Compiled by multi-award winning food, drink and hospitality writer,
Kate Ryan, Flavour.ie
There’s something kind of magical about an escape to one of Ireland’s great hotels. Far enough away from home but without the hassle of dealing with airports, the Irish staycation is fast becoming my ideal version of getting away from it all. There’s also something to be said for not burning through air miles and spending my tourist Euro’s locally, too.
An important element of every great hotel stay is the food offering. Hotels recognise that too, wooing high profile chefs to take up residency as Executive Head Chefs, establishing gardens for plot-to-plate seasonal menus, linking into the networks of craft producers and working with them to highlight a taste of place on menus and with unique and immersive experiential events.
These are the hotels that do that well.
Eccles Hotel, Glengarriff, West Cork
Eccles Hotel was Ireland’s original spa resort, but its history stretches all the way back to 1745. The building retains many original features and has been sympathetically remodelled to marry that history with a modern contemporary feel. The Voya Spa onsite offers a wide menu of soothing treatments that take in the use of their Thermal Spa complete with sauna, seaweed baths and seawater jacuzzi and stunning views over the secluded bay.
Since Edward Attwell joined the Eccles, he has developed vegetable, herb and fruit gardens to the rear of the hotel influencing the variety of menus all prepared to the same quality of standard. Whether that’s Eddie’s signature fine dining tasting menu served in the sumptuous Garnish Restaurant, the daily a la carte, or the hearty bar menu, there is much to choose from.
The Merrion, Dublin
The elegant Georgian lines of The Merrion are testament to the ageless beauty of Dublin’s most-loved five-star hotel and epitomises the aspiration for old world charm to meld seamlessly with the demands of its contemporary clientele. Top-hatted concierge, polished brass, marble floors, cavernous ceilings and spaces flooded with natural light are just some of the reasons The Merrion stills the beating hearts of the most discerning of visitors three centuries on.
The Merrion offers more than comfortable accommodation across its numerous suites in the Main House and rooms in the more modern Garden Wing filled with ornate furnishings, artworks and Irish linens. It’s the kind of place where, despite all that Dublin has to offer right outside the door, all would forgive you for cloistering oneself away and be immersed completely in a fiesta of plumped cushions and the best of champagne.
Should you venture from your cocoon of comfort, The Merrion’s public spaces are equally sumptuous. The spa will gently melt all your worries away, while the Manhattan vibe of The Cellar Bar is the perfect location for an evening’s nightcap or expertly shaken cocktail. Meanwhile, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, with its cathedral-like proportions, crisp linens and sharp service, effortlessly demonstrates how it has held on to its two Michelin Stars for just shy of three decades.
Castlemartyr Resort, County Cork
Resort is the correct description for the Castlemartyr experience because everything you could ever need is contained within the manicured lawns and pavilions of this sprawling country estate. Located in the lesser explored East Cork, the 200-acre site is home to a 19th century manor house adjacent to the ruins of an 800-year-old templar castle. The resort features 108 rooms and suites, each with the best of five-star luxury in mind. On site is an 18-hole golf course, luxury spa and pool; and a plethora of other sporting activities can be arranged during your stay.
Of course, Castlemartyr is also home to the one-star Terre restaurant, headed up by Vincent Crepel, but there is also the highly acclaimed Canopy restaurant with chef Kevin Burke at the helm, and the quaint Hunted Hog gastropub located just outside the estate grounds in the village.
Carton House, A Fairmount Managed Hotel
Bustle an entrance into Carton House, A Fairmount Managed Hotel and imagine a time when this Palladian mansion, nestled in 1,100 acres of manicured gardens and naturistic parklands, was once the playground of royalty.
State rooms, garden rooms and suites are but the beginning of the escape that awaits at this stunning Kildare property. Opulent shimmering day rooms contrast with muted hues of beautifully appointed bedrooms, each with views over the magnificent gardens below. History seeps from every corner, and activities are both suited to the historic environs and catered for today’s visitor wishing to capture the essence of the house’s timeless past. Falconry, archery and rifle shooting are among the more octane pursuits, while tennis, cycling, picnicking and walking the extensive nature trails offer a more subdued experience. The palatial spa with its 18-meter swimming pool is where whatever remains of the day can be eased away completely.
A reimagining of the resorts culinary and gastronomic enticements ensures guests can oscillate between the fine dining of The Morrison Room and the casual but still refined Kathleen’s Kitchen. But, for a true taste of a bygone age, no visit to Carton House, A Fairmount Managed Hotel would be complete without a decadent Afternoon Tea served in the gilded surrounds of The Gold Salon.
Glenlo Abbey, Galway
Just 5km outside of bustling Galway with its fantastic food scene and popular pubs and bars is the sedate and elegant Glenlo Abbey. Built on the site of a 18th century abbey, some of which is now part of the fabric of the hotel, the hotel sits in an elevated position overlooking the river Corrib and an 18-hole golf course. The rooms are stately with many taking in glorious views of the gardens and river beyond, furnished with four poster beds and chaise longues.
The hotel boasts its own cinema complete with plush velvet seats and a revolving bill of movies for all tastes. Guests can enjoy falconry and golf, make use of the estate bicycles for exploring further afield, or take time out in the onsite Elemis spa.
The hotel’s Pullman Restaurant is a big draw for diners. This quirky restaurant is housed in two former carriages of the Orient Express with a contemporary fine dining menu and wine service.
Wineport Lodge, Athlone, Co Westmeath
Let the water soothe your soul at Wineport Lodge. The cedar and glass-clad hotel faces directly west across Lough Ree making watching sunsets a prime-time activity. The hotel is designed with relaxation in mind and gentle activities like boating, cruising, and cycling among the suggested things to do. If it’s a high-octane getaway you’re looking for, head elsewhere – Wineport is for slowing down and breathing in the scenery.
A jetty links the hotel seamlessly with the lough, and pontoons, decks and terraces invite you to spend time in the fresh air with blankets and stoves on hand to ward off the chilly air. The restaurant on site is provenance-led, and the wine list stands up to its namesake location. Rooms are comfortably furnished; each gifted a view of the lough and a veranda to make the most of the great outdoors with all the comforts of luxury just steps away.
Number 31, Dublin
This Georgian townhouse hotel comes with a colourful past linked to the heyday of Dublin’s literary and artistic scene. The hotel was purchase by a bold young architect, Sam Stephenson, and many of his original design ideas and features have been preserved – including an iconic sunken lounge area. Today, Number 31 is a quiet hideaway on Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Street where bohemia meets luxury with rooms decked out in signature bright and bold décor against a backdrop of a manicured terraced gardens.
Food is limited here, but fear not the breakfast offering available is award winning and a real treat in itself. But when the whole of Dublin’s restaurant scene is right on your doorstep, what else would you need?
The Park Hotel, Kenmare, Co Kerry
Nothing says Five Star Luxury Resort than a hotel with its own Champagne Menu, where a €120 Taittinger bills alongside a €2950 bottle of Salon Blanc de Blanc 2007! Everything about the 46-room Park Kenmare has been viewed through the lense of excellence, and home to the kind of service where all has been thought of before you have thought of it yourself.
Superior Rooms overlook the gardens featuring grand canopied beds and separate lounge area, with either a terrace or a balcony overlooking the gardens; Deluxe Rooms over stunning views over Kenmare Bay, and Suites provide next level opulence in terms of décor and facilities – a separate dining room makes room service an altogether difference proposition.
The on-site Sámas spa is a three-hour experience designed as an immersive escape from the day to day, with an hour each spent in the Thermal Suite with its outdoor heated infinity pool with views over Kenmare Bay, an hours’ treatment, and an hour to unwind even further in their relaxation area.
The food (and wine) service has long held its reputation as being one of the finest in the country. In the dining room, a ribbon of banquette seating is framed with yet more of the stunning Kenmare scenery, and menus showcase the very best of Irish and local seasonal produce, with game, shellfish and local free range meats taking centre stage in autumn and winter.
And if the Kerry countryside doesn’t entice you away from your cocoon of decadence, while away the time at the Champagne Bar, and maybe head into the 16-seat cinema for a matinee. When was the last time you did that?
No. 1 Pery Square, Limerick City
This hotel wears its Georgian heritage on its sleeve. Behind the elegant façade lies an interior that is festooned with original features of Georgian architecture: sleek lines, symmetry, large sash windows, grand marble fireplaces and original oak timber floors. The furnishings match the grandeur, and there is even a feminine-styled Drawing Room for taking Afternoon Tea, complete with bone china cups and saucers and silver spoons.
The Period Rooms in the hotel are particularly special, each with bathrooms with their own roll top or copper baths for that extra touch of luxury, monsoon showers, Voya toiletries and deep fluffy towels.
Food wise, No. 1 Pery Square has two restaurants, the drawing room for afternoon tea, and a garden terrace. Thanks to its location adjacent to People’s Park, it’s just a short stroll along the elegant red brick terraces to sites such as St John’s Castle, Limerick Milk Market, and Treaty City Brewery, as well as Limerick’s fantastic shopping streets lined with independent boutiques.
Lough Eske Castle Hotel, Co Donegal
The majestic turreted façade of Lough Eske appears after a slow winding drive along a narrow country road. From the moment of arrival, guests are treated by a concierge service that will whisk you to reception, your bags to your room before you get there, and park the car. This magnificent castle retreat is where you can live your best Downtown Abbey dreams. Acres of rolling gardens, forest trails and lough-side walks; a pick of the gentry’s tried and tested leisurely pursuits, and a Cara Organic Beauty Spa on site complete with thermal suite and pool.
Dining in the Cedar’s Restaurant lives up to the five-star castle status with seasonally changing menus and an affable and knowledgeable front of house staff. Some interesting wines on tap too, or if whiskey is more your thing, a daily whiskey tasting takes place in the new on-site whiskey cellar.
It is a popular wedding venue so it can get busy at weekends, but a midweek break will add a layer of calmness to the overall experience. Garden Suites lead out directly to the spa, and Castle Rooms are in the 19th century castle proper laden with original features, although most rooms come with four poster beds.
WRITTEN BY KATE RYAN – @FLAVOUR.IE