Newpark news
The Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny has opened 10 luxury balcony suites as part of a €2 million investment in the property. The suites have balconies overlooking the hotel gardens, and one has an outdoor hot tub. Designed in conjunction with Irish design company Dean Unique Fitout, the hotel, on the outskirts of the Marble City, has also launched 30 new deluxe rooms. Some of the design details include 300 thread-count linen complemented with a signature throw designed for each room, with en suite bathrooms featuring a Grohe rain-head shower experience, Orla Kiely products and luxury bathrobes.
The property has also added a new indoor and outdoor dining experience at its Terrace restaurant. The Newpark is owned by Flynn Hotels under the helm of the Flynn brothers John, Allen and Pierce, and the group owns four properties in Ireland, including the Imperial Hotel in Cork city, the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, Co Clare, and The Park Hotel, Dungarvan Co Waterford. newparkhotelkilkenny.com.
Mindful skiing
Research by the Mayo Clinic in the US has credited cross-country skiing with boosting our ability to think, lifting our moods and improving sleep, prompting Rosa Alpina, the luxury resort in Italy, to launch a new offering. Stay for five nights and enjoy some "mindful skiing", from €2,960 based on two adults sharing on a B&B basis. The experience includes four daily one-hour private lessons, skis, poles and entry to the training circuit and 26km of cross-country trails. The Rosa Alpina concierge team will propose a series of gentle snow walks, with and without snow shoes, along the river between San Cassiano and La Ville or Corvara or the pilgrims' journey at Santa Croce. Yoga lessons can also be arranged as an option. Mindful skiing is available from December 16th-21st and January 12th-17th and 20th-25th; rosalpina.it.
Skilful stay
Kelly's Hotel in Co Wexford has announced its autumn and winter schedule and it's a jam-packed offering. In September, health and mindfulness is the theme, while in October, Colm Brennan hosts an "Art Appreciation with Sculpture" seminar. Everything from gardening workshops with Helen Dillon and Sandra Cosgrove to an "Improve your Bridge" course will be taking place at the four-star seaside hotel. kellys.ie
Star struck
For a different kind of stay this autumn, look to the Stargazer Sleepover at Clontarf Castle Hotel on Dublin’s northside. Stay in the Royal Suite, where the glass-roofed sitting area is equipped with a powerful telescope and an astronomy guide to help you map the constellations. The package includes an overnight stay with prosecco on arrival, Skywatcher cocktails delivered to the room, dinner in the hotel’s stylish Fahrenheit restaurant and breakfast the following morning, from €500 per room per night. clontarfcastle.ie