Spa/Fancy Hotel

watna

Hi, My other half and I are celebrating an anniversary in a couple of weeks. I'd love to stay a night in a fancy hotel that would maybe have spa treatments or a jacuzzi/hot tub or something special. I've been looking online but a lot of the places are monstrously expensive or only offer two night breaks at weekends. I know it won't be a cheap hotel but i don't want to break the bank! I'm living in Dublin but wouldn't mind a drive as long as it wasn't too far. Any suggestions?

shrapnel222

try monart or inchidoney, they're quite expensive but i think they do one night specials. worth a try anyway, and they're both gorgeous

Theboinkmaster

Myself and girlfriend went to knockranny house hotel in westport and got one of the deluxe rooms - hands down best hotel ive ever stayed in, bed was huge, goose-down covers, flat screen tv etc - and she got some massages and stuff, the spa is amazing.

However i think it was €250 per night maybe not sure, but could not recommend it enough!

Eoin

The Osprey in Naas is very nice, and I think it has a full spa.

Jambo

I know its close to dublin but how about Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa ?

is_that_so

An uncle of mine stayed in Whites in Wexford, which has been totally revamped. He was very complimentary about it. Powerscourt Springs also do weekends as well.

watna

Thanks everyone, I'll check them all out. All I have to do now is persuade my other half to pay for it!

daveg

watna wrote:

Thanks everyone, I'll check them all out. All I have to do now is persuade my other half to pay for it!

Why don't you treat him :rolleyes:

tinkerbell

Osprey in Naas is an amazing hotel, food in mash: restaurant is just to die for and the spa is really really nice

Carton House in Maynooth is also a really lovely hotel, same again - rooms are fabulous, restaurant, etc. and it has a Molton Brown spa.

I've read great reviews about Knockranny House in Mayo - Catherine Thomas went there as well on No Frontiers and the rooms looked amazing!

I'd stay away from Inchydonney if I were you. Yes it is in a nice location but that's about it really. Stayed there twice, first time was good but then we stayed in the Osprey for a spa break, and then went back to inchydonney for a spa break and there is no comparisson for the hotels. Rooms are not that nice at all and I didn't think much of the spa the second time, it was really disappointing. Because the Osprey and Carton House are more modern hotels, they have gone all out whereas the rooms in Inchydonney are more run down and in need of a revamp.

I always say that you know a good hotel judging by the bathrooms and the bathrooms in both the Osprey and Carton House are amazing. The Osprey has got this huge walk in shower that you have to go around a lil corner in the bathroom to get to, the shower head is huge and stuck up in the ceiling and it's got a standalone bathtub as well in the bathroom. Carton House has a marble bathroom with separate shower and bath but the bath is huge and has a jacuzzi in it (at least it looked like a jacuzzi anyway, I didn't try it). Also, if you prefer more normal food but really nice normal food (like fillet steak, fish, etc.) I found those two hotels much better. I hated the restaurant in Inchydonney because it was just far too fancy for my liking, sorbet in between courses n all that! Plus when I asked for spuds the waiter looked at me in horror!!! You have to have spud in your dinner like!!!!

There's also the Heritage hotel in Killenard in Kildare, tiz a 5* hotel. Meant to be lovely! Oh and the Brooke Lodge in Wicklow as well is meant to be gorgeous (they do only organic food there as well and they have a spa).

PS
If you do go to Inchydonney and use the spa - PAY FOR YOUR TREATMENTS AT THE SPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do NOT pay for them on checkout when settling the bill for your hotel room or they will charge you an extra 15% "service charge"!!!!!!!! They tried to do that to us the first time and we kicked up a huge fuss because they hadn't advertised this stupid extra charge, just for paying on checkout like!!! So we refused to pay it. Anyway the next time we just settled with the spa separately so didn't get stung for the charge. It was things like that that really turned me off the place. I think it's overrated and overpriced and there are much nicer hotels to go to

deisemum

We went to the Brooklodge Hotel and Wells Spa about 4 weeks ago. We were staying in a suite and it was very shabby to say the least. It needs a major revamp. The public areas are filthy, the carpet is pale and badly stained and lifting in places, paintwork is in a bad state. I could go on, I don't know how it got 4* rating. I've stayed in much better 3* places. It's worth having a look at tripadvisor so you'll see I'm not the only one who's had a bad experience at the Brooklodge.

Also our first and lasting impression put a damper on our weekend, the receptionist that checked us in was so rude, unhelpful and a right snob, looking down her nose at us and also other guests got the same treatment. On a couple of occasions when we were in the reception area we heard a few different people complain about different things. I must say the food was excellent and the restaurant staff were lovely.

The week prior to our Brooklodge visit I stayed in the Conrad in Dublin, they've got a spa but I didn't use it. The week prior to that we stayed in the Radisson in Galway. It was really nice. The spa was lovely, you can sit in the hot tub overlooking Galway Bay.

The Aghadoe Height in Killarney is meant to be very nice. I think Aer Arann fly to Kerry if you didn't want to drive that far. The Kingsley in Cork is lovely and I'm going there in the near future.

The Temple and Monart are the two true spas in the country.

watna

daveg wrote:

Why don't you treat him :rolleyes:

I am poor.... i have shoes to buy. Men don't need as much shoes... It's science!