If you want to celebrate the Christmas season, find some of the best places to stay in Ireland with or guide!
You will enjoy an extensive range of dining options focused strongly on local and seasonal produce with low food miles and sustainable production practices.
1. THE EUROPE HOTEL AND RESORT
The experience of staying and dining at The Europe Hotel & Resort, located in Killarney, Kerry, reminds one of some of the greatest alpine chateaux hotels. Whilst the vista of the mountains underpins this analogy, it is in fact as much the commitment to the very highest of standards the hotel maintains that validates the comparison. Understated design from when the foundation stone was laid has never varied.
The smallest of details – a design that flows from one space to the next; art and furnishings that add to the experience but never distract from the amazing views spilling into the hotel at every turn. Each square millimetre of the building is gleamingly spotless.
2. Luttrellstown Castle Resort
Luttrellstown Castle Resort is a luxury resort situated on 567 acres of manicured private parklands. The resort offers privacy and an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life but is close to all the attractions that Dublin City centre has to offer.
The magnificent 15th Century Castle comprises 20 gloriously, but uniquely, decorated rooms all remaining true to the Castle and period feel. The Castle is available for hire on an exclusive basis.
Luttrellstown offers luxury accommodation for the discerning guest along with a choice of on-site activities and facilities to keep even the most adventurous busy.
3. The Merrion
The MERRION’S 142 bedrooms and suites are positively perfect in every way. The decor echoes the period but the facilities and amenities are thoroughly modern.
If you can tear yourself away from your glamorous bedroom, you can relax and revive in The Tethra Spa at the Merrion Hotel with a treatment or a few laps in the gorgeous pool or a session in the gym.
For those looking for one of the most elegant locations in Dublin for a wedding, you will be thrilled with the romantic rooms and stunning suites that can cater for lavish parties or more intimate gatherings.
4. Grand Central Hotel
The Grand Central Hotel is located in Belfast and features 300 luxurious bedrooms with terrific views, especially the higher up you go. Due to its city centre location, there are plenty of things to see and do right on its doorstep.
The Observatory is the jewel in the crown that is the Grand Central Hotel. Ireland’s highest bar, you can sip the most delicious cocktails in the sky as you take in the awe-inspiring panoramic views that surround you. This trendy and cosmopolitan space is the height (no pun intended!) of style and luxury.
5. the great southern Killarney
The Killarney Wine Rooms at the hotel have won multiple awards for their superb wine selection and casual dining menu. It is a terrific spot for wine enthusiasts and casual sippers alike.
The Great Southern Killarney has a grand design with a wide range of luxury suites built in 1854, wonderful gardens and fabulous Christmas decorations this time of the year. An ideal venue for weddings and special occasions.
6. The Marker Hotel
The Marker Hotel, located in Dublin is designed with every amenity and comfort guests could need for a relaxing hotel stay, from the impressive bedrooms to the spa & leisure and events, you’ll be well looked after at this city centre hotel.
The highlight of the overnight experience at The Marker was no external city traffic noise that you would expect from a city centre hotel and the spectacular reveal when you draw the curtains in the morning and look across Grand Canal Dock with the early morning sun rising out of the Irish Sea and creeping across the square. The Marker Hotel most definitely delivers the ‘Urban Retreat‘ experience promoted in the hotel’s tagline.
Room amenities include 24-hour room service, valet car parking, a concierge service along with laundry and dry cleaning to name but a few. The dedicated reception staff will happily assist with any queries or requests you may have.
7. Ballymaloe House
Accommodation at Ballymaloe House in Cork is simple and elegant and in keeping with the country house feel. The house is on 300 acres of farmland grounds and has a heated outdoor pool, gardens and vegetable gardens.
This welcoming family home is all about relaxation in beautiful but comfortable surroundings. The cocooning beds and calming ambience make for a peaceful slumber. Another accommodation option is the charming rooms in the lime-washed, rose-covered farm building in the courtyard.
8. Hayfield Manor
Located in the heart of Cork City, Hayfield Manor offers top-class comfort and service. Rooms are spacious and opulent, as you would expect in a large period manor house, and the 5-star amenities include a spa, swimming pool and fitness studio.
For special occasions, there is a private dining room and The Vine Wine Cellar is ideal for more intimate occasions.
9. Kilronan Castle Estate and Spa
At the entrance, there is a set of medieval gates leading you through a tree-lined avenue along the edge of Lough Meelagh revealing the stunning Kilronan Castle and Spa.
The castle hotel seamlessly mixes the elegance, sophistication and tradition of the past with the luxury and comfort of the modern era. The castle’s location and surroundings include breathtaking views as well as peace and quiet. This makes Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa one of the most luxurious castle hotels in Ireland to stay in.
10. Culloden Estate Spa
Culloden Estate and Spa are set in a grand 19th-century mansion on 12 acres of grounds with unparalleled views of Belfast Lough and the rugged Antrim coastline.
The estate is traditionally elegant whilst at the same time providing every modern amenity expected from a luxurious five-star resort hotel. It is an ideal base for when you want to be close to Belfast city whilst still enjoying some peace and tranquillity.