Ireland Luxury Travel Guide: Best Hotels and Experiences for Families

Old Head

I was in Ireland this past May, and I have been trying to find the right way to write about it ever since. Ireland has a way of resisting the postcard version of itself. The country is greener than photographs suggest, the welcome is warmer than expected, and the pace slows in a way that sneaks up on you somewhere around day three. If you are considering it for a future trip, here is what I would tell you.

When to go

May turned out to be close to ideal. The weather was mild, the gardens at Ashford and Adare were in full bloom, and the crowds had not yet arrived in full force. Ireland is never a guaranteed-sunshine destination in any month, but late spring gives you the best odds of long, bright days without the peak summer crowds at places like the Cliffs of Moher. Early autumn is the other sweet spot I would point clients toward if May does not work with their schedule.

Dublin

Dublin: where to stay

Dublin is worth settling into for a bit before you head west, and the city has no shortage of exceptional hotels to choose from.

• The Westbury – Just off Grafton Street, plush and unmistakably Dublin, an easy walk to St. Stephen's Green and the city's best shopping.

• The Merrion – Quieter and more residential in feel, built around a series of Georgian townhouses with an art collection that rivals a small museum.

• The Shelbourne – Overlooking St. Stephen's Green itself, the grande dame of the three, with a history and a bar scene worth visiting even if you are not staying there.

All three are excellent choices, and the right one really comes down to whether you want to be in the middle of the action or a step back from it.

Dublin: what to do

With only a night or two in the city, it is worth being selective rather than trying to see everything. A few that earn their place:

• Trinity College and the Book of Kells

• Guinness Storehouse

• St. Stephen's Green

• Temple Bar, for an evening of music and atmosphere

It is enough to get a real feel for the city without eating into the time you will want for Ashford and the west.

Ashford Castle: history worth knowing

From Dublin, Ashford Castle is a natural next stop, and it is one of those places where the history genuinely adds to the experience rather than sitting in the background. The estate was owned by the Guinness family for close to a century, and their imprint is still visible throughout the grounds and the property's sense of scale and formality. It has since become one of Ireland's most storied hotels, but that Guinness-era grandeur is very much still part of its character.

The estate itself functions almost like a resort built for a full day of activity rather than a single afternoon. You could easily spend two or three days at Ashford without ever leaving the property and not run out of things to do:

• Wine tasting

• Horseback riding

• Falconry

• Boating on Lough Corrib

• Golf

• Fishing

• Tennis

• Archery

• Cycling

Falconry in particular is worth prioritizing if you only have time for one activity. There is something genuinely memorable about having a Harris hawk land on your glove against that backdrop.

The Cliffs of Moher, and a detour worth taking

The Cliffs of Moher are one of those sights that photographs simply do not prepare you for. The scale of them, and the way the Atlantic hits the base of the cliffs, is worth the drive on its own. If your route takes you anywhere near a sheepdog demonstration along the way, take the detour. Watching a border collie work a flock on command, with nothing but whistles from a farmer standing fifty yards away, is a small, unglamorous kind of magic that has stayed with me longer than some of the grander sights on the trip.

Killarney: the practical middle ground

Killarney turned out to be an excellent base for a few nights, particularly for golfers, given how central it is to some of Ireland's best courses.

• Killarney Park Hotel – Warm and classically appointed, an easy walk into town.

• The Europe Hotel & Resort – Right on Lough Leane, with sweeping lake and mountain views and a spa that makes for a good rest day.

• Aghadoe Heights – Just outside town, arguably the best view of the three, perched above the lakes with a genuinely special sense of place.

Any of the three works well as a base for exploring the Ring of Kerry or Killarney National Park during the day.

Adare Manor: the finale

We ended the trip at Adare Manor, and I will say plainly that it is one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen. The manor house itself, the grounds, the golf course, all of it feels a notch above nearly everywhere else in Ireland, and it makes for a spectacular final stop before heading home. If a client is choosing only one true splurge property for an Ireland itinerary, this is very often the one I steer them toward.

The takeaway

Ireland does not need much embellishment. The country's real luxury is in its landscape and its people, and the best itineraries are the ones that leave enough room to actually experience both, rather than rushing from one sight to the next. Ireland also has so many beautiful properties to choose from, and I was able to stop in and see many wonderful ones during my trip. If you are thinking about Ireland for an upcoming trip, I would love to help you choose which fits best for you and your family.