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Ireland is an incredibly restorative setting with its green open spaces, coastline that varies from serene to dramatic, its mountains and its loughs, and we think that might be why it has so many fantastic spa hotels. There’s nothing better than relaxing against a gorgeous backdrop, and our recommendations for 15 of the best spa hotels in Ireland offer the full range of natural beauties, from pastoral idylls to clifftops above thunderous waves. We’re also recommending some excellent golf resorts, for those who find it a relaxing pursuit, and some perfect honeymoon escapes, as well as quite a few family-friendly spa hotels. We hope we’ve found something for you!
For total luxury
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- Our list of the best spa hotels in Ireland is packed with beautifully designed, luxurious spas designed to make you feel relaxed, renewed and important, but if you really want to treat yourself, one of the hotels on our list with decor that matches their luxurious spa is Adare Manor in Adare, County Limerick. This neo-Gothic manor offers the full manor house experience: hand crafted wood panelling, palatial ceilings, chandeliers, velvet, damask, beautifully landscaped grounds, a banqueting hall and ballroom, a Michelin star, a choice of over 300 wines, and a spa that offers you a full spectrum of treatments. If you prefer it they also have a collection of self-catering villas.
- The Park Hotel, Kenmare, on the other hand is offering you a one-of-a-kind spa experience, a three hour ‘spa journey’ incorporating thermal and holistic treatments. In addition to a luxurious and traditional country house hotel experience of old fashioned service, open fires, an extensive whiskey menu, a raft of bracing outdoor pursuits and gourmet cuisine. The location, on the Beara Peninsula and the Kerry Way, is heavenly. And there are just 46 rooms and suites.
For a complete escape
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- The Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa is in a truly exceptional spot on a spectacular stretch of rugged coast on the edge of West Cork. The hotel has been perfectly designed to make the most of the views, and each of the 67 rooms and suites have floor to ceiling windows which face the water. The restaurant on the third floor has the same view, but a panoramic version of it, including a blue flag beach as well as the expanse of the Atlantic. And the spa is spoiling. Play golf locally, or surf, fish, cycle or go whale watching.
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- It’s difficult to play one view off against another, but Aghadoe Heights is another spa hotel escape with stunning views, this time of gorgeous Lough Leane and the mountains of the Kilarney National Park behind it. The Penthouse Suite, especially, has incredible views: panoramic, and with the option of enjoying them from your private hot tub. There are 73 other rooms and suites, plus terraces, a bar and restaurant, and a destination, award-winning spa with a couples room, a relaxation room and and extensive range of thermal treatments.
Romantic Spa Hotels
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- One of the smaller spa hotels on our list of favourites, 34 room Bellinter House is a wonderfully romantic looking Palladian country pile turned country house hotel. During its conversion each of the house’s rooms and suites was individually designed, so have a look at a few. All over the feeling is of luxury, from the restaurant, which is an offshoot of the award-winning Eden in Temple Bar, to the views over the Boyne Valley, and the wide range of treatments available at the Bathhouse Spa. And you’re just 30minutes from Dublin.
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- Also surrounded by lush, green rolling views, Monart is an award-winning spa hotel in a renovated Georgian mansion aimed at providing a relaxing haven for you and other adults to recharge in. If you think you’d benefit from spending time in somewhere called the Relaxation Area, wearing your robe to stroll the elegant landscaped grounds and being pampered using high-end French spa products then Monart will be one to consider. The decor is spacious and elegant, with clever use of glass and Italian marble. And there’s a restaurant which specialises in both indulgence and the very opposite: deliciously detoxifying cuisine.
Ireland’s Hip Spa Hotels
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- The G’s bright, confident, contemporary interiors by Philip Treacy, and its fantastic location on the water in Galway are what set it apart. The views out to sea are surprising, considering you’re also only about five minutes from the centre of Galway. Some of the interiors in the public spaces might be too confident for your tastes, but the 101 rooms and suites are more muted and restful. The ESPA is award-winning, and the restaurant has an extensive menu featuring Irish classics and modern European cuisine.
Northern Ireland’s Best Hotels with Spas
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- The Slieve Donard Resort and Spa is one of Northern Ireland’s best known hotels, built in 1898 with the railway line that brought people to this spot: ‘where the Mountains of Morne sweep down to the sea’. It’s also big, with 172 rooms and suites, elegant and yet affordable. The Espa is state of the art, and you’re on the doorstep of the Royal County Down Golf Course. And the beach. During a recent refurbishment ‘resort rooms’ were created, which might appeal to families, or those intent on using the spa a lot.
- One of our other Northern Ireland picks is the Culloden Estate and Spa, which is on Belfast Lough, just out of the city but overlooking it. The building has been here since 1876, built as a Bishop’s Palace and surrounded by 12 acres of gardens and woodlands, and it’s not just historic and impressive, it’s also glamorous and elegant. There are 105 rooms and suites, ranging from simple to extravagant, the restaurant, The Mitre, is well known across Northern Ireland, and the spa is perfectly indulgent, with a great range of treatments and facilities.
The Best Spa and Golf Hotels
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- Against the spectacular backdrop of the Kerry mountains in one direction and gorgeous bay views on the other, Parknasilla Resort is a really wonderful place to stay on the Ring of Kerry, whatever kind of holiday you’re planning. We’ve included it in this category because it has its own golf course, but it’s also extremely romantic — some of the 83 rooms and suites have their own private hot tubs. And there are some excellent family suites too, lots on offer for your kids and a long stretch of private coastline to explore. And the food is good, served in a variety of locations. Of course the spa is a destination in itself too, with a selection of outdoor hot tubs, an indoor pool and steam rooms and an array of treatments on offer.
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- With classic country house hotel appeal, the Farnham Estate Spa and Golf Resort is a spacious, contemporary haven of relaxation and golf — combined, if that’s how you take them. If not you’ll find the expansive, green countryside views will help you unwind too, or a dip in either the indoor or outdoor pool, and the luxurious spa designed by Heinz Schletterer. There are 158 rooms and suites, and some of the suites are nothing short of sumptuous palaces of relaxation. If the 18 hole golf course isn’t enough there are numerous walking trails nearby.
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- Close to the sea and Ballymoney, County Wexford, the Seafield Golf and Spa Hotel is only an hour's drive from Dublin. In addition to sea views, access to the Seafield Golf Club and an award-winning spa, the Seafield has 131 rooms and suites, the simpler of which are very affordable. The location is peaceful, perfect for long, sandy strolls, and there’s a fancy looking bar and restaurant too. Some of their suites are suitable for families.
For a family friendly spa break
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- Lough Eske Castle Hotel and Spa is the perfect place to spoil your family, a magnificent castle conversion right on the shores of Lough Eske in beautiful, rural Donegal. Take them trekking, sailing, fishing or surfing, or borrow one of the hotel’s bikes and explore the region on two wheels, and then come back to a spacious family room or suite, and the infinity pool. The Cedars Grill restaurant prides itself on its locally sourced seafood and the Cara Organic Beauty Spa has an impressive thermal suite and an extensive range of restorative treatments.
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- In a stunning spot overlooking Sheen Falls in County Kerry, Sheen Falls Lodge is an elegant country house hotel complete with ivy trellis and manicured lawns, which also has a collection of more modern buildings where you’ll find comfortable rooms and family suites. All in all there are 66 rooms, most with views of the falls, plus 300 acres of land, two restaurants — one fine dining, one more relaxed, tennis courts, a croquet lawn, an extensive collection of board games and DVDs, complimentary bike hire, a resident ghillie, and a five star spa.
- Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel and Spa is an affordable, 94 room country house hotel near pretty Adare in Country Limerick. Surrounded by beautiful woodland, this property blends comfort and friendly service with style, and provides the perfect setting for families to relax in. For the little ones there’s a kids club, a big, welcoming pool, and a good range of family sized rooms. There are two restaurants to choose from, a fancy, award-winning one and a relaxed bistro, and of course the spa is excellent, with a thermal suite, rasul chamber, 18 treatment rooms, a foot spa and an outdoor hot tub.
If you haven’t found your idea of the best spa hotels in Ireland on our Guru’s list you could: