Travel in Ireland Guide

The best thing about Waterford is they are situated in their own private island

Ireland is a relatively diverse country. Unless you have pre-booked your travel, looking for a place to stay can be one of the hardest parts of your planning. Accommodations are as diverse as the land itself. These places are further grouped into: Bed & Breakfast, Caravan & Camping, Farmhouse, Guesthouse, Hotels, Hostels, and Self Catering.

We will go through each and every category and give you the best in all of them. This article will focus on Hotel accommodations. They are ranked according to customer satisfaction, with the best hotel at the end. We are discussing the hotels in detail so the article will be too long of a read if we put it all at once. Let’s begin with three.

Kelly’s Resort Hotel
Rosslare, County Wexford

Map of Kelly's Resort Hotel

When Irish families decide to take a break and stay at a hotel for the weekend, the name Kelly’s always pops up. It’s the Irish holiday hotel of choice. Guests return every year to meet up with other families that they have befriended at Kelly’s.

The place is actually more of a resort than a hotel. Here is what you can expect to enjoy at Kelly’s:

There have their own gym, a jogging track, two pools, a snooker room, and a card room. For sports, they have table tennis, badminton, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, croquet and bowling. Nearby facilities include golf, fishing, windsurfing and evening entertainment. To keep the kids busy, they have a creche, a playroom and a kid’s playground. Of course, let’s not forget about the beautiful sandy beach just outside that everyone can enjoy.

But perhaps the best part of Kelly’s is the Sea Spa. This stand-alone building connected to the hotel is complete with Seawater Vitality Pool (indoor and outdoor), Bio Sauna, a plunge pool, and a wide variety of world-class spa treatments - 9 Treatment Rooms, 1 Couples Suite, 1 Thai Treatment Room, Seaweed Baths, Pebble Walk Way, Ice Fountain, Mud Rooms, Salt Infused Steam Room, Heated Loungers, Yoga Area, and Rainforest Showers.

Kelly’s currently offers three types of luxury accommodation – standard rooms, junior suites and suites.

Standard rooms for two adults sharing can either be a double or twin bedded room. The smaller single rooms have a bigger 5-foot bed. Many superior rooms offer spectacular views of Rosslare Strand and the Irish Sea.

The Crozier and O’Malley Suites are named after two famous artists whose paintings grace the entire resort. The suites are located on the upper floors of the resort, the perfect height for breathtaking views. They overlook Rosslare Strand, the Irish Seas and the exquisite hotel gardens – which were designed by Sandra Cosgrove. Each suite has a walk-in double wardrobe with personal safe and mini bar. The spacious living area has a cosy leather armchair with oversized foot rest, coffee table, sofa, flat screen TV, stereo and executive workspace with power outlets. The luxurious bedroom has an option of twin or king-sized beds. Room service for the suites are round the clock.

The two junior suites also overlook the hotel gardens. These appointed rooms are decorated in a contemporary style with all the comforts of a main hotel suite.

To enjoy the most of Kelly’s we recommend that you purchase inclusive packages. Meals will be included and part of what makes Kelly’s great is their excellent food.

Wineport Lodge
Glasson, Athlone, County Westmeath

Map of Wineport Lodge

Wineport is definitely a unique experience. This hotel, located on the edge of the Inland Waterways of Glasson, has the warm atmosphere of a guesthouse. But they prefer to call themselves neither; they are Ireland’s first ever wine lodge. The welcome glass of wine is just the tip of the experience; Wineport’s recipe for a great stay is a balance of good food, great wine and relaxing surroundings.

The modern cedar clad structure has wine themed bedrooms. Large and lavishly decorated, each of these rooms has a balcony that overlooks the stunning lake. Walnut furnishings were designed by Robert English. They have under-floor heating and ‘proper’ coffee in each bedroom for added comfort. Another unique offering is their menu of luxurious bath experiences which can be enjoyed in the privacy of their remarkable bathrooms. Room service is available 24 hours a day. Breakfast is included in the room rate.

They also have their very own Treatment Suite, created in partnership with
Italian spa company Comfort Zone. They have a complete lineup of spa treatments that are fully customizable to individual tastes and needs.

Recreational activities like sailing, boat hire, power boating tuition and lake trips can be arranged with their private jetty service. A golf course is less than an hour’s drive away. Also there is nearby Athlone town where fun activities await both the young and the old. They have heritage sites for cultural enthusiasts and the best in Irish fashion and design for those itching for a shop.

Next door is one of the best restaurants in the country, headed by Eurotoques Chef Feargal O’Donnell. They offer delicious food and professional service in unmatched fine dining. The menu changes seasonally, with the freshest local produce always served as the daily special.

It’s definitely not cheap to stay at Wineport, but the experience is known to be worthy of your hard earned money.

Waterford Castle
The Island, County Waterford

Map of Waterford Castle

This private luxury island resort is made of up a castle hotel, a championship golf course, and holiday homes. You will be brought to the 310 acre island via a private ferry from the quays of Waterford City.

The 500 year old castle is already a unique experience in itself - carved stone, wood-paneled Hall, Jacobean style antiques and intricate original tapestries. Turned into a world class hotel, the castle has been enjoyed by the most discerning travelers for decades.

You can book in one of 19 elegant rooms, each individually decorated with antiques; but providing all the modern comforts of world class accommodation. Everything is about luxury, from the room’s door to your fancy slippers. Of the nineteen, five suites have their own private sitting room. The remaining 14 deluxe bedrooms are en-suite with twins or doubles/kings.

You may also choose to experience the privacy and freedom of staying in an island holiday home. These self catering homes, called the Castle Gardens, can comfortably accommodate 6 people. All are fitted out to the highest standards and are available for rent.

You can enjoy all the modern facilities expected of a top class hotel. Plus they have clay pigeon shooting, fishing, archery, tennis, and a 600-year old sport called boules. Horseback riding can be arranged from nearby Lake Tour Stables.

But the activity Waterford is most well known for is golf. The Waterford Castle Hotel and Golf Club is the country’s only true island golf resort. It promises to be a once in a lifetime experience for golfers - detached from the mainland yet still ideally located. Designed by former Ryder Cup player Des Smyth, this 18-hole par 72 championship golf course opened way back in 1992. The course runs to 6,814 yards, off the medal tees, and covers almost two-thirds of the entire island.

Everybody is welcome to enjoy Waterford Castle. Despite being upscale, no one will feel intimidated to stay here, mostly because of the friendly staff that goes out of their way for their guests. This is the best castle hotel in Ireland. If you have the money, you should definitely spend it here.

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Posted on July 17th, 2008 under Hotels, Ireland's finest Beers. Tags: Hotels in Ireland, kellys resort, waterford castle, wineport lodge. RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback.