Hotels in Ireland 1hr (ish) drive from Dublin

Shane732

A very general question that I hope some of you might be able to help me with -

I'm trying to pick a good hotel that's roughly within an hour's drive from Dublin. Some of the decent hotels I come up with are further afield.

I've been to the Ritz recently enough and while it is a lovely hotel I'd like to try somewhere different. Others I've thought of are Carton House - I've been to it plenty of times but never actually stayed. Dunboyne Castle, probably similar enough to Carton.

I'm looking for a very high end 4 star or a 5 star.

Cheers.

coylemj

Can you be a bit more specific about what you're looking for?

Fair enough if you're going to London or any big city that you can ask for 4 or 5 star but a hotel within an hour of Dublin could be out in the country in an old house, they might have no spa or pool or lack some other facilities that prevent them from qualifying for a 4 or 5 star rating but could have lots of other attractions like peace and quiet and maybe a superb restaurant.

Carawaystick

The 3 hotels you mentioned are about a 10 minute drive from the M50. Are you timing an hours drive from the M50?
You'ld be looking at an arc from Dundalk to Kells to Mullingar to Tullamore/Athlone to somewhere off the M7 (havent driven it since it opened) to Durrow to Kilkenny to west Wicklow to Gorey

M three

The north end of the M3 brings you to within 20/25 mins of this place;

http://www.farnhamestate.ie/

Have played golf there, used the gym, eaten in the restaurant and stayed overnight. Nice spot.

How about Marlfield House, Gorey. Beautiful Hotel and within 1hr(ish) of Dublin. It's that good, that when "Saving Private Ryan" was being filmed in Curracloe, Speilberg and Tom hanks stayed there.
http://www.marlfieldhouse.com/

Shane732

The 1hr (ish) is not really that big of a thing - it's more a case of not going to Galway/Cork/Donegal than it being strictly within an hour of Dublin.

Really what I'm looking for is something luxurious and modern (to an extent). IMO the Ritz is a great hotel - ok I know it might not be to some people's taste.

This will only be for a short stay so the pool won't be a requirement and while a spa would be nice it's not a deal breaker. Spacious rooms and bathrooms would be something I'd be looking for.

I'm told Farnham Estate is very nice.

Shane732

Hmm... Monart?

The Davestator

Seafield in Gorey is lovely

veetwin

The Heritage Hotel in Killinard, just off the M7. Haven't stayed there in a while but it was excellent. Great leisure facilities and excellent restaurants. Nice pub next door.

Shane732

Both look very nice.

schemingbohemia

Bellinter House in Meath? Mate stayed there recently and loved it, the hotel is owned by the people who own Eden Restaurant in Temple Bar which is great and there's an Eden at the Hotel so food should be superb.

http://www.bellinterhouse.com/

listermint

http://www.theheritagehotel.com/

Also try the Heritage in Laois

coylemj

listermint wrote: »

http://www.theheritagehotel.com/

Also try the Heritage in Laois

The Heritage in Portlaoise hardly qualifies as a 'very high end 4 or 5 star' LOL. If you ignore the gushing reviews on Tripadvisor that are obviously copied & pasted from the brochure, it sounds like the place could do with a serious refurbishment. I was at a wedding in the area recently and my cousin who lives locally told me to pick from the Heritage, Maldron or Killeshin based on price alone because quality wise they were all in the same league so I went with the Maldron beside the M7 after reading Tripadvisor and filtering out the OTT reviews.

veetwin

coylemj wrote: »

listermint wrote: »

http://www.theheritagehotel.com/

Also try the Heritage in Laois

The Heritage in Portlaoise Hardly qualifies as a 'high end 4 or 5 star' LOL. If you ignore the gushing reviews on Tripadvisor that are obviously copied & pasted from the brochure, the place looks like it could do with a serious refurbishment. I was at a wedding in the area recently and my cousin who lives locally told me to pick from the Heritage, Maldron or Killeshin based on price alone because quality wise they were all in the same league so I went with the Maldron beside the M7 after reading Tripadvisor and filtering out the OTT reviews.

Apologies. My experience having stayed there 5 years ago is that it most certainly was 5 star back then. Sad to hear its gone so far downhill in a short period of time.

listermint

coylemj wrote: »

The Heritage in Portlaoise hardly qualifies as a 'very high end 4 or 5 star' LOL. If you ignore the gushing reviews on Tripadvisor that are obviously copied & pasted from the brochure, it sounds like the place could do with a serious refurbishment. I was at a wedding in the area recently and my cousin who lives locally told me to pick from the Heritage, Maldron or Killeshin based on price alone because quality wise they were all in the same league so I went with the Maldron beside the M7 after reading Tripadvisor and filtering out the OTT reviews.

LOL the Maldron.. Our overseas staff wont stay in the Maldron anymore.

I was merely giving suggestions that the OP wanted. Im not hear to sort the wheat from the Chaf

I also didnt say it was a very high end 4 or 5 star in fact i never mentioned ratings at all.

coylemj

listermint wrote: »

I also didnt say it was a very high end 4 or 5 star in fact i never mentioned ratings at all.

Then obviously you didn't read the very first post.....

Shane732 wrote: »

I'm looking for a very high end 4 star or a 5 star.

listermint wrote: »

LOL the Maldron.. Our overseas staff wont stay in the Maldron anymore.

I stayed there two weekends ago and it was fine. Two people sharing on a Sat night cost €55 p.p. incl. full breakfast and we were right beside the pool, no complaints whatsoever. Does what it said on the tin, cheap and cheerful, free parking and right beside the motorway for a quick getaway.

Shane732

coylemj wrote: »

Then obviously you didn't read the very first post.....





I stayed there two weekends ago and it was fine. Two people sharing on a Sat night cost €55 p.p. incl. full breakfast and we were right beside the pool, no complaints whatsoever. Does what it said on the tin, cheap and cheerful, free parking and right beside the motorway for a quick getaway.

The price of the stay isn't a huge issue once it's not unreal....

zagmund

If you don't mind driving around bits of Dublin for an hour and arriving back in the city centre, how about the Merrion Hotel ? It's hard to tell but it seems to meet the criteria you have - 4 or 5 star - tick, close to Dublin - tick.

We stayed there for an anniversary weekend a year or two ago and it was brilliant. We booked the package that included the dinner in Guibaulds - I don't know if they still offer it, but it was good value.

z

[edit] I see you have spacious rooms as a criteria also - certainly in the old part of the hotel (facing onto Chateau Charlie on Merrion Row or Square) the rooms are *HUGE*, although I'm not sure how the rooms in the extension are.

ncmc

I'm told Farnham Estate is very nice.

I don’t have a suggestion to add, but I did want to say that I wouldn’t recommend Farnham Estate at all. It is quite close to my home place so I have stayed there as have many of my family. I really wouldn’t describe it as a high end 4*, in fact, I would barely describe it as 4*. The rooms are pretty bog standard Radisson, the food is consistently poor and we received very poor service from various different areas of the hotel. In fact, it was the only time I have stayed at a hotel and then felt compelled to write a complaint to the manager afterwards (which resulted in a borderline rude response back!)

The only positive thing I have to say about Farnham Estate is that the pool area is lovely and guests at the hotel have free access to the thermal suite, which is beautiful.

Oh, just to add, they do an amazing Sunday lunch too. But that's really the only positives I can say about the hotel!

I would avoid like the plague if you’re looking for a high end experience.

schemingbohemia

veetwin wrote: »

Apologies. My experience having stayed there 5 years ago is that it most certainly was 5 star back then. Sad to hear its gone so far downhill in a short period of time.

You were responding to a "sneer" at the Heritage in Portlaoise not the one you stayed at in Killinard which has the golf course.

sallymomo

Shane732 wrote: »

Hmm... Monart?

Hi Shane
I would definitely second both Monart and Marlfield. Monart is more modern ( as per your wants) but both are very luxurious and food is fantastic in both. Monart has the added benefit of a great Spa.
While both are just over an hour from Dublin they seem like a world away once you enter the gates.

Carton looks very nice but have only played golf so cant comment. Merrion was mentioned which might be an option?

Enjoy whatever you choose

rossie1977

druids glen just outside newtownmountkennedy

byhookorbycrook

Monart is divine, but not the place for night life or even music in the bar. (One of the reasons we keep going back.)