These Are The Best Hotels In Ireland & Northern Ireland
By CTH Editors
3 months ago
Where to rest your head on the Emerald Isle
Are the British mad? We have a hard time persuading them to head for Ireland for a short break, but honestly, even a quick weekend is worth its weight in golden leprechauns and anyone who ignores the Emerald Isle and all its glories is simply missing out. Here we highlight the best hotels in Ireland.
Read the C&TH Responsible Tourism Guide
Best Hotels In Ireland & Northern Ireland
These reviews have been taken from this year’s Great British & Irish Hotels Guide. You can purchase your print copy of the guide here.
The Montenotte – Cork, Ireland
Cork’s leading urban resort, The Montenotte showcases chic interiors, superb food and a vibrant atmosphere, alongside stunning views of the city skyline. A proud member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, you’ll find yourself reeled straight in by the warm Irish welcome. The 107 luxurious rooms have super comfortable beds, jewel tones, lovely local art plus modern amenities. Executive chef Rudi Liebenberg does a sterling job with delicious seasonal dishes in the stylish Panorama, one of the hottest seats in town, blending New York cool with Parisian chic. But don’t miss The Glasshouse, nestled within the hotel’s landscaped gardens, serving gin-infused masterpieces on its pink terrace. Bellevue Spa boasts delightful massages and a rejuvenating Salt Room or visit the Health Club, which inspires you to perform your best, but just leave time to catch a movie in the Cameo Cinema. Put simply, the perfect city escape. In August, The Montenotte is set to launch The Woodland Suite Experience, the first of its kind in Ireland – with nine brand new luxury accommodation suites, and an exclusive private clubhouse.
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From €220 | +353 (0)21453 0050; themontenottehotel.com
The Merrion Hotel – Dublin
Dublin’s finest hotel is effortlessly gracious. Everything feels right, from the location opposite Government Buildings to the twinkly doormen, polished service and classically elegant bedrooms. Four tall and sober Georgian townhouses – one of which was the birthplace of the first Duke of Wellington – have been opened up to create a series of expansive, welcoming reception rooms with stucco ceilings, peat fires, antique furniture and the owner’s outstanding collection of 19th and 20th century Irish art, which you can learn about in a discreet audio tour. Just as impressive is the formal garden, graced by Rowan Gillespie’s wonderful statue of James Joyce. The fine dining restaurant is the two Michelin-starred province of Patrick Guilbaud, with the Garden Room Restaurant available for a more casual dining experience. There’s also a spa with a pillared infinity pool, luxurious spa treatment rooms and hair salon. No surprise that the charming general manager, Peter MacCann, has been in place since The Merrion opened, but it’s quite a surprise to find that was just over 25 years ago. It feels timeless.
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Doubles from €375 | +353 (0)1603 0600; merrionhotel.com
Culloden Estate & Spa – Holywood, Belfast
Built as the palace for the Bishop of Down, Culloden Estate & Spa now soars as a traditionally elegant escape, high in the Holywood Hills outside Belfast. Bright and spacious, there are 98 bedrooms and suites with a King Koil ‘Cloud bed’ and luxurious linen. This means a good night’s sleep is guaranteed. You’re spoilt for choice on which room to choose, from the elegantly appointed Estate Room with its deep soak baths to the Tower Suite, with its double height ceilings, original plaster cornice design and fine Irish fabrics. The Palace Suite is showstopping – all marble, velvet and plush carpets – with wonderful views overlooking Belfast Lough. There’s excellent food to match. Vespers Restaurant, which wows with its gothic grandeur, serves modern Irish cuisine, using the finest local ingredients. The Cultra Inn, a traditional Irish pub with roaring fires and outdoor dining, also offers a superb seasonal menu. The award-winning spa should not be missed, with delicious ESPA treatments (try the Heavenly Retreat for instant relaxation). Culloden Estate & Spa is also dreamy for weddings and, indeed, dreamy all-round.
BOOK
From £270, B&B | +44 (0)28 9042 1066; cullodenestateandspa.com
Breac.House – Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal
Located on Donegal’s dramatic Horn Head overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Breac. House, opened in 2017 by Dubliners Cathrine Burke and Niall Campbell, fits triumphantly into the wild landscape. Designed by awardwinning local architects and built by local tradesmen, sustainability is at the heart of this modern retreat, from the building itself and energy usage to the local sourcing of everything, including food and drink. The four rooms, with spectacular panoramic sea and mountain views, are deliciously cosy, with super-king custom crafted oak beds, topped with pure Irish wool duvets, and bold terrazzo bathrooms. Things get even better when a scrumptious breakfast arrives through a hatch. During the day, explore the deserted beaches and ancient forests, hike in a national park, take a surf lesson, play a round of golf, visit art galleries and heritage buildings or just gaze at the ocean. Back at Breac.House, relax on the terrace, curl up in the library or beside a roaring fire. There is also a seaweed bath and wood-fired sauna. There is no restaurant, but the pre-dinner drinks are fabulous as are the many excellent eateries nearby.
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Doubles from €395 | [email protected]; breac.house
Ballynahinch Castle – Recess, County Galway
Nestled beneath the Twelve Bens on the Wild Atlantic Way, Ballynahinch Castle has a history as colourful as its riverside setting. Surrounded by 700 acres of rugged Connemara landscape, this Relais and Châteaux hotel has a big heart that captivates its many returning guests (it enchanted Seamus Heaney, who wrote his poem, Ballynahinch Lake, while staying here). Bedrooms are spacious, comfortable and recently redecorated with elegant floral wallpaper and artworks; some also come with modern four-poster beds. The big draw is the superb salmon fishing (the atmospheric, wood-panelled pub is full of memorabilia and has a famous set of weighing scales) but other activities on offer include guided estate walks on woodland trails. In the fine dining restaurant, which is hung with superb 20th century Irish art, the best tables are those overlooking the Owenmore River. Stewarding the kitchen is executive head chef Danni Barry, who took over in January 2023, and has created a sophisticated seasonal menu championing local produce and ingredients plucked straight from the hotel’s walled garden.
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+353 (0)95 31006; ballynahinch-castle.com
Ballyfin – Ballyfin, County Laois
Set at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, this Neoclassical country house hotel, standing on its own glorious 614-acre estate, triumphs as a captivating place of history and romance, tranquillity and great natural beauty. A supersmart knot of staff await guests on the steps, setting the tone for the exceptional service. Inside lies the finest interiors of any hotel in Europe, complete with superb antiques and paintings. The reception rooms – from the enormous saloon to the 80-foot library – are a clever balance of magnificence and cosy while the 20 bedrooms are all gorgeous in classic Irish country house fashion. There is also a beautiful private Gardeners Cottage available to rent, in the walled garden. The food, with the highly regarded Richard Picard-Edwards at the helm, lives up to the surroundings and sets you up for exploring the verdant gardens, with its lake, Victorian fernery, Edwardian rockery and medieval-style tower with rolling views. There’s an abundance of country pursuits to boot. Alternatively, enjoy the fabulous indoor pool, vitality pool, sauna and therapeutic treatments. Either way, sustained peace and quiet is guaranteed.
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Doubles from €810 | +353 (0)5787 55866; ballyfin.com
Anantara The Marker Dublin – Dublin
Dublin’s Docklands may be the lesser-known part of the city but this rapidly changing part of town, home to cultural hotspots and tech giants, leads the way for the city’s cosmopolitan future. Overlooking the waterfront of Grand Canal Square, Anantara The Marker fits right in. The hotel originally opened in 2013 before undergoing a major renovation a decade later, re-opening under the Anantara brand in 2023. A sleek, contemporary landmark, Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus drew upon the Irish landscape for inspiration. The striking chequerboard-style façade represents the Cliffs of Moher and the geometric shape-filled lobby pays homage to the stones of Giant’s Causeway. The 187 elegant rooms and suites are a lesson in contemporary Irish design. Gareth Mullins’ Forbes Street restaurant, serving modern Irish cuisine, also hits all the high notes, while the rooftop bar and terrace is a must-visit for the 360˚ views. Hide away in the Anantara Spa with its award-winning treatments and indoor pool. Little ones haven’t been forgotten either with kids menus, family rooms and children’s swimming times.
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From €300, B&B | +353 (0)1687 5100; anantara.com
Galgorm – Country Antrim, Northern Ireland
The River Maine flows through this 450- acre parkland, which is renowned for its Par-72 championship golf course and thermal spa – the first of its kind in Ireland. Only 30 minutes’ drive from Belfast yet a world away, it has 125 bedrooms with Rolf Benz furniture and spacious marble bathrooms, plus rustic-luxe shepherd’s huts in Galgorm Woods, each with an outdoor bath and firepit on the terrace. Spend days in the spa, drifting between the riverside vitality pool and The Palm House, an ornate botanical structure set among olive trees and apple orchards in The Walled Garden – the perfect space to kick back with an aperol gin fizz cocktail. Or playing golf: as well as the main course, there is a fantastic academy with a 24-bay floodlit driving range and the club’s Castle Kitchen + Bar. Elsewhere, there are more than 550 varieties of gin to choose from in the Gin Library and ample food options for all, from buttermilk scones and confit pear tart as part of afternoon tea in The Conservatory, to the casual Fratelli Ristorante pizzeria and the Gillies Grill overlooking the stables.
BOOK
Doubles from £290 | +44 (0)28 2588 1001; galgorm.com
Featured image: Culloden Estate & Spa
