Fodor's Expert Review Dundrum House Hotel

Editor's Note: This property is currently undergoing renovations.

Nestled beside the River Multeen, 12 km (7½ miles) outside busy Cashel, this imposing, four-story, 1730 Georgian house features elaborate plaster ceilings, attractive period furniture, open fires, and an old chapel (stained-glass windows intact) converted to a cocktail bar, as well as a health spa and golf course. There are 16 high-ceiling bedrooms in the main house; the rest are in a three-story wing built during the house's previous incarnation as a convent. Although highly renovated, many of the older rooms have accent pieces of early Victorian furniture. There are also self-catering apartments and homes available on the grounds. A big plus: lovely views of the surrounding parkland. The latest draw is an award-winning health and leisure club, along with an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton.