The Ireland Edit
Where to Stay in Ireland
Eight stays we would book today. Choose by the job, not the geography.
The short answer
Where you sleep in Ireland shapes the trip more than any other decision, so we start with the eight stays we would book today rather than a directory. Below that, the hotels are sorted by the job they need to do: the arrival night, the castle night, the golf base, the last night before the flight. Castles, country houses, Dublin rooms and west coast quiet, in that order.
- Eight editors' stays, capped at eight on purpose, each with a one-line reason.
- The top country houses and castles sell out nine to twelve months out for summer.
- Two nights minimum at the country houses. One night wastes the grounds.
- Every hotel here is one we have stayed in or eaten in, not a listing we inherited.
Related:the Dublin EditIs Ireland Worth Visiting?Where to Stay in Dublin
01 — Start here
Start here. These are the eight.
Eight stays we would still recommend if we could only recommend eight.
County Mayo
Ashford Castle
Old Ireland at full volume.
County Laois
Ballyfin Demesne
Quiet luxury before it became a category.
Connemara, County Galway
Ballynahinch Castle
A river, a fire, a long week.
County Clare
Dromoland Castle
A castle that works with children.
East Cork
Castlemartyr Resort
Cork, taken seriously.
Kenmare, County Kerry
Sheen Falls Lodge
Weather, dinners and not leaving.
Dublin
The Merrion
The Dublin anchor on every trip.
Kenmare, County Kerry
Park Hotel Kenmare
The hotel families come back to.
02 — Or choose by job
What should the stay deliver?
The right hotel changes the shape of the trip. Start with the outcome you want.
Sleep in a castle
Eight hundred years of stone, falconry at breakfast, a fire lit before you ask. The castles we send friends to.
OpenAnchor in Dublin
Georgian townhouses, art-filled five-stars, and the hotel bars locals still drink in. Where to stay in the city.
OpenPlay the great courses
Hotels built around the game. Sleep on-site, walk to the first tee, play a Ryder Cup course before lunch.
OpenBegin a marriage well
Two country houses, one wild coast, no rushing. The hotels we recommend for an Irish honeymoon.
Open03 — Or browse directly
Browse the collections.
04 — Fixed itineraries
Or begin with a trip already shaped.
3 Days
Dublin, properly
One city, two pubs a day, one real dinner.
7 Days
The first-time week
Dublin, Kerry, County Clare. The classic shape, taken slowly.
7 Days
A quiet honeymoon
Country houses, fires, no airport days.
10 Days
The long way round
Four bases, the west given the time it needs.
7 Days
Golf Ireland
Two anchor stays, four rounds, the food sorted.
7 Days
Family Ireland
Castles and coasts. Short drives. Children fed at six.
05 — Start here
Start with the Ireland you came for.
Ashford · Dromoland · Ballyfin
Castles & Great Houses
Historic stays, estate walks and old Ireland.
Dublin · Wicklow · Howth
Dublin & The East Coast
Cities, coast roads, great restaurants and easier rhythm.
Connemara · Clare · Kerry
The West Coast
Atlantic drives, villages and longer days.
Kerry · Wicklow · Connemara
Quiet Luxury
Country houses, fireplaces and fewer hotel changes.
Royal County Down · Lahinch · Old Head
Golf Ireland
Links mornings, beautiful drives and serious evenings.
Dublin · Sligo · Bellaghy
Literary Ireland
Writers, pubs, landscapes and places with memory.
Kerry · Connemara · Wicklow
Walking Ireland
Days organised around movement, weather and return.
Dublin · Kerry · Galway
First Time Ireland
The classic trip, edited properly.
What these have in common
- Long mornings.
- Worth staying in.
- Service without theatre.
- Places that slow the trip.
Start with one great hotel.
Choose the stay first. The trip will shape itself around it.
The right hotel usually decides more of the trip than the route does.
Before choosing where to sleep, glance at the trip you are building around it.