Harvey’s Point, on the shore of Lough Eske in Co Donegal, has been named the top hotel in Ireland, and the best for a romantic break, by contributors to the travel website TripAdvisor.
The hotel, which was run by Deirdre McGlone and Marc Gysling for 30 years, until they sold it, in March last year, to an investment fund, also features among the best in Europe in the 18th annual Travellers’ Choice awards, which are based on pre-pandemic travellers’ reviews published by the website in 2019. It finished in 12th place in the European rankings, and is among those noted for having the best service, coming 24th.
The Killarney Park, a five-star hotel on the outskirts of the Co Kerry town, took second place in the overall list of Ireland’s top hotels – but was voted best luxury hotel, ahead of Ashford Castle, in Cong, Co Mayo.
According to TripAdvisor, “the top 25 hotels were determined based on quality of traveller reviews and opinions for properties with a star rating of four and above, and with 30 or more rooms. The winning luxury hotels were determined based on quality of traveller reviews and opinions for properties with a five-star rating.”
Heaton’s Guesthouse, in Dingle, Co Kerry, was named best small hotel in Ireland and also took second place in Europe (the list-topper was Anastasis Apartments, on the Greek island of Santorini) and seventh in the world in this category.
Castlewood House, next door to Heaton’s Guesthouse, and run by another branch of the Heaton family, topped the list for best service in Ireland; it was also listed 10th in Europe in this category.
Daly’s House, in Doolin, Co Clare, was named best-rated B&B in Ireland, and number 19 in the world.
The best fine-dining restaurant in Ireland, according to TripAdvisor users, is the Michelin-starred Chapter One, in Dublin. Frankie Mallon's An Port Mór restaurant, in Westport, collected enough five-star reviews to edge into second place, ahead of Mulberry Garden in Dublin 4, recently reviewed in the Irish Times Magazine by Corinna Hardgrave.
Top hotels in Ireland
1 Harvey's Point Lough Eske, Co Donegal
2 The Killarney Park Killarney, Co Kerry
3 Ashford Castle Cong, Co Mayo
4 Dromoland Castle Hotel Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare
5 Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa Tralee, Co Kerry
6 The Lake Hotel Killarney, Co Kerry
7 Adare Manor Adare, Co Limerick
8 Hayfield Manor Hotel Cork
9 The Brehon Killarney, Co Kerry
10 The River Lee Cork
Top luxury hotels in Ireland
1 The Killarney Park Killarney, Co Kerry
2 Ashford Castle Cong, Co Mayo
3 Dromoland Castle Hotel Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare
4 Adare Manor Adare, Co Limerick
5 Hayfield Manor Hotel Cork
6 Ballyfin Demesne Ballyfin, Co Laois
7 Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Doonbeg, Co Clare
8 Muckross Park Hotel & Spa Killarney, Co Kerry
9 Ballyvolane House Fermoy, Co Cork
10 The Marker Hotel Dublin
Top small hotels in Ireland
1 Heaton's Guesthouse Dingle, Co Kerry
2 Loch Lein Country House Fossa, Co Kerry
3 Spanish Point House Spanish Point, Co Clare
4 Bellingham Castle Castlebellingham, Co Louth
5 MacNean House & Restaurant Blacklion, Co Cavan
6 The Ross Killarney, Co Kerry
7 Brook Lane Hotel Kenmare, Co Kerry
8 Currarevagh House Oughterard, Co Galway
9 Ballyvolane House Fermoy, Co Cork
10 Roundwood House Mountrath, Co Laois
Top B&Bs in Ireland
1 Daly's House Doolin, Co Clare
2 Friar's Glen Killarney, Co Kerry
3 On the Rocks Greencastle, Co Donegal
4 The 19th Lodge Ballybunion, Co Kerry
5 Creevagh Heights Carrowmore-Lacken, Co Mayo
6 Oranhill Lodge Oranmore, Co Galway
7 Lawcus Farm Guest House Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny
8 Sea View House Doolin, Co Clare
9 Marless House Galway
10 The Boulevard Westport, Co Mayo
Top restaurants in Ireland
1 Chapter One, Dublin
2 An Port Mór Restaurant Westport, Co Mayo
3 Mulberry Garden Dublin
4 Pearl Brasserie Dublin
5 Rozzers Restaurant Aghadoe, Co Kerry
6 Mulcahy's Bar and Restaurant Kenmare, Co Kerry
7 Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Dublin
8 L'Ecrivain Dublin
9 The Seafood Bar @ Kirwan's Galway
10 Finns' Table Kinsale, Co Cork
Travellers’ Choice top 10 hotels in the world
1 Viroth's Hotel Siem Reap, Cambodia
2 Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa Hanoi, Vietnam
3 Tulemar Bungalows & Villas Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
4 Quinta Jardins do Lago Funchal, Portugal
5 The Omnia Zermatt, Switzerland
6 The Upper House Hong Kong, China
7 Valle D'incanto Midscale Hotel Gramado, Brazil
8 Grand Velas Los Cabos San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
9 Constance Prince Maurice Pointe de Flacq, Mauritius
10 Raffles Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Travellers’ Choice top 10 restaurants in the world
1 Auberge du Vieux Puits Fontjoncouse, France
2 La Ville Blanche Rospez, France
3 Chila Buenos Aires, Argentina
4 The Black Swan at Oldstead Oldstead, England
5 Leo Bogota, Colombia
6 Aramburu Buenos Aires, Argentina
7 Restaurant La Maison 'à Coté Montlivault, France
8 040 Restaurante Santiago, Chile
9 Ise Sueyoshi Nishiazabu, Japan
10 The Fat Duck Bray-on-Thames, England
