice Kelly and daughter Laura can have spoken to virtually all by the point they depart.
The wine and artwork collections (look out for a Warhol silkscreen of Debbie Harry) punch far above their weight for a four-star. Youthful friends might give probably the most enthusiastic evaluations, because of its custom of taking households critically — and that’s not even beginning on the spa, swimming pools and smashing seaside outdoors the again door. It’s an innovator, stuffed with acquainted faces, and all the time available with considerate touches — a digital camera to take pictures of particular events, for instance.
Particulars: €€€€; kellys.ie
One of many refurbished rooms at Dunbrody
3. Dunbrody Home
Arthurstown, Co Wexford
Has it actually been 25 years? How time has flown for Catherine and Kevin Dundon and their friends. 1 / 4-of-a-century because the couple first opened this Blue Ebook bolthole to guests, it simply retains getting higher. At present, you’ll discover a refurbished important home stuffed with snappy Liberty materials, Sanderson wallpapers and Carerra marble loos, alongside the spa, cookery college, ‘The Native’ (now restyled as a seafood joint) and a Cosy Cabin to sleep within the woods. Inventive, assured and pretty priced, it has indisputably turn into a contemporary Irish basic. Gentle-touch luxurious at its greatest.
Particulars: €€€€; dunbrodyhouse.com
The Armada Lodge, Co Clare
4. Armada Lodge
Spanish Level, Co Clare
Each time I go to — really, each time I get an electronic mail with updates from this lodge — I’m blown away by its vitality and enthusiasm. In a torturous time for hospitality, it has been relentlessly inventive, a considerate employer, and continued to place sustainability on the coronary heart of its planning.
Proprietor John Burke has climbed Everest, so he doesn’t shirk from a problem — and he has steered all the pieces from room refurbs to the brand new Aileen’s Restaurant, meals truck Catch, its personal farm, gin and even the West Clare Explorer — an off-grid camper van bookable all year-round. Its newest transfer? Taking up the close by Spanish Level Home. Oh, and the seaside subsequent door isn’t dangerous, both.
Particulars: €€€; armadahotel.com
The bar at Harvey’s Level
5. Harvey’s Level
Tawnyvorgal, Co Donegal
Different motels have its parts — a shocking lakeside setting, large rooms, cabaret and family-run heritage. However none tie them along with fairly the aplomb and polish of Harvey’s Level. Like Kelly’s, it’s a distinctly Irish establishment, wooing friends with supervisor Noel Cunningham’s greetings, and guided walks to occasions like midweek wine tastings, or touches like fruit and water provided as you try.
When Deirdre McGlone and Marc Gysling offered up in 2019, I questioned if requirements would slip. A current go to reassured me, and there are model new balcony rooms and a resident’s bar too. The four-star recurrently tops TripAdvisor’s polls of the perfect motels in Eire, regardless of having no pool or spa (but). Rooms with no lake view overlook the Bluestack mountains. Learn our Harvey’s Level lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; harveyspoint.com
The Shelbourne Lodge on St Stephen’s Inexperienced in Dublin
6. The Shelbourne
Dublin
In 2024, The Shelbourne will have a good time its 2 hundredth birthday. What number of current motels might hope to be round in two centuries time? Dublin’s grand dame has heritage (the Structure was drafted right here 100 years in the past) and sophistication (a pre-pandemic, multi-million euro refurb is the most recent facelift). However it nonetheless feels accessible to unusual people, and I like the fashionable sensibility underpinning all of it, the slick deck of bars like The Horseshoe and 1824, and… nicely, location, location, location. It’s a thrill simply to be within the Shelbourne, understanding celebs could also be sleeping, trysts fizzing, or offers being brokered over drinks in No.27, or beef Chateaubriand in The Saddle Room. A legendary lodge it’s beautiful to see busy once more. Learn our Shelbourne lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€€; theshelbourne.com
7. Parknasilla Resort & Spa
Sneem, Co Kerry
Some individuals gained’t take into account holidaying anyplace else, and would you blame them? Parknasilla could be the proper resort, within the good county. There’s a practice of hospitality right here stretching again over 125 years, and its tackle “laid-back luxurious” ranges throughout not simply rooms and suites, however lodges and woodland villas that e book out ages upfront for varsity holidays. Boredom isn’t an possibility on the 500-acre property, with actions like fishing, strolling trails, a spa, al fresco scorching tub, sea swimming and kayaking. On my final go to, we joined a birds of prey speak within the lobby, and an excellent shoreline exploration with wildlife information and coastal ecologist, Vincent Hyland.
Particulars: €€€€; parknasillaresort.com
The Lengthy Room, One Pery Sq.
8. One Pery Sq.
Limerick
Since Patricia Roberts flipped this former hostel in 2006, it has set the tone for what luxurious townhouse motels may be, having upgraded and developed even by way of a recession and a pandemic. It jogs my memory of the proverbial swan — elegantly shifting alongside, with toes paddling furiously beneath the floor. A small spa, mixture of interval and trendy membership rooms, inventive package deal offers and layers of affection for its neighbourhood all tie right into a uniquely Irish tackle a Georgian boutique lodge.
In the event you’re on the lookout for best-in-class menus utilizing Irish elements, strive the comparatively new Lengthy Room, the place chef Alex Timmons’ dishes would possibly vary from hen and Ballyhoura mushroom gnocchi to a easy Pigtown sausage roll named after Limerick’s former market. Pair with wine servings ranging from 100ml “small pours”, one other genius thought, for the proper mixture. It radiates class, with out being stuffy.
Particulars: €€€; oneperysquare.com
Francis and John Brennan on the Park Lodge Kenmare
9. Park Lodge Kenmare
Kenmare, Co Kerry
I’m undecided who else might have gone by way of a pandemic and are available out the opposite finish with extra motels, and snazzily upgraded ones at that. In addition to shopping for The Lansdowne and persevering with to develop the stunning Dromquinna Manor, John and Francis Brennan splashed on a revamp of their beloved five-star. At their service was designer Bryan O’Sullivan, and the reboots of reception, cocktail bar and out of doors eating terrace are notably arresting. I’m certain they’ve had some niggly suggestions concerning the daring new colors from friends who loved the previous ambiance, however an excellent lodge by no means stands nonetheless, and these hoteliers definitely don’t.
The key weapon, by the way in which, is chef James Coffey, who brings simply the suitable measures of sophistication, custom and trendy lightness of contact to his menus (Michelin inspectors lately tweeted a photograph). Throw in an aesthetic spa, nice actions programme and a 25m lap pool, and you’ve got a whole premium package deal.
Particulars: €€€€€; parkkenmare.com
10. Lodge Doolin
Doolin, Co Clare
I’ve been writing about this little lodge’s huge concepts for nearly a decade, they usually simply maintain coming. By my calculations, the 17-bed was Eire’s first licensed carbon-neutral lodge. To its mash-up-style road entrance, it has added an eco-friendly wedding ceremony barn and occasion house. Menus supply 90pc of meals from a 100km radius (washed down with its personal Dooliner beer), and sustainability appears genuinely to be on the coronary heart of all the pieces it does. “I can’t consider greater lodge chains aren’t making these modifications,” Donal Minihane, its normal supervisor, as soon as advised me. Throw in reside music at Fitz’s, wood-fired pizza at Stonewall, occasion packages and deep Doolin roots, and you’ve got a tiny trailblazer.
Particulars: €€; hoteldoolin.ie
The foyer and fireside at Ballynahinch Fort
11. Ballynahinch Fort
Connemara, Co Galway
The most effective lodge bars in Eire, its deep refurb has introduced its heritage in step with up to date, Connemara stylish. Add a shiny new Relais & Châteaux membership card, nice Irish artworks (together with by Jack B Yeats and Mary Swanzy) and a peachy place on a river and 700-acre property, and I’m offered! I’ve been returning to Ballynahinch for years, and am delighted to notice a step ahead every time. Owned by Denis O’Brien, the lodge has refurbed rooms, added new self-catering choices, and the Owenmore Restaurant has turn into a eating room to die for. All of this, and you may go fishing and taking pictures on the property… in case you can tear your self away from these open fires, that’s. Learn our Ballynahinch Fort overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; ballynahinch-castle.com
The spa pool at Ashford Fort
12. Ashford Fort
Cong, Co Mayo
The setting! The grandeur! The worth… (eek!) It’s robust to fault this fabulous five-star resort, lately revamped with lashings of money and TLC by homeowners, the Tollman household. Ashford is among the world’s nice fortress stays, as a gentle stream of worldwide friends attests, and lots of really feel it’s the perfect lodge in Eire. I discover the maximalism a teensy bit full-on and, as a fussy swimmer, the pool a little bit small. However experiences like eating within the George V restaurant (“gents require a jacket; a tie is non-compulsory”), strolling its wolfhounds, or doing all your greatest Quiet Man impressions are bucket-list stuff. Employees are good, and had been nicely sorted in lockdown, too. An iconic Irish keep. Learn our listing of the perfect Irish castles to remain in right here.
Particulars: €€€€€; ashfordcastle.com
Marlfield Home Pond Suite
13. Marlfield Home
Gorey, Co Wexford
Laura and Margaret Bowe’s Blue Ebook bolthole was already a basic nation home keep. Now, it’s a template for the way nation homes can evolve by way of the twenty first century. The Regency-style manor is its coronary heart, with very good interval options, a beautiful library bar and quaint conservatory eating room. Add to that the fashionable Duck restaurant, which helped present a roadmap for severe informal eating and the repurposing of older buildings when it opened in 2015, and currently, the super-luxe Pond Suites. They carry pops of favor and self-contained lodging to the gardens. I am unable to wait to see what they give you subsequent. Learn our Marlfield Home overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; marlfieldhouse.com
14. Ballyfin
Ballyfin, Co Laois
Fred and Kay Krehbiel’s flip of Ballyfin from decaying Regency-era mansion and boarding college into an beautiful nation property keep deserves a full chapter in any future Ebook of Irish Hospitality. These bathtubs… that Gold Room… the library. The element and craftsmanship is scrumptious, and triggered a golden age for Irish flagship refurbs, together with Ashford Fort, Adare Manor and Carton Home. All the time a contender for Eire’s most costly keep, celeb friends have ranged from Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to Amal and George Clooney. Oh, and you may even ask to borrow from its assortment of interval costumes from the Lyric Opera Firm in Chicago.
Particulars: €€€€€; ballyfin.com
15. The Montenotte
Cork
After I consider the Montenotte, I consider cocktails on the terrace overlooking Cork Metropolis. I consider pops of cleverly curated artwork, a really feel for color, a comfy cinema and Victorian gardens that take you again in time. However most of all, I consider its can-do spirit. This dynamic lodge is on a improvement journey that has seen an enormous leap ahead, and can quickly add treehouse-style nests as a part of a brand new ‘Woodland Expertise’. It has recruited nicely, workers really feel like they get pleasure from working there, and pool and residence upgrades ought to see one other main step ahead by 2025. However The Montenotte group realise the journey is as vital because the vacation spot, and are having enjoyable alongside the way in which. Sooner or later it will likely be a five-star; I hope it is going to all the time have this perspective. Learn our Montenotte lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; themontenottehotel.com
The Treehouse at Fitzgeralds Woodlands Home Lodge & Spa, Co Limerick
16. Fitzgeralds Woodlands Home
Adare, Co Limerick
The place do the Fitzgeralds get their vitality? Each time I go to, one thing new is underway… as has been the case since Mary and husband Dick first developed their B&B within the Eighties. At present, that very same plot of land hosts one in all Eire’s most dynamic four-stars, the Revas Spa, new strolling trails, an natural backyard and The Treehouse, which gained ‘ Eire’s greatest Out of doors Eating’ in our Reader Journey Awards 2022. Elaina Fitzgerald Kane additionally performed a blinder as Irish Accommodations Federation President by way of the pandemic, advocating for her business and retaining spirits up together with her vitality, empathy and sensible requires assist.
Particulars: €€€; woodlands-hotel.ie
17. Hayfield Manor
Cork
Hayfield Manor seems like a hug. An costly hug, after all — however you sense you’re arriving at a rustic manor, somewhat than a metropolis five-star. Rooms are effortlessly opulent (an environment created with nice effort, after all). It seems like a interval keep, however is underpinned by a recent sense of favor, service and properly built-in tech. There’s a walled backyard and top-hatted doorman, however I additionally love the tranquil, moody lit pool — which is neither gaudily shiny nor blackly underlit. Orchids is the fine-dining possibility; Perrotts an informal bistro with two AA Rosettes within the conservatory. Little shock to be taught it’s family-owned — the Scallys additionally run the Killarney Royal and Nice Southern in Co Kerry.
Particulars: €€€€€; hayfieldmanor.ie
18. Amber Springs Lodge
Gorey, Co Wexford
Right here’s a lodge that’s gone all-in on households. “We all know they’re solely younger as soon as,” it says, with spacious rooms (and dens) sleeping greater broods, and actions together with a youngsters membership, go-karting, mini-golf, specific practice, indoor playzone, cinema, pool and a gaming and chill-out house for teenagers. Don’t fear, adults aren’t uncared for — there’s a spa and adult-only tapas bar and low dock together with the brand new FHB Farmhouse Burger serving beef from its personal farm, and wood-fired pizza at Farina. It could actually get dear when demand rises at peak instances, however it’s a property that hasn’t actually needed to low cost. Shout-out too, to its forward-thinking sister lodge, the Ashdown Park, close by.
Particulars: €€€€; ambersprings.ie
The cinema at Brooks Lodge, Dublin
19. Brooks Lodge
Dublin
The Drury Avenue location is plum — a simple stagger together with your procuring luggage from Grafton Avenue. The rooms are small however well-designed, the vibe quiet and really comfy. There’s an opulent, non-public cinema within the basement. Particular provides are constantly sensible, together with moreish extras like meals, a bottle of wine, late checkout, motion pictures, or reductions at native retailers. GM Anne McKiernan is a certain hand with a beautiful method, and deeply invested in Dublin. Brooks doesn’t have the splashy swagger of newer technology four-stars like The Dean, Grafton or Mayson, however it’s an understated, assured, tasteful keep.
Particulars: €€€; brookshotel.ie
20. Glasson Lakehouse
Glasson, Co Westmeath
One of the best lodge evolutions make you surprise ‘why didn’t I consider that?’ That’s the case with this revamp of a lakeside golf resort — a lodge venture with the potential to be the Press-Up Group’s greatest. It’s not the completed article (extra cabins can be nice, as will a forthcoming Stella Cinema), however the scorching tubs, meals trailers, playground, new Brooks & Co spa, eclectic interiors and out of doors pool shook issues up, displaying many established resorts what a post-Middle Parcs four-star might be. Its wood-clad foyer mashes up nation manor and Alpine lodge, chef Dee Adamson (previously of The Fatted Calf) is on the kitchen controls, and it has pet-friendly chops, too. Rooms are reduce from the identical Press Up template, but when it ain’t broke… Learn our Glasson Lakehouse overview right here.
Particulars: €€€; glassonlakehouse.ie
21. The Merrion
Dublin
Many lodge aficionados would make the Merrion their No.1, and there’s definitely heaps to like and lust after right here. The placement reverse Leinster Home, the artwork (if the work look adequate to eat, strive the afternoon ‘artwork tea’ — creations are impressed by the gathering), the superb service, and naturally the Georgian element. There’s a notable distinction between backyard and Georgian rooms, that are price a splurge — and talking of splurges, don’t overlook the two-Michelin star Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. Summer season eating is nice within the backyard, too.
Particulars: €€€€€; merrionhotel.com
The breathtaking views of Lough Ree from the new tub in Hodson Bay Lodge, Co Westmeath
22. Hodson Bay Lodge
Athlone, Co Westmeath
Previous-school resorts like Hodson Bay confronted one thing of an existential disaster when Middle Parcs landed in Co Longford. Somewhat than stagnate, this one has saved doing what it does greatest — serving with a smile and evolving whereas staying true to its viewers.
The lakeside location on Lough Ree is breathtaking (as is the inflatable summer time enjoyable at Baysports water park, above), there’s an honest pool, spa and adult-only Retreat Wing, and a tantalising new addition is Yew Level, a 145-acre oasis of woodlands and nature lately acquired by the lodge. “The land has been untouched for hundreds of years,” I’m advised, and threaded with trails and different actions. Watch this house for extra distinctive and thrilling additions.
Particulars: €€€; hodsonbayhotel.com
23. Cashel Palace
Cashel, Co Tipperary
Right here’s a lodge I’m certain will climb the Scorching 100 subsequent yr. Re-opened this March after a deep reboot by homeowners, the Magnier household of Coolmore Stud, the Cashel Palace brings a head-turning new pool, bed room wing and beautiful funding in native (proper all the way down to the Ponaire espresso and native merchandise in a complimentary, in-room pantry drawer). It seems to have overcome that early ‘ Sconegate’ controversy and, below the guiding hand of GM Adriaan Bartels, will certainly begin to develop a global repute. In it for the long-haul, it has all of the elements to be a basic and even perhaps win a Michelin star… and don’t overlook the zingy Mikey Ryan’s gastro pub proper outdoors. Learn our Cashel Palace lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; cashelpalacehotel.ie
Ballygarry Lodge and Spa in Tralee, Co Kerry
24. Ballygarry Lodge & Spa
Tralee, Co Kerry
I felt at residence after I walked within the door. Some motels simply have that — a way of calm, warmly invested workers, a really feel of an excellent keep forward. Padraig McGillicuddy is the third technology to run Ballygarry (older friends might keep in mind it as The Manhattan), and he continues to innovate and evolve. The Nádúr Spa, cosy Owen Mac’s bar, pops of recent flowers and long-serving workers are all highlights, and he’s growing the lodge’s gardens, stretching its property and including a brand new Lodge, a New England fashion barn for weddings and occasions, too. However it’s the glowing feeling it evoked that also will get me.
Particulars: €€€; ballygarry.ie
25. The Cliff Home
Ardmore, Co Waterford
This design-led five-star burst onto Eire’s lodge scene in 2008, and in some methods is an instance of how robust it’s to maintain a stylised lodge front-of-mind over time. Not everybody loves the decor, however I all the time really feel a agency hand on the tiller, room upgrades have been underway, options just like the infinity edge pool have held up, sea views and terrace are dreamy, and it additionally has a Michelin star. Oh, and the CLIFF model additionally has a particularly slick self-catering (or catered) seaside home and cottage close by. Learn our Cliff Home lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€€; cliffhousehotel.ie
One of the best of the remaining… in no explicit order
Fort Leslie
Glaslough, Co Monaghan
Set on a 1,000-acre property, with the same variety of tales to inform, this piece of Monaghan magic has gone from power to power below Sammy Leslie’s route. The Lodge is its country-luxe social hub, you may self-cater within the Previous Steady Mews, and the property setting {and professional} workers encourage actions you would possibly by no means usually consider — like archery, fishing or horse using. You’ll come away with a stack of interiors concepts, too.
Particulars: €€€€; castleleslie.com
Service provider Lodge
Belfast
There was all the time a contact of glitz about this Belfast five-star (not least when it served the island’s most costly cocktail), however time has proven it to be an city basic. Set within the former headquarters of the Ulster Financial institution, its A-listed part and ‘Nice Room’ are beautiful, and a more moderen extension provides a spa, new rooms and Bert’s Jazz Bar. Rooms are Victorian fashion up entrance, Artwork Deco within the extension, and the Cathedral Quarter location seals the deal. Learn our Service provider Lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; themerchanthotel.com
River Lee Lodge
Cork
The Doyle Assortment isn’t the largest lodge group within the land, however boy, does it know what it’s doing. From Dublin’s Westbury to the Dupont Circle in Washington DC, its handful of motels are impeccably designed and match their markets to a tee. The River Lee is not any exception. It’s a giant, purposeful four-star, however one with a private really feel to service, a yummy breakfast unfold, and I like touches just like the curving banquettes of the Grill Room, or the terrace bringing Med magic Leeside. A certain wager, regardless of the season.
Particulars: €€€€; doylecollection.com
Galgorm Resort in Co Antrim
Galgorm Resort
Ballymena, Co Antrim
One of the best spa resort in Northern Eire? Galgorm has honed its providing to perfection at this level, with a thermal spa village that blows most equally sized resorts out of the water. It’s like a wonderland for spa lovers, from aroma grottos and snow cabins to woodfired scorching tubs and forest bathing experiences. It’s acquired a number of eating places, a brand new ‘Shepherd’s Hut meadow’ with one or two-bed small lodge stays, and don’t get me began on the gin library…
Particulars: €€€€; galgorm.com
Gregans Fort
Ballyvaughan, Co Clare
Friends from JRR Tolkein to Sean Scully have been impressed by the Burren panorama Gregans was embracing lengthy earlier than sustainability was a hospitality buzzword. Simon and Freddie Haden’s peaceable and completed nation home lodge is the sort of escape you’d want for each county, and chef Robbie McCauley’s seven-course tasting menu is the most recent evolution of its fine-dining custom.
Particulars: €€€€; gregans.ie
The Twelve
Barna, Co Galway
Vitality. Creativity. And the bow-wow issue. Supervisor (and sommelier) Fergus O’Halloran runs an excellent operation in Barna village, rolling with the instances to constantly innovate and enhance. I’m a fan of the unfold of foodie choices, from pizzas to Pins gastro bar or wonderful eating at West (a hymn to the lodge’s hinterland), and pet homeowners rave about it, proper all the way down to the pet menus and personalised notes.
Particulars: €€€€; thetwelvehotel.ie
Inchydoney Lodge and Spa, Co Cork
Inchydoney Lodge & Spa
Clonakilty, Co Cork
When the story of Irish hospitality is advised, this lodge will assuredly characteristic — a coastal escape that mixes a basic seaside, pleasant service, high quality spa and custom of holidaymaking in a bolthole liked by generations of households, {couples}, mates (and even the odd Fianna Fáil think-in). It retains buckets and spades at reception, has Netflix in rooms, and a pair’s suite within the spa. A category act.
Particulars: €€€€; inchydoneyisland.com
The Station Home
Kilmessan, Co Meath
Small however completely shaped, the Station Home additionally tells a narrative. As soon as a station on the Dublin and Meath railway line, the Slattery household has refurbed it as a slick escape and wedding ceremony venue that seems like a cute little campus. Nineteen rooms maintain it intimate, lights twinkle on woodland pathways, heritage touches embrace outdated pictures and a Milner secure in a single restaurant wall. The Sign Suite is an Insta-friendly standalone two-level keep (good for {couples}) with a freestanding tub. Suppose understated luxurious. Learn our Station Home lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€; stationhousehotel.ie
Bushmills Inn
Bushmills, Co Antrim
It had me at inglenook. This Blue Ebook keep cries out cosiness, originating because it does from a Seventeenth-century teaching inn. The inglenook is a little bit comfortable by the turf fireplace (luggage the rocking chair), the bar nonetheless has its authentic gasoline lamps, there’s a small cinema, “secret” library and 41 rooms unfold all through the labyrinthine little constructing wherein to mattress down for the night time as a traveller on the Causeway Coast.
Particulars: €€€; bushmillsinn.com
Sidecar at The Westbury, Dublin
The Westbury
Dublin
In the event you can bag a Gallery window seat for afternoon tea at this storied metropolis lodge, you might be completely made. However that’s just the start. Balfe’s has turn into a constantly good brasserie, design is Artwork Deco meets grand metropolis glam, there’s all the time an art work to show the top, and also you couldn’t be nearer to Grafton Avenue with out really being on Grafton Avenue. Terrace suites are a brand new addition to the Dublin jewel within the Doyle Assortment’s crown. Learn our Westbury Lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€€; doylecollection.com
Mount Juliet
Thomastown, Co Kilkenny
One in every of Eire’s flagship resorts, in case you haven’t been to Mount Juliet lately, you might need to plan a return. In addition to the Michelin-starred Girl Helen restaurant and characterful interval rooms within the Georgian manor home, you may keep in Hunter’s Yard lodge with 93 rooms, and have your choose of golf, horse using and different property actions. Christmas packages are legendary.
Particulars: €€€€; mountjuliet.ie
Monart
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
Technically, I suppose it’s a lodge — however in branding and spirit that is after all a vacation spot spa, and an absolute trailblazer in that regard. Followers go all wobbly if you point out Monart, and the adult-only escape is cautious to remain on the technological forefront while retaining the human contact — a crucial combine. The meals is a stunning bonus.
Particulars: €€€€€; monart.ie
Fernhill Home
Clonakilty, Co Cork
I like Eire’s custom of family-run motels, and the O’Neills’ Fernhill Home is one to savour. From gardens designed by Mary Reynolds to recent flowers, native artwork, its personal gin, menus peppered with native meals and a concentrate on sustainability that would train greater motels a factor or two, they pour ardour into the place. It’s standard for weddings, so leisure friends usually keep midweek. Learn our Fernhill Home Lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€; fernhillhousehotel.com
The Newpark Lodge
Kilkenny
‘ Jurassic Newpark’, an interactive expertise that includes life-sized robotic dinosaurs, is the most recent addition to this dynamic, pleasant four-star simply outdoors Kilkenny Metropolis. They be a part of a small farm, journey playground, go-kart monitor, swimming pool, video games room and far, way more. It’s one other lodge that amazes me with the way it marries continuous native enterprise with deep residential visitor services. For a deal with, strive the deluxe household or government rooms.
Particulars: €€€; newparkhotelkilkenny.com
Glenlo Abbey
Bushypark, Co Galway
It was your lodge of the yr in our Reader Journey Awards 2022, and this Blue Ebook bolthole is one other standout property on a giant improvement journey. The Pullman Restaurant, set on carriages from the Orient Specific, is an Insta-(and foodie)-friendly spotlight, however new bedrooms, interiors upgrades, a boutique spa and the addition of Palmers Bar & Kitchen all beg for a revisit. In the event you can e book midweek, it’s one in all our extra inexpensive five-stars.
Particulars: €€€€; glenloabbeyhotel.ie
Carton Home
Maynooth, Co Kildare
One other flagship lodge benefitting from a change of possession and multi-million euro improve (courtesy of the IrishAmerican Mullen household), Carton Home has leaped from 4 to 5 stars and, like Cashel Palace, has the potential to rank alongside the perfect motels in Eire. Now a Fairmont Managed resort, I like the ‘hotel-within-a-hotel’ idea they’ve utilized to the outdated Palladian mansion, and the 1,100-acre demesne manages to suit not one, however two golf programs, with oodles of room to spare for trails, nature and out of doors actions like falconry and boat journeys. It’s the Irish rugby group’s common coaching base, too. Learn our Carton Home overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; cartonhouse.com
The Ice Home
Ballina, Co Mayo
One in every of a wave of boutique motels that washed over Eire within the noughties, the Ice Home has proved itself greater than a flash within the pan, lately upgrading its Chill spa and including a waterside terrace. I just like the river-hugging location, which jogs my memory of the Cliff Home in Ardmore, the floor-to-ceiling view from bedrooms, and the way in which the outdated home has been seamlessly built-in into newer, angular wings. The artwork assortment is a shock, and menus characteristic best-of-the-west elements. Learn our Ice Home lodge overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€; icehousehotel.ie
Garryvoe Lodge
Ballylongane, Co Cork
Overlooking a 5km seaside on Ballycotton Bay, there’s been a lodge on this spot because the early 1900s, and the Garryvoe has gone up yet one more gear in its newest guise. Individuals who haven’t visited in years could also be floored by the library, bar and Samphire restaurant, whose feel and appear would match many metropolis sophisticates, and there’s a pool with a 25m lane. Ebook an ocean view room for wonderful East Cork views.
Particulars: €€€; garryvoehotel.com
Dromoland Fort
Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare
One other iconic Irish keep, Dromoland acquired a much-needed, multi-million euro revamp lately, and its constantly nice service, set-piece rooms and grand golf course add as much as a fab five-star deck — however importantly, one with feeling and judgement. It leans into the castle-ness of all of it, with fits of armour, stained glass and its least expensive charges (in November) are simply over half that of Adare Manor’s. Learn our Dromoland Fort overview right here.
Particulars: €€€€€; dromoland.ie
The Devlin
Dublin
The Dean (with editions now in Dublin, Cork and Galway) is the Press Up Group’s flagship lodge franchise, however I like how this suburban sanctuary slips below the radar. A lodge in the midst of Ranelagh village? It didn’t sound doable, however they’ve pulled it off, including a signature rooftop bar (Layla’s, somewhat than Sophie’s, however you realize what to anticipate), a basement Stella Cinema and the same old combo of punchy Irish artwork, good espresso, brasserie-style eating, hip workers and catchy cocktails. Ebook a midweek keep (Solar-Thurs), they usually’ll provide you with a €50 voucher, too.
Particulars: €€€; thedevlin.ie
Bishop’s Gate Lodge
Derry
A comfortable, elegant, boutique base in Derry, the Bishop’s Gate is a comparatively new arrival to Eire’s Blue Ebook — whose exacting requirements all the time advantage a glance. Set inside the metropolis partitions, it blends Edwardian element with trendy creature comforts, and tasteful design with well-drilled, invested workers. In a former life, it was a gentleman’s membership.
Particulars: €€€; bishopsgatehotelderry.com
4 stars for the Celtic Ross. Gerry Wycherley’s grandchildren on Warren Seaside Rosscarbery. Picture: Dermot O’Sullivan
Celtic Ross Lodge
Rosscarbery, Co Cork
It might so simply be a generic coach tourism staging level, however the Wycherly household homeowners and tireless, impressed management of Normal Supervisor Neil Grant have made this lodge a legend in its locality. Good, thoughtfully sourced West Cork meals, pleasant workers, some stunning artwork and the wonders on its doorstep proceed to see stable household bookings and repeat enterprise. Twenty-five years because it opened, this yr introduced the group a brand new reward — a fourth star.
Particulars: €€€; celticrosshotel.com
Cabra Fort
Kingscourt, Co Cavan
The family-run Romantic Castles of Eire assortment has breathed new life into the tier of chateau motels slightly below Ashford, Dromoland and the like. Inexpensive luxurious brings Ballyseede Fort, Castlebellingham and Markree Fort to entire new ranges. Cabra has the old-school, suits-of-armour atmospherics, but additionally a elegant renovation to indicate off, in addition to 100 acres of grounds, courtyard and cottage room choices… and a ghost (ask for Sarah’s room).
Particulars: €€€; cabracastle.com
Nice Southern Lodge
Killarney, Co Kerry
Are you able to think about Killarney with out it? I can’t. Inbuilt 1854 with a remit to “take the visitor’s breath away”, the Nice Southern has had its ebbs and flows over virtually 170 years, however is again charting an aesthetic course below the possession of the Scally household (who additionally personal Hayfield Manor and the Killarney Royal). Historic suites honoured friends like Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy, and I’ve all the time preferred the way it mixes a way of grandeur and railway heritage with private memorabilia and the human contact.
Particulars: €€€€; greatsouthernkillarney.com
The outside of Gougane Barra Lodge in Co Cork
Gougane Barra Lodge
Gougane Barra, Co Cork
If God might select a location for a small lodge, I’d be shocked if Gougane Barra wasn’t on the shortlist. The small, warmly welcoming keep by the lake here’s a fifth-generation affair run by Neil and Katy Lucey, and beloved of locals and return guests for its unpretentious hospitality and first rate meals. By now, it’s laborious to think about this beautiful valley with out it. The lodge opens seasonally from April to October, and a long-running “overnighter with dinner” provide is tough to withstand from €105pp.
Particulars: €€; gouganebarrahotel.com
Brook Lodge & Macreddin Village
Aughrim, Co Wicklow
Working an authorized natural restaurant years earlier than native and seasonal fare turned menu staples, this Wicklow surprise continues to carry again the regulars (and weddings). Evan Doyle has been a trailblazer on gradual, native and wild meals in Eire, the Wells Spa is a bonus, rooms and services really feel high quality nation luxe regardless of the marginally twee village structure, and lots of take into account it an outdated favorite.
Particulars: €€€€; brooklodge.com
Killarney Park Lodge
Killarney, Co Kerry
Kerry has no scarcity of five-stars, however the Killarney Park stands out as a surprisingly intimate keep that appears to closet you away and maintain you sorted, regardless of being within the thick of the city’s motion. It’s an actual driver on sustainability, an everyday on TripAdvisor’s ‘Finest Accommodations’ lists, and workers have that congenial Kerry kindness too — no person will overlook your identify, however they gained’t over-use it, both.
Particulars: €€€€€; killarneyparkhotel.ie
Wren City Nest in Dublin. Picture: BDP/Nick Caville
Wren City Nest
Dublin
Throughout Covid, most metropolis lodge rooms lay empty, and public sentiment — spurred by the housing disaster and a wave of developments changing older cultural hubs — was more and more anti-hotel. An inauspicious time for Wren City Nest, which replaces the previous Andrew’s Lane theatre, to open. However I discovered a small lodge making a giant play on sustainability, already carbon impartial and utilizing a number of Irish suppliers just like the Handmade Cleaning soap Co. Rooms are tiny however the location is nice… and it’s simply reverse Pichet. Learn our Wren City Nest overview right here.
Particulars: €€€; wrenhotel.ie
Kilkea Fort
Castledermot, Co Kildare
It doesn’t have the profile of different historic Irish motels with deep-pocketed homeowners… but. However Boston-based Jay and Christy Cashman have steered a dramatic overhaul of this four-star keep, sprucing the fortress ingredient superbly whereas including a small however opulent spa. There’s a championship golf course and carriage and lodge rooms together with the 11, dearer, stays within the fortress itself.
Particulars: €€€€; kilkeacastle.ie
Conrad Dublin
Dublin
Right here’s a multinational, owned by Hilton, that doesn’t have the profile (or native love) of better-known metropolis stays. I feel that enables it to come back in below the radar and exceed expectations. It definitely did mine. Polished rooms, an aesthetic lounge bar and the Coburg brasserie might simply pull it off in London, and I used to be blown away by the breakfast — with native particulars together with bread from the Bretzel bakery.
Particulars: €€€€€; hilton.com
Falls Lodge and Spa, Co Clare
Falls Lodge & Spa
Ennistymon, Co Clare
Sustainability doesn’t need to be a trouble. It may be enjoyable, assist your group, and make enterprise sense. That was a message I took away from this family-run four-star, which is now carbon-neutral. The headline effort is a €1.3m hydroelectric turbine producing its personal electrical energy, however the philosophy trickles all the way down to chemical-free cleansing merchandise, compostable cups… and plenty extra. The views from the spa are pure forest bathing, too.
Particulars: €€€; fallshotel.ie
Renvyle Home
Connemara, Co Galway
Renvyle is one other lodge that seems like a part of the furnishings, straddling a number of generations of holidaymakers. To some, the Coyle household’s lodge, which first opened in 1883 and was a former residence of Oliver St John Gogarty, might really feel dated, however its heritage, friendliness, lake, fishing, seaside, nine-hole golf course, lodges and chef Tim O’Sullivan’s ease with seafood, particularly, have gained generations of followers. Folks will probably be returning for a few years to come back.
Particulars: €€€€; renvyle.com
Mulranny Park Lodge
Murrevagh, Co Mayo
With a dreamy location overlooking Clew Bay on the Nice Western Greenway, right here’s one other outdated railway lodge that has solid a brand new identification. You’ll be able to keep in rooms or self-catering flats, households love the pool and actions, and the menus have all the time put a little bit further effort into sourcing regionally. Enjoyable reality: John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed in 1968, when he’s stated to have handled friends to a preview of Revolution (there’s a room named after John Lennon).
Particulars: €€€€; mulrannyparkhotel.ie
Farnham Property
Coras Level, Co Cavan
Years of consistency, good PR and comfortable clients sharing phrase with their mates has given this resort a nationwide profile, and it’s well-deserved. The within/outdoors pool, pure tones and well-designed hyperlinks between new and outdated (for a splurge, e book a set within the 18th-century home) are all robust factors. As is, after all, that spa. It feels splendidly distant, however is simply 3km from Cavan city.
Particulars: €€€€; farnhamestate.ie
Sheen Falls Lodge
Killarney, Co Kerry
The final time I stayed at Sheen Falls, I sat watching salmon leap from flat summer time water. Kenmare is shut, however this woodland escape, with the waterfall gargling close by, felt a world aside. I’ve not all the time liked stays right here, as I felt Sheen Falls struggled for a time to redefine itself and lodging various throughout the campus, however it’s on a roll currently, combining the perfect of lodge and luxurious resorts, and a brand new brasserie and bar, The Stables. For me, dinner at The Falls restaurant, with Christine Bowen’s artwork on the partitions and the waterfall flowing outdoors, is the promoting level.
Particulars: €€€€€; sheenfallslodge.ie
Lakeside Lodge
Killaloe, Co Clare
A brand new suite of waterfront rooms took this much-loved lodge to a different degree simply earlier than the pandemic, including a block of hideaways going through immediately onto Lough Derg. The leisure centre has lengthy hosted the most effective lodge swimming pools within the space, full with a surprisingly speedy, 40m slide. Pleasant workers and ongoing refurbs are good indicators, too.
Particulars: €€€; lakesidehotel.ie
The Previous Floor Lodge
Ennis, Co Clare
Not way back, Eire’s townhouse motels felt like a dying breed. At present, inventive stewardships of stays like The Lansdowne in Kenmare, Lawlor’s of Naas and the Headford Arms in Kells makes it really feel like something is feasible. The Previous Floor is one other stalwart with a central location and heat and a drive to outlive in its DNA. The outdated manor home heritage combines with native and visiting enterprise, good meals and refurbed rooms to make for a buzzy, good keep. The Poet’s Nook bar is a bonus.
Particulars: €€€; oldgroundhotelennis.com
The Dylan
Dublin
Right here’s a savvy layover that would slot into any swish European capital; a Mr & Mrs Smith-style bolthole simply off Baggot Avenue the place drink clinks on a pewter bar, daring artwork stops you in your tracks (try that Ana Fuentes triptych), and stylish terraces converse to our al fresco period. A brand new all-day eating menu is obtainable from 12pm to 9.30pm, promising to take friends “on a culinary journey” from Cassolnovo, Italy to Castletownbere, Co Cork. ‘Expertise’ suites are choose of the rooms, and it’s dog-friendly too.
Particulars: €€€€; dylan.ie
Killeavy Fort Property
Slieve Gullion, Co Armagh
It’s an hour from Dublin Airport, however I’ll wager many readers have by no means heard of it. South Armagh is filled with secrets and techniques, nevertheless, and that is one. The 45-bed lodge and spa makes an enormous effort with native meals (an on-site farm gives lamb and longhorn beef for chef Darragh Dooley’s menus), rooms have Juliet balconies and baths, there are image home windows at each alternative, and the cherry on the cake is a restored, souvenir-sized “fortress” with 4 bedrooms.
Particulars: €€€€; killeavycastle.com
No.31
Dublin
I don’t know the way it nonetheless feels secret, however it does. No.31 pairs a modernist mews designed by architect Sam Stephenson (the sunken lounge is a magnetic, decadent house) with a Georgian townhouse throughout the backyard. Anticipate barely squished, communal breakfasts, a way of enjoyable (room names embrace ‘Sam’s Room’, and ‘All that Jazz’), and many wonderings about what went on right here again within the day. Close by Staunton’s on the Inexperienced is a sister property.
Particulars: €€€; number31.ie
Fota Resort
Fota Island, Co Cork
There’s an enormous quantity occurring at this luxurious campus, and the situation close to Fota Wildlife Park is ideal. Self-catering lodges are standard with households, the spa and pool are prime drawer, there’s a championship golf course, and an journey centre provides all the pieces from impediment programs to fight archery (“expertise The Starvation Video games in actual life, however with foam-tipped arrows”). The central constructing has a form of continental lodge vibe to it, and you may costume up for dinner on the Cove, or eat casually on the Clubhouse.
Particulars: €€€€; fotaisland.ie
The Blue Haven
Kinsale, Co Cork
If you wish to see how laborious the perfect hoteliers work, how built-in they’re with their localities, how inventive within the face of challenges they are often, verify into Ciarán Fitzgerald’s Kinsale hub. With simply 16 bedrooms, it’s super-central, with the blue-and-white entrance glass resulting in a good collection of public areas. The large shock is its unfold of foodie choices filled with West Cork goodies, together with Uncommon 1784 — a cocktail and wonderful eating idea created with Head Chef Meeran Manzoor throughout Covid. Sister property, the Previous Financial institution Home, is just some doorways down.
Particulars: €€€; bluehavenkinsale.com
Limerick Strand Lodge
Limerick
Huge city four-stars like this are the workhorses of reserving.com, and sometimes really feel pretty generic. That’s one cause I’ve time for this Limerick layover. In addition to nice metropolis views, a 20m pool and constantly good household packages, it places far more vitality than you’d count on into native foods and drinks — persevering with the legacy of chef Tom Flavin (a Limerick Afternoon Tea, for instance, contains particulars like brews from Cahill’s Tea, the town’s oldest store). When it will get the combination of native and cosmopolitan proper, it jogs my memory of Cork’s River Lee Lodge. Little shock, maybe, that it’s a part of the MHL Assortment, which additionally contains The Westin, InterContinental and Galway’s Glenlo Abbey.
Particulars: €€€; strandhotellimerick.ie
One of many beautiful bedrooms in Cliff at Lyons, Co Kildare
Cliff at Lyons
Sallins, Co Kildare
I’ve had combined experiences at this Kildare campus over time, however it continues to enhance. One apparent cause is, after all, Majken Bech Christensen and Jordan Bailey’s two Michelin star Aimsir restaurant — friends also can now tour their farm and gardens. The cut-stone buildings comprise an opulent unfold of lodging (cottages are at present being refurbed), and there’s a brand new restaurant in The Mill and out of doors house within the spa. Sooner or later, the village really feel and canal-side location might provide a world-class escape.
Particulars: €€€€; cliffatlyons.ie
The Imperial
Cork
There’s so much taking place in Cork’s lodge scene, however it says one thing that a number of the most enjoyable developments are in one in all its oldest stays. Relationship from 1813, the Imperial has emerged from the pandemic with a brand new cocktail bar, Sketch, revamped the room wherein Michael Collins slept earlier than his assassination, and continues to mix its heritage with a twenty first century, cosmopolitan sensibility below the energetic eye of GM Bastien Peyraud. He grew up in Lyon, and sees many similarities along with his adopted residence. “Cork Metropolis has blossomed,” he advised me. So has the lodge.
Particulars: €€€; imperialhotelcork.com
The Europe
Killarney, Co Kerry
Its award-winning ESPA spa is sufficient to advantage a spot on any “better of” motels listing. Carved out of the hill, with cantilevered grass roofs, infinity swimming pools, darkish stone slabs and pamper-tastic therapies in its 50,000sqm house, it’s a vacation spot in itself. The five-star lodge provides beautiful views of Lough Lein, generously sized rooms, and menus together with beef and lamb from its personal farm. A category act.
Particulars: €€€€€; theeurope.com
The Okay Membership
Straffan, Co Kildare
Stuffy outdated golf resort? Suppose once more. The Okay Membership retains its ravishing Ryder Cup services, however it’s been on a vigorous journey of change below new proprietor, Michael Fetherston, and GM Paul Heery (previously of Adare Manor). Refurbed bedrooms, a glitzy Palmer clubhouse and actions that make the perfect of the property (SUP, Segways and Okay Trails, to call just a few) all carry a brand new sense of favor and inclusivity to the Straffan five-star — as does the South Bar & Restaurant changing Okay Thai. Wholesome competitors with a rejuvenated Carton Home can solely profit Co Kildare… and us.
Particulars: €€€€; kclub.ie
Manor home signature room at Cahernane Home Lodge in Killarney, Co Kerry
Cahernane Home
Killarney, Co Kerry
I consider this as one in all Killarney’s best-kept secrets and techniques. A brand new member of the Small Luxurious Accommodations of the World assortment, the PREM Group has spent over €7.8m bringing this nineteenth century pile up to the mark, with a mixture of trendy and authentic rooms, beautiful coachhouse conversions, and colors and wallpapers impressed by the Kingdom. Vintage particulars just like the banker’s desk used at reception catch the attention, even the youngest workers have good judgement and humour, and a hearth welcomes you in an authentic Queen Anne fire.
Particulars: €€€€; cahernane.com
Lough Erne Resort
Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
Pound for pound, this resort provides a number of the greatest five-star worth on the island (particularly when the change charge is in your favour). The golf, spa, and sprawling open air resort really feel are highlights, however for me the factor to sit up for is chef Noel McMeel’s magic with Northern Irish elements on the 3AA Rosette Catalina Restaurant. A five-course dinner at £60pp feels like a steal lately.
Particulars: €€€€; lougherneresort.com
Casey’s of Baltimore
Baltimore, Co Cork
It has 14 rooms, and calls itself a lodge, however in actuality most individuals know Casey’s as an expertise. You would possibly tuck into the regionally caught seafood and kitchen backyard goodies in its restaurant. Or sup a pint in its pub, which dates from the 1800s — the West Cork Brewing Co is on the premises, with treats like Sherkin Lass and Stout x Southwest awaiting your approval. Throw within the Roaringwater Bay views, and also you couldn’t ask for a greater staging put up in West Cork.
Particulars: €€€; caseysofbaltimore.com
Clayton Burlington Highway
Dublin
The Burlo celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2022, and although I’d hesitate to suggest it as something aside from a giant, generic, fairly central four-star wherein to sleep, its workers and heritage make it a no brainer for this listing. At this stage, certainly each grownup in Eire has been by way of its ballroom, however workers nonetheless care, whether or not you’re Pele, Audrey Hepburn or… nicely, simply you.
Particulars: €€€€; claytonhotelburlingtonroad.com
Arnold’s Lodge
Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal
This Dunfanaghy delight celebrates 100 years in 2022, now run by the fourth technology of the identical household. Aisling Arnold has steered the three-star out of recession and thru Covid, including a restaurant and burger bar, cocktail bar, and refurbing rooms with a agency really feel for its place inside the group. I like the sense of locals who comprehend it inside out, and friends who come again again and again.
Particulars: €€; arnoldshotel.com
The Lansdowne
Kenmare, Co Kerry
Not content material with the Park Lodge Kenmare and Dromquinna Manor, John and Francis Brennan at the moment are custodians of The Lansdowne, a historic townhouse restored to slick, four-star standing in Kenmare. Kasia Michalak is an excellent normal supervisor, and Brennan-esque touches vary from the continental-style LK Cafe to a chaise longue within the foyer and 3fe espresso. It’s a fab reboot, and I like that workers can put on denims and trainers, however nonetheless really feel like professionals.
Particulars: €€€; lansdownekenmare.com
The beautiful Clonakilty Park Lodge in Clonakilty, Co Cork
Clonakilty Park Lodge
Clonakilty, Co Cork
Any shout-out I’ve accomplished for family-friendly motels in Eire has returned this southern star within the solutions. Just like the Amber Springs, it’s an ideal instance of a lodge taking part in to its base, evolving repeatedly, and having nice craic whereas it does. Pool, play zones, an journey centre with zip strains and aerial trekking, youngsters’ menus and school-holiday packages with youngsters’ golf equipment are all on provide, and it has additionally created a sensory map for guests with autism.
Particulars: €€€; clonakiltyparkhotel.ie
Harrison Chambers
Belfast
Taking inspiration from her travels, Melanie Harrison remodeled a nineteenth century service provider’s residence in Belfast’s Queen’s Quarter into an elegant homage to native authors, lavish antiques and frisky design. Suppose free-standing baths on reclaimed floorboards, rooms named after native heroes like CS Lewis and singer Ruby Murray, and Bridgerton-style sleigh beds. Private, and playful.
Particulars: €€€; chambersofdistinction.com
The Connacht
Galway
The A, B, C and D wings on this huge, modernist-style constructing sound impersonal, and the place can get mad busy at peak instances, however the people behind the 358-room operation retain the non-public contact. Not too long ago refurbed, highlights embrace household bunk rooms, a residing wall close to the restaurant, a big pool and leisure centre, and the ‘Connacht Cruiser’ — an American-style motorhome keep. It’s laborious to consider this lodge is a three-star.
Particulars: €€€; theconnacht.ie
Scorching tub with a view at Dingle Skellig Lodge, Co Kerry
Dingle Skellig Lodge
Dingle, Co Kerry
Vastly standard with households, and boasting a mind-blowing location on the bay, the Dingle Skellig has been right here since 1968 however has, after all, gone by way of many evolutions since. It now has government suites for the fanciest stays (on the very least, attempt to get a sea view), together with an upgraded bar and bistro. The out of doors scorching tub is a bonus, and there’s all the time an honest choice of seafood on the menus.
Particulars: €€€; dingleskellig.com
The g lodge
Galway
This lodge has been round for some 20 years. Shocked? I’m, as a result of Philip Treacy’s design nonetheless feels recent. Some will debate that, feeling the Celtic Tiger-era decadence, however I’ve all the time been a fan of its boldness — from the space-age concierge desk and aquarium to the light-filled Grand Salon with its 300 floating globe lights. The spa is sultry, the cocktails good, the situation a little bit out-of-town — it provides one in all Eire’s most inexpensive five-star stays, too.
Particulars: €€€€; theghotel.ie
Sligo Park Lodge
Cornageeha, Co Sligo
Pleasant workers, laborious work and a dedication to maintain chipping away are key elements in any lodge, and this fab four-star is not any exception. It’s on the go because the Seventies, however a €3m, pre-pandemic funding rebooted the foyer, bar and restaurant, with tweeds, velvets and limestone reflecting the environment, in addition to refurbing a bit of rooms. Visitor suggestions is encouraging, the Hazelwood Restaurant has an AA Rosette, and there’s a 16m pool. Ebook a room with a view of Ben Bulben, in case you can.
Particulars: €€€; sligoparkhotel.com
Waterford Fort
Ballinakill, Co Waterford
If this was an inventory of greatest lodge arrivals in Eire, Waterford Fort can be on the prime. The 2-minute ferry crossing of the River Suir to a non-public island is modern-day fairytale stuff, and the fortress itself is filled with standout areas just like the Nice Corridor and Munster Room. Tom Spruce’s cooking gained it a spot on our Fab 50 lately, and there are dozens of lodges and a golf course, too.
Particulars: €€€€; waterfordcastleresort.com
Lake Lodge
Killarney, Co Kerry
The window seats and terrace right here provide a number of the greatest views of any Irish lodge — and pandemic enhancements led to it profitable Eire’s Finest Out of doors Eating Area on the current Sure Chef awards. On arrival, the generic wings don’t spark any nice curiosity, however inside you’ll discover a heat hive of exercise and generations of hospitality. Spend time searching the Huggard household memorabilia on the partitions, spot pictures of earlier friends like Charlie Chaplin, and take in the views of Killarney Nationwide Park.
Particulars: €€€; lakehotelkillarney.ie
Avalon Home Lodge
Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny
You couldn’t ask for a greater base for a visit to the good Castlecomer Discovery Park. Avalon Home opened simply earlier than the pandemic, combining the polished atmospherics of a nineteenth century manor home with a tastefully realised up to date city centre lodge. Interiors are beautiful, mixing homely comforts and heritage touches like outdated miners’ helmets, and Cathal O’Dowd’s meals at Lark’s Bar or Lil’s restaurant typifies a four-star with stunning fashion.
Particulars: €€€; avalonhousehotel.ie
Luxurious meals at Ferrycarrig Lodge, Co Wexford
Ferrycarrig Lodge
Ferrycarrig, Co Wexford
Owned by Eire’s Griffin Group, which additionally runs Monart, it is a considerate, invested four-star with nice views, a dedication to households and native elements (consider seafood recent from Kilmore Quay, or Wexford cheeses and lamb) on the menus on the Dry Dock bar. The children’ membership is a vacation fave, and it companions creatively with native companies — bundling free passes to the Irish Nationwide Heritage Park with some household packages, for instance.
Particulars: €€€; ferrycarrighotel.ie
Delphi Resort
Leenane, Co Galway
Such is the recognition of this Connemara resort’s hostel and exercise centre — not least for varsity breaks — it’s straightforward to overlook there’s a four-star lodge, too. A stone lodge with earthy tones inside click on properly with the panorama, views from the 814 restaurant and bar are very good (the native lamb and seafood aren’t dangerous, both), and the Delphi Spa is an underrated, immersive gem utilizing natural merchandise… good after a go of that bathroom impediment course.
Particulars: €€€; delphiadventureresort.com
Vienna Woods Lodge
Cork
Authentic Irish Accommodations is a set of distinctive, owner-run properties, and the most effective is Michael Magner’s Vienna Woods. Overlooking the Glashaboy River in Glanmire, the favored four-star sprawls round an 18th-century nation home, with current refreshes of tiring rooms only a prelude to a much bigger growth — together with a spa, cinema and new rooms. Vacation properties can be found too, and Mabel’s bistro all the time offers native produce an excellent present.
Particulars: €€€; viennawoodshotel.com
Lough Eske Fort
Lough Eske, Co Donegal
County Donegal’s solely five-star sits amongst 40+ acres of woodland on the base of the Bluestacks. The fortress (or castle-styled?) ingredient provides luxurious suites, baronial furnishings and antiques, with different rooms in trendy courtyard and backyard settings. It’s laborious to keep away from comparisons with Harvey’s Level, however in actuality these are very completely different properties (not least as a result of Lough Eske’s pool and spa). There’s a beautiful little Lake Lodge you may hire, too.
Particulars: €€€€; lougheskecastlehotel.com
Sandhouse Lodge & Spa
Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal
Rossnowlagh is among the greatest all-rounder seashores within the west, and right here’s a lodge to match. Ten years in the past, then-manager Paul Driver purchased the Sandhouse in a recession. A decade (and a pandemic) later, it’s nonetheless going robust, with Marine Spa, seaweed baths, a cool nod to native waveriders within the Surfers Bar, and Atlantic views — not least from its Glasshouse restaurant. The texture is a mixture of stately, seaside and nation home motels, with a transparent love for locality.
Particulars: €€€; sandhouse.ie
Mount Falcon
Ballina, Co Mayo
This stunning property acquired inventive throughout Covid, establishing a heated bamboo tent on the garden and letting chef Tom Doyle free on revamped menus along with his Assador grill. The manor home is filled with interval element (in addition to a 17m pool and small spa), the self-catering set-up is among the greatest round, nation pursuits like hawk walks and archery add enjoyable to household breaks, and the Maloney household all the time really feel invested in visitor experiences and all issues Mayo.
Particulars: €€€€; mountfalcon.com
The outside of Knockranny Home Lodge in Westport, Co Mayo
Knockranny Home Lodge
Westport, Co Mayo
It’s laborious to select from Westport’s great assortment of motels, which work so nicely collectively in selling the world. This sprawling four-star mixes character and up to date aptitude, with some huge rooms (go larger up for greatest views of Croagh Patrick), the Salveo Spa and Seamus Commons’ La Fougére — a restaurant that wouldn’t really feel misplaced in some five-star motels — among the many highlights. Off-peak package deal offers with actions like artwork retreats or biking the Nice Western Greenway are all the time price a glance.
Particulars: €€€€; knockrannyhousehotel.ie
Kilronan Fort in Ballyfarnon, CO Roscommon
Kilronan Fort
Ballyfarnon, Co Roscommon
Its sister lodge, Lough Rynn, could also be better-known, however this restored fortress in Roscommon has an enormous quantity to suggest it, and was a reasonably breathtaking boom-era venture by the Hanly Group. A decadent spa, chef Daniel Willimont’s meals, opulent lounging areas and that huge nation property (and walled gardens) all quantity to a salubrious and evocative escape, at roughly 1 / 4 of the worth of top-tier friends like Ashford Fort.
Particulars: €€€; kilronancastle.ie
The Marker
Dublin
I really feel Dubliners have been gradual to carry this landmark five-star into the household, maybe as a result of its barely off-centre location. However its daring design, setting a chalky white chequerboard of rooms over a cave-like entrance, has stood the check of time — and its rooftop terrace is among the metropolis’s greatest for summer time soirees. The spa and infinity pool are smooth, chef Gareth Mullins has been deeply invested in Irish elements (breakfast within the massive, sun-splashed foyer is gorgeous). It’s now run by luxurious lodge group, Anantara; waterfront rooms are price a splurge.
Particulars: €€€€€; anantara.com/the-marker-dublin
1783 Whiskey & Cocktail Bar, Faithlegg Home Lodge, Waterford
Faithlegg Home Lodge
Faithlegg, Co Waterford
Grown up round an 18th century manor home, this four-star is one other massively standard escape. The outdated mansion is filled with interval options; chef Jenny Flynn’s menus vary from the 2 AA Rosette Roseville Rooms to the extra informal Crimson Cedar Lounge, refurbed final yr; and there’s an all-important pool. Lodge rooms are in a extra trendy wing, and self-catering is all the time in demand throughout college holidays, together with flats and two and three-bed properties. And that’s with out detailing the golf course…
Particulars: €€€€; faithlegg.com
The Bridge Home
Tullamore, Co Offaly
Right here’s one of many beating hearts of Tullamore and a workhorse that is aware of its viewers inside-out. “Consider this place as a cruise liner,” as Louise Leneghan, advertising and marketing supervisor and one of many household who runs it, stated after I final visited. “There’s heaps occurring.” Now 50 years outdated, the four-star is present process room refurbs, provides beautiful, personable service and the carvery is known.
Particulars: €€€; bridgehousehoteltullamore.ie
Sheedy’s Lodge
Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare
John and Martina Sheedy are the fourth technology to look after this 18th century treasure — however after all, they do way more than that. John’s cooking is a spotlight, utilizing native elements like Burren lamb for his French-influenced dishes, in addition to his personal jams, scones and breads for breakfast. Anticipate intuitive hospitality, native suggestions aplenty and ‘gracious nation residing’, as they name it. A gem.
Particulars: €€€; sheedys.com
The grounds of Hunter’s Lodge in Wicklow
Hunter’s Lodge
Rathnew, Co Wicklow
Put together to step again in time at this former coach inn. Thick partitions, darkish interiors and exquisite gardens date from the 1600s (I noticed inscriptions in home windows scratched by travellers generations in the past). The 16 rooms might be seen as quaint, the web site is relationship, however Sunday lunch (€39.50) is a Wicklow establishment, and the weather appear to click on. Afternoon tea at €25pp is a discount. It’s within the Blue Ebook, too.
Particulars: €€€; hunters.ie
