Excellent service, fitness centers and spas, gyms, swimming pools and saunas — you can find all of these in the hotels of Ireland. And you have a wide choice among the expensive luxury hotels, cheap and modest ones and comfortable guest houses.
Ireland is one of the few places in the world where air and water remained pure and clean. Many castles, fortresses and ancient churches, which keep the memory of the centuries-old history of the country, can be found almost everywhere in Ireland. And even two of the top three hotels of Ireland we’re going to discuss used to be castles… Anyway, read on. I hope you’ll find something useful in my review of these hotels.
Dromoland Castle Hotel
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The Castle belonged to one of the leading clans of Ireland – the O’Brian clan. The clan comes from the High King of Ireland — Brian Boru. The first castle was built in 1475. However, in 1826 and 1832 it was substantially rebuilt and acquired a modern look. In 1962 Lord Inchkin sold the castle and a year later it was turned into the most comfortable hotel of the Ireland. The territory of the castle includes the castle, 1600 acres of land on which live 45 deer, Dromoland Lake, River Rhine. The hotel has 74 rooms. Each room has its own unique design, pre-dinner delivered to each room contains snacks and Champagne. Service at Dromoland restaurant is represented by the best chefs of Ireland. You are required to wear a tuxedo for the dinner, by the way.
TheBusiness Center of the hotel meets all modern requirements. Apart from the main business center of Brian Boru, Celtic and Norwegian Rooms can also be used for presentations and meetings.
The hotel operates a golf club. It was built by the famous architect of golf courses L. Brooke. Golf equipment is available in the shop of the castle. There are also golf lessons for beginners.
Fishing grounds of the castle include Dromoland Lake, the River Rhine, which flows into the River Fergus. The lake is fished for pike, trout, in the rivers you can find trout and salmon. Renting a boat with two rowers will cost you 100 Euros per day.
For hotel guests playing tennis is free, rackets are issued at the hotel. The hotel has a separate Health Center: Masks will cost you 70 Euros, hot massage is 55-130 Euros and Aromatherapy ranges from 45 to 110 Euros.
Ashford Castle Hotel
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Ashford Castle is located in the small town of Cong. The famous movie “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was shot in Cong, on the outskirts of the castle. Galway City, the port and the cultural center of Western Ireland, is 30 km away from the castle. The castle is situated on the shores of Lake Corrib (Lough Corrib), its area is covered by 350 acres of greenbelt. Lake Corrib is one of the most beautiful lakes in Ireland. The hotel guests can arrange water cruises here. The island, located in the center of the lake, is hosting ancient European stone catacombs. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful garden.
Originally the castle belonged to the Irish clan O’Connor. However, in the era of the Norman Conquest in the 13 century the castle passed into the hands of the invaders. The new owners of the castle were the family de Burgh who substantially rebuilt the castle. New developments in the architecture of the castle were made by the order of Lord Ardilian in 1700. The castle resembles its French counterparts. In 1852 the castle passed to the Guinness family and for some time the castle was their residence, and then it turned into a fashionable hotel.
There are 83 rooms in the castle, all have beautiful decorations on the walls of carved wood; each room has antiques, including furniture, and real fireplaces. The hotel has two restaurants – “The George V Dining Room,” which specializes in traditional Irish cuisine and a French restaurant “The Connacht Room” located in one of the best halls of the castle. Ashford is a perfect place to play golf. In the vicinity of the castle you will find the leading golf clubs of the west of Ireland — Galway Bay Golf & Country Club (parkland), Lahinch, Connemara and Rosses Point.
Glasson Hotel and Country Club
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The hotel is owned by the Irish family Reid. It’s located in the heart of Ireland – the city of Athlone, Co.Westmeath. The hotel has 29 rooms; all half-suites are overlooking the lake Lough Ree. The amenties of the rooms include bathroom, air conditioning, TV, phone, WC, iron and hairdryer. The hotel restaurant is designed for 150 people. Special menu for dinner is being arranged by the leading chefs of the territory. The hotel bar is called “The Ninetieth Hole.” It’s open during the day to the services of golf players. The architect of the golf field was Christy O’Connor. The field has 18 holes. It is considered to be one of the best in Ireland, situated on the shores of picturesque Lough Ree and Killinure Lough. There is a hardware store for golf, too.
Among the nearby attractions it’s worth to note the An Dun Transport Museum. The museum has a collection of vintage cars. Especially valuable are model Bullnose Morris Cowley and Shelvoke & Drewry 1920. After visiting the museum you can relax in a small cafe. Another great museum is Lockes Distillery Museum. The museum is located in the village of Kilbeggan. The museum presents the history of Irish whiskey and all stages of production of this traditional Irish drink. Just a variation of this museum is Tillamore Dew Heritage Centre. The popular Tillamor Dew Irish whiskey has its origins from Offally County. The museum represents the technology of this sort of whiskey. From the windows of the museum you will find the beautiful view of the Tillamore Grand Canal.
Image:
http://www.castlehotelireland.com/ashford-castle-hotel-photos/
http://www.golfbreaks4u.com/destination_Glasson_Hotel_Golf_Club.html
