Woodenbridge Hotel
"A coaching inn in the Vale of Avoca."
The First Feeling
Village hotel, unchanged. It is a place with regulars, and you are a guest among them rather than the reason it exists.
What People Get Wrong
It is a modest country hotel.
Rooms are simple and the building has grown by extension over centuries, so consistency is not its strength. It is also a popular wedding venue, which can fill it at weekends. Travellers wanting luxury in Wicklow should look at Tinakilly or Brooklodge.
The Atmosphere
A long white and black country inn beside a stone bridge where two rivers meet, with wooded valley slopes rising on both sides and a garden running down to the water.
The Room to Request
River side, away from the function room.
Ask for a room over the river and away from the bar and the function suite, particularly at a weekend. Ask about room size too, since the building has been added to many times.
Check AvailabilityThe Daily Rhythm
Morning
The Avoca valley road north, then Avondale or Glendalough.
Afternoon
Mount Usher Gardens, or the beaches at Brittas Bay.
Evening
The bar, dinner in the hotel, and the rivers outside.
Small things you remember later
- Two rivers meeting under the bridge
- A bar with a local conversation running
- Autumn colour along the Avoca road
- How little the night cost compared with Dublin
Finding it
Hours
Check-in from 16:00
Check-out by 12:00
Checked against the hotel's own website on 15 September 2026. Source.
Practical Intelligence
Great for solo travelers
The Emotional Role
Old inn, honest price
One night here puts Glendalough, Avondale and the coast within half an hour each, which is enough to do Wicklow properly before continuing south to Waterford or Kilkenny.
Who this hotel is for
Best for travelers who want wicklow without country-house prices.
Experience Woodenbridge Hotel
If you understand the feeling of this place, you will naturally want to stay.
Check AvailabilityEdited by Deborah Nuñez
The Ireland Edit only recommends hotels we have stayed in, visited in person, or vetted against a checked-in editorial network. We never accept payment for inclusion.
Frequently asked questions
- Who should stay at Woodenbridge Hotel?
- You want Wicklow without country-house prices. A village bar with locals in it is part of the appeal. You are touring the valley, the gardens and the coast by car.
- Where is Woodenbridge Hotel located?
- Woodenbridge, Vale of Avoca, Co. Wicklow Wicklow About 1 hour 15 minutes from Dublin.
- Why does The Ireland Edit recommend Woodenbridge Hotel?
- It is the value option in the best-looking county near Dublin. You are half an hour from Glendalough and the coast, in a working village hotel rather than a resort.
- What does Woodenbridge Hotel pair best with?
- One night here puts Glendalough, Avondale and the coast within half an hour each, which is enough to do Wicklow properly before continuing south to Waterford or Kilkenny.
- When is Woodenbridge Hotel not the right choice?
- Rooms are simple and the building has grown by extension over centuries, so consistency is not its strength. It is also a popular wedding venue, which can fill it at weekends. Travellers wanting luxury in Wicklow should look at Tinakilly or Brooklodge.
- When is the best time of year to visit Woodenbridge Hotel?
- May, June and October
- How long should I stay at Woodenbridge Hotel?
- 1 to 2 nights
You may also like
Lynham's of Laragh
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The Glendalough Hotel
The only hotel beside the monastic city at Glendalough, on the Glendasan river, which buys you the valley at dawn before any coach arrives.
Read Before You Book
Why we recommend Woodenbridge Hotel.
The philosophy that sits behind the recommendation. The essays we would send a friend before they book.
The Irish Hotel Test We Use Before Booking
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
Why We Never Stay One Night Anywhere In Ireland
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
What I Tell Every American Friend Before Their First Trip
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.