Travel in Ireland Guide

The Merrion Hotel in Dublin is the best hotel in Ireland

These are some of the best hotel deals in Ireland. These choice hotels were picked from hotel finders and are ranked with the help of hotel reviews. Some of the hotels offer vacation packages that include hotel rooms with extra tours and amenity use.

Sheen Falls Lodge
Kenmare, County Kerry

Map of Sheen Falls Lodge

Set by a river and falls, this lodge is one of the most serene “nature” hotels in Ireland. But don’t let the location fool you, this hotel has all the leisure facilities of a modern hotel.

King-sized beds are larger than usual. All rooms have satellite TV, VCR, CD stereo, complimentary videos and music CDs, free internet access, direct dial telephones, personal safe, iron with press and hairdryer. One unique thing about this lodge is that they have books in each room from the hotel’s library. The equally spacious en suite bathrooms have twin vanity, hand held shower, Molton Brown products, and plush robes and slippers. All guests have access to: same day laundry and dry cleaning, overnight shoe cleaning, turndown, and 24 hour room service. The views vary from room to room, but all are expected to amaze: you can choose the bay view or the more famous falls view for a magnificent display and tranquil sound of the nearby natural falls.

You can enjoy other activities as well: fishing, tennis and spa. You can go around the entire 300 acres on horseback, on a bike, or simply on foot. They have two restaurants – the more casual Oscar’s Bistro with its own terrace overlooking the waterfall, and La Cascade for upscale fine dining serving fresh local catch.

Pontoon Bridge Hotel
Pontoon, County Mayo

Map of Pontoon Bridge Hotel

This hotel is situated between two lakes, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin… so if you can, book a room that offers a spectacular view of either of the two lakes. This hotel is not luxury and is therefore cheaper than others, but it deserves to be in this list. Luxurious getaways are easy to find, but places like Pontoon Bridge are quite rare. Aside from the natural spectacle of the two lakes, the surrounding oak woods and forest, and the nearby mountain range, the hotel offers “schools” to its guests.

The bedrooms are spacious, comfortably decorated and furnished. They have good clean bathrooms. There are two restaurants: Twin Lakes (a more formal atmosphere) and Terrace Restaurant (bistro-like and casual). Both serve great dishes that are surprisingly excellent for its price. As for things to do, boast and tackle can be rented for a great fishing experience – the lakes are known for its trout and salmon. There’s even an in-house fishing school that will teach beginners the ropes of lake fishing. Aside from the fishing school there are other mini schools as well - which is quite unique for a hotel. They will teach seasonal dishes for full meals and desserts in the cooking school. And in the painting school, artist Pat Goff will teach the basics of brush painting together with lighting and coloring techniques.

Gregan’s Castle
Ballyvaughan, County Clare

Map of Gregan's Castle

This family run 4 star hotel is found in a remote location, so aside from its rich history (dating back to 1750) its most prized characteristic is the peace and quiet of its surroundings. It offers a unique view of the Burren mountains and Galway Bay. Guests are also welcome to enjoy the view from the hotel’s well kept garden, complete with a rockery, gunnera, pond, rose garden and sun dial. One unique characteristic of Gregan’s Castle is its resident donkeys Bubble and Thomas, so be sure to give them a hi when you book here.

The individually decorated bedrooms are large. Beds are extra comfortable with crisp linen sheets. The small hotel bar called Corkscrew serves good casual pub food that is not to be missed. But even better is the excellent dinner in the castle’s Dining Room - to be enjoyed with the Organic Burren Lamb and Beef is a great view of the bay and Ballyvaughan valley. Aside from the organic meat, they also only use locally grown organic vegetables and herbs. If you plan on vacationing in County Clare then book at Gregan’s. Lahinch, Doonbeg, Gort Golf Club and The Cliffs of Moher are spectacles found nearby. Just be sure not to visit during the months of November to March, as the castle is closed to the public.

Finally we come to our last stop. The best of the best…

The Merrion Hotel
Merrion Street, Dublin

Map of the Merrion Hotel

We all know that there’s more to Ireland than just Dublin, but we also know that the best of the country is also found in the capital. One of those “bests” is the Merrion Hotel. The ultimate in luxury, staying here will definitely cost you money. But everything is well deserved of the amount – location, decoration, facilities and service. Merrion street is a central location in Dublin – shops, pubs, restaurants, galleries, museums and theaters all around. The hotel is actually a restored Georgian house so historically its 18th century interiors have been that beautiful since its early beginnings. All the 122 guest rooms and 20 suites are individually decorated with the finest pieces of Irish fabrics and antiques, and the bathrooms are fitted with exquisite Italian marble. All rooms have individually controlled air-conditioning, 3 telephones, fax machines, CD player, broadband internet, satellite and cable TV, PlayStation, and personalized voicemail. Upon request, video conferencing and mobile phones are available. They have two restaurants – The Cellar Restaurant, which was awarded Best Hotel Restaurant in Dublin in 2005 and the world famous Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, which is considered as Dublin’s most awarded restaurant so far.

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Posted on July 23rd, 2008 under Hotels. Tags: gregans castle, merrion hotel, pontoon bridge hotel, sheen falls lodge. RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback.