Fodor's Expert Review Dromoland Castle Hotel

With structures that date back to the 11th and 16th centuries, and now one of Ireland's grandest hotels, Dromoland Castle's picture-perfect setting and lavish finishes offer a classic fairy-tale feel but with modern comforts. Public spaces are richly decorated with velvet and hardwood furniture and fittings in traditional heritage hues of green, yellow, and crimson; curtains, carpets, chairs, couches, and timber walls capture the essence of an important period home. The large hearth is the focal point for guests who lounge in its glow, while sparkling crystal chandeliers illuminate ancestral portraits. The bedrooms, on the other hand, tell three different stories spanning as many centuries. Much of the recent refurbishment costs have been lavished here, with the addition of luxurious en suite bathrooms and upgrades to bedroom decor, soundproofing, and air-conditioning. Accommodations in the original 19th-century castle cleverly integrate heritage style with modern flair: spacious rooms feature scaled-back Baroque patterns in soothing tones and fresh linen covers on the four-poster beds. Dromoland's Queen Anne section contains the hotel's fully refurbished standard rooms housed in quadrangle-shape 18th-century stables, with all rooms facing an internal courtyard. While the rooms are comparatively modest in size, they are furnished to the same high standard. The final bedroom section is a 20th-century expansion that lies farthest from reception. For dining, the Fig Tree Restaurant in the golf clubhouse offers a casual fireside option, while the Earl of Thomond Restaurant is the place for a chandeliered European feast. Afternoon tea is popular with locals; book ahead. The hotel offers a stunning golf course, tennis, fishing, spa, falconry, and woodlands perfect for jogging and cycling.

Take a stroll through the castle's arched hedge to its ornate garden and note the ancient stone entrance. It was taken from the family's earlier palace on the outskirts of the Burren, Lemanagh Castle.