Tag: Ireland Hotels View All Tags
Hotel Spas
Ireland's Cliff House Hotel a Surprising Spa Destination
October 24, 2008 at 11:35 AM | 0 Comments
Ireland's definitely not the first place we'd think of when we're planning a spa vacation but the new Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, south of Limerick, is putting up a good fight.
A recent UK Times review reported hearing plenty of American accents among the guests too so the secret seems to have got out into the world already. How come nobody told us before?
Anyhow, Cliff House's spa complex is called "The Well" and it's full of nice stuff like:
an indoor infinity pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, fully-equipped gym, and treatment rooms staffed by expert therapists. Cedar- clad steps lead to a natural rock pool for that refreshing dip in the sea.
And their therapies use products made from seaweed growing off the Irish coast. There are currently no all-inclusive spa packages to speak of, but FYI rooms start at €200 (US$255) and you can add a serenity spa package for €115 (US$150).
Just as a side note, we are big on hotels that keep an eye on guest feedback, and at Cliff House they're smart enough to give a management response to TripAdvisor reviews. It's nice to feel like you get heard when you're complaining or complimenting.
[Photo: disheaka]
Conrad Hotels
Giddy Up: Mount Juliet Conrad Hotel Perfect For Horse-Lovers
August 5, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 1 Comment
Calling all horse lovers: the Mount Juliet Conrad Hotel in Ireland is doing everything right for you. Not too many hotels have an equestrian center on site, but Mount Juliet does, complete with new stables, two arenas and both of those fence-jumping trails (show jumping and cross country fences, for those in the know).
The new equestrian center has just been officially opened and added to the list of reasons to book in to Mount Juliet. Those lucky enough to get to the opening saw all kinds of horsey stuff, including Ukrainian Cossack riding and, as they describe it, some "stylish side-saddle" demonstrations. We're sorry we missed it.
Mount Juliet is a pretty huge estate about two hours from Dublin, in County Kilkenny, and it's got a golf course, spa and a variety of kinds of accommodation. They offer equestrian packages that include bed and breakfast, lunch, a one-hour trail ride and a one-hour riding lesson--with riding hats and boots provided, so novices like us are welcome--starting at €245 (US$380) a night.
Non-horse-lovers are also welcome as they have a stack of other packages that might match your preference.
Killer View
Room With a Killer View: Peace and Harmony in County Cork
December 20, 2007 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
We feel instantly relaxed just looking at this view from the Kingsley Hotel in Cork, Ireland, next to the River Lee. Green and quaint, relaxed and quiet, and that's just what we need during this hectic season.
The Kingsley is a luxury hotel not too far from Cork International Airport, so it's easily accessed, and the goal of the staff is to offer "international graciousness combined with Irish hospitality". It's a 131-room hotel with a spa and health club attached, and more than just one room or two that sports this peaceful view.
[Photo: timchambers]
Related Stories:
· Hotels in Cork [HotelChatter]
· Ireland Travel Guide [Jaunted]
W Hotels
PM Linkage: Jewelry Designer Does Bambu Indah in Bali
August 22, 2007 at 4:55 PM | 0 Comments
Links:
· Hotels are not just for fashion designers. Jewelry designer John Hardy gets in on the game [Luxist]
· America Inn wants to know whose neighbors are noisier? [Budget Travel]
· Leona Helmsley gets put in the ground [NY1]
· Luxury hotels keep popping up in Ireland. The latest is the Fitzwilliam Hotel [Belfast Telegraph]
· Peninsula Chicago's pool is voted best indoor hotel lap pool [Chicago Tribune]
· No W Hotel for Long Island's Patchogue [NY Newsday]
Ireland Hotels
A New Ritz-Carlton Coming Soon to Ireland
August 22, 2007 at 10:54 AM | 0 Comments
In the July/August issue of the European Travel Commission's newsletter, they highlighted several new and upcoming hotels in Europe. We'll be taking a closer look at some of these hotels this week but we're always interested in hearing your recommendations for hotels in Europe. So send 'em our way.
Look for the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt to hit the hills of Ireland sometime in the next couple months. It is officially listed as "opening in August," but so far the on-line reservations system isn't taking any bookings for any night before October. Apart from this picture here, we couldn't find anything but architectural drawings on the site either, so we expect there are still plenty of construction workers racing around.
This will be a fancy castle where you get the best of the country and the city. Built next to a golf course but in the land where the movies Braveheart and Excalibur were filmed, it is nevertheless just 16 miles from Dublin and 45 minutes from the airport. Parts of the castle itself date back to the early 1700s.
Rooms promise to be palatial as well, with the smallest coming in at 540 square feet. Apart from the "recessed TV in the bathroom," however, we're not seeing any notable amenities on the list. Weekday rates start at 255 euros ($344) and bump up to $398+ on weekends. (Factor in a gouge fee to go online with your laptop of course).
Here's an interesting twist: two of the 20 spa rooms are VIP rooms. So you don't have to mingle with all that Ritz-Carlton guest riff-raff when you're relaxing...
Eco-Hotels
Get Green and Poetic at Northern Ireland's Omagh
July 2, 2007 at 11:15 AM | 0 Comments
Being green is good, and a particularly green part of Northern Ireland can be found at the Omagh Hostel. It comes recommended by Jamble, a new mag whose tagline "green without the extreme" we rather like. The Omagh Hostel is a part hostel, part budget hotel and private double rooms start at a very reasonable £25 ($50).
The Omagh is not especially fancy, but it does pride itself on being both relaxing and inspiring, and being very green. They heat with biomass boilers, fruit and veg used at the hostel is organically grown on site, they recycle and compost everything in sight (guests usually not included!) and monitoring of energy usage has seen a consistent reduction.
The Omagh Hostel even has a cute blog called Banana Rambles which tells tales of life at the hostel, their pursuit of green-ness and even features poetry from previous guests. Now publishing your poetry isn't a service offered by too many hotels.
Related Stories:
· Northern Ireland coverage [Jaunted]
Good Rate
Good Rate :: A Nice Dublin Room on St. Patrick's Day
March 6, 2007 at 11:47 AM | 0 Comments
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which one deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quotes here were valid on March 5, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]
During a peak period, questions of good rates and bad rates become more fluid: sometimes it's hard enough just to find a room. Just ask the spring breakers trying to get a room at the last minute for South Padre Island in Texas.
So, we wondered, what would it look like for St. Patrick's Day, in Dublin, in a year when St. Paddy's Day falls on a Saturday?
We wanted to find a room for two nights, March 17 and 18, so we'd be able to sleep in until noon if we wanted the morning after. When we pulled up March 17 to 19 on European site Venere.com, however, we got this discouraging message: "We're sorry, we have not been able to find any properties that meet your requirements."
When we skipped over to the booking service at EuroCheapo, however, we found 13 places that still had rooms, including the Gresham Hotel in the city center. At 485 euros for two nights that will set you back close to $600, but this is not a weekend where you can patiently pick and choose. Besides, the Gresham is in a historic building with easy stumbling distance access to everything, but the rooms were all upgraded last year and they win our hearts by throwing in free WiFi.
This one gets good reviews overall from guests, especially for the location, which will be key on a night when finding a cab will be a challenge.
Related Stories:
· Gresham Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]
Bad Rate
Bad Rate :: Gouging in the Name of St. Patrick at the Dublin Skylon
March 6, 2007 at 11:35 AM | 0 Comments
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we usually look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which more deserves your hard-earned benjamins. The screen shot here was captured on March 6, 2007 and rates are subject to change. Enjoy.]
When a room rate goes from $478 one night to $73 the next night, you know the first rate is greedy gouging, pure and simple. We imagine a standard at the Dublin Skylon Hotel is really worth $78 tops, but it's bumped up a factor of 6.5 on March 17 to hopefully cash in on St. Patrick's Day. (See the screen shot here from Expedia.) With that kind of inflation, the hotel doesn't have to sell out to make a handsome profit.
We wondered what it would be like trying to find a room on St. Patrick's Day, in Dublin, in a year when St. Paddy's Day falls on a Saturday. As expected, pickings are slim, but we did find some quality hotels in the city center, including this week's Good Rate the Gresham Hotel.
Dublin Skylon Hotel is not great or convenient--just priced high for the night. It's essentially an airport hotel that gets most of its business from travelers in transit. Reviews on TripAdvisor include quotes such as these:
"It's a dump."
"Steer clear!"
"Shabby and tatty"
"I leave and can once again start to enjoy my life."
"Highly disappointing"
"Very very poor"
Judging by the experience many guests have had here, you'd be better off passing out on the sidewalk after a night of revelry and getting a room in the city center the next morning. You'd save $478 in the process.
Related Stories:
· Dublin Skylon reviews [TripAdvisor]
