GETAWAYS • Ireland
A sprawling, historic estate that transformed into an upscale hotel in the late ’80s, the impressive Adare Manor – which, I’m told, isn’t technically a castle because it doesn’t have defences – sits adjacent to a popular 18-hole golf course, which will host the Ryder Cup in 2027.
Will the European team manage a defence of its own and three-peat? Only the golfing gods and maybe Shane Lowry know. On this visit, I’m more interested in the hotel’s spa and recently built padel club, where guests can learn to play the increasingly popular racket sport, use the gym or unwind beside a photogenic indoor pool.
The rooms and suites are comfortably opulent. They span the original manor house, and there are also chic country cottages for families. Although the village has plenty of pubs and a few restaurants, you theoretically never need to leave for meals or a pint of Guinness.
The standout dining experience is The Oak Room, showcasing a tasting menu using local, seasonal ingredients, including a seaweed butter I could have eaten by the spoonful. Breakfast and afternoon tea are served in a room that looks like something out of Hogwarts, and both left me uncomfortably full in the best way possible. On the level lower, discerning guests visit the Tack Room, a cosy bar with more than 100 bottles of rare whiskey.
Guests can take a self-guided mindfulness walk through one of the gardens, and the grounds are covered with towering trees of all varieties, many of which were brought in by the hotel’s owner. Although the amenities are extensive, it’s the quiet moments amid Adare Manor’s trees that feel like a true luxury. –Emily Zemler
→ Adare Manor (Limerick, Ireland) • Adare, Co. Limerick • Oct wknd from £1,050/night • Book.