22 Best Hotels in The Midlands, Ireland

Dedicated to all things equestrian, this family farmhouse, now in the fifth generation of the same family, was once an old-world grain barn, but has been converted into elegant accommodations, with pitch-pine floors, massive roof beams, and open fireplaces. Guest rooms, in restful creams, are cozy, comfy, and well maintained. It matters not a bit if your interest doesn't run to things horsey—the area has all manner of walking, cycling, and golfing opportunities, and Clonmacnoise and Birr Castle are just a short drive away. Horses, though, are a big interest, and the innkeepers, Lynda and Henry Deverell, are well-known in equestrian circles and encourage guests to enjoy a ride on horseback through the surrounding farmland and woodland where trails were upgraded in 2018. Check the website for midweek offers, for economy and intensive riding breaks, and special rates for groups.

With its collection of mock-Gothic towers, turrets, and crenellations, along with rumors of paranormal activity, Cabra Castle has been deemed one of the world's scariest hotels; the Irish Ghosthunters Association has confirmed that it was indeed a place visited by spirits. Some reports speak of guests meeting a man in full early-20th-century military uniform striding down the corridor while others claim to have heard a horse and carriage pull into the courtyard in the middle of the night. Standing amid parkland with mature trees and pristine lawn, Cabra boasts rooms of all shapes and sizes, from attics to ones that can accommodate three double beds. Rooms in the castle are recommended (although some are small), but many of the larger bedrooms are in the adjoining courtyard area, in a carefully restored stone outbuilding overlooking Mitzies garden, named after the owner. Some come with roll-top baths and four-poster beds. The Victorian Gothic theme of the main castle is carried through in the bar and the restaurant (reservations are a must for lunch or dinner) with varying degrees of success. Framed portraits and deer heads adorn the walls. Don't miss the castle gallery, which has hand-painted ceilings and leaded-glass windows.

Rising out of the flat bogland and forest, Center Parcs is a huge new family-friendly resort that may have been developed for the Irish family travel market, but its wide variety of accommodations, amenities, and more than 100 activities make it a great option for visiting families with children who might want a break from the typical castles-and-cliffs Irish vacation. Putting the Midlands on the map as a family-friendly destination, Center Parcs offers accommodation for 2,500 guests spread over a staggering 466 self-catering lodges and 30 hotel-style apartments. Most come with log burners and private patios, while the more expensive options are equipped with saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms, and a games room. There is no shortage of activities with mini tennis, ziplines, and laser combat as well as cycling, painting, pottery-making, and the revitalizing Aqua Sana spa. Underneath the weatherproof dome is a subtropical swimming paradise, a vast indoor swimming pool made up of a lazy river, slides and rides, rapids, a whirlpool, and a wave pool. The minimum stay is a weekend break of three nights, a four-night midweek break, or a seven-night stay. Huck's American Bar & Grill has established itself as a popular venue with an all-you-can-eat children's buffet.

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The sweet aroma of turf smoke percolates in the living room of this historic B&B, where the delightful Nicola Daly welcomes guests to her "home from home," an 18th-century house that has a connection to Charlotte Brontë, whose husband lived here after her death. Today the B&B attracts much interest from the literary fraternity and books are sprinkled around the house. Guests are encouraged to choose from a range of jams made from the orchard featuring apple, pear, and plum along with homemade bread. Victorian and Edwardian rooms are furnished with antiques, soft colorings, velvet curtains, and Axminster carpets.

Ask for the attic room, which comes with a Jacuzzi.

Originally a coach house, this unpretentious country hotel in Birr's central square, just a five-minute walk to Birr Castle, began life in 1747 and has retained its old-style homeyness with well-appointed rooms decorated with neutral furnishings. An open fire and relaxed welcome invite you in; the bustling bar and coffee shop are popular with locals and serve lunches. For a more formal dining experience, you could try the Emmet Restaurant, where lamb rump, roast duck, supreme of chicken or striploin steak are main course highlights. The hotel has added the atmospheric Bianconi Courtyard, a bar where, in favorable weather, you may indulge in alfresco dining, and in 2019 modernized its Coachhouse Bar for casual snacks and drinks.

A blend of stone, wood, and glass, the Farnham Estate—one of the top spots in the Midlands to detox and purify—exudes the promise of contentment over its 1,300 acres, as well as offering a superb choice of dining options. Extended from the original big house (dating from 1664), the hotel includes a golf course and mature grounds. Guest rooms and corridors are in relaxing neutral themes of beige, silvery greens, and sky blue, echoing the tones in the gardens and grounds. The Cedar Rooms restaurant, named after the 300-year-old cedar of Lebanon, the largest and one of the oldest trees in the estate, showcases local artisanal producers' food with beef, vension, and hake among the dishes. What steals the show however, is the spa, and in particular the Laconium, which re-creates the atmosphere of a Roman sauna. The snail shower, salt grottoes, and reflexology footbath are also recommended.

Ask at reception for a booklet outlining five nature trails through woods and around lakes, and make sure you see the magnificent Monterey pine in the center of the parkland.

The guest rooms have a soothing palette of buffs, creams, and lime greens. Ranging from classic to luxury suites, the rooms boast views over the lake or across the 18-hole championship golf course, cleverly crafted by Christy O'Connor, Jr. And it's for the golf that many still come to this idyllically sited location. The award-winning course has been upgraded and enhanced with improved chipping and putting facilities. Public areas in the hotel have been refashioned with the new Killinure dining room specializing in fish, lamb, and steak dishes while at the more informal Lakeview bar with its floor-to-ceiling windows, pies, burgers, bagels, salads, and lighter meals are on the menu. You can work it all off at the in-house gym, avail of the complimentary bikes to explore the grounds, or arm yourself with a walking pack made up of a picnic, blanket, and walking sticks.

“The best of everything” is the maxim of affable owners Dinah and Jerry Campion and that is certainly evident the minute you step inside this elegant Georgian town house next to the Portlaoise train station—open fires, antiques, and sumptuously cozy sofas await you in the beige-on-brown, wood-accented sitting room. Upstairs, luxurious drapes grace the sash windows of the spacious bedrooms, most of which are done in dramatic hues such as red, pink, and emerald, which have all been repainted. An avalanche of plump cushions scattered on your antique bed reinforces the tone of rest and relaxation while pocket-sprung mattresses add to a good night's sleep. Guests find it hard to choose from all the goodies on the scrumptious breakfast menu, but few can resist scrambled eggs with smoked salmon washed down with leaf tea.

Barry Keenan is the fifth generation of his family since 1838 to run this first-rate hotel overlooking the Shannon, with a quality restaurant perfectly capable of challenging the Purple Onion next door for culinary polish and panache. It's a popular stop off for river cruisers so there's a constant, convivial vibe in season. The bar is a mini museum filled with memorabilia and a "Wall of Fame" featuring some well-known celebrity visitors over the years. Bedrooms are painted in calming beige and cream, with black curtains, and dark-wood furnishings, and were given a makeover in 2019.

Ask for a room where you can watch sunrise over the Shannon from your small flower-filled balcony—an ideal spot to gaze at the river and listen to birdsong.

Overlooking Lough Meelagh deep in a 40-acre estate, this restored 18th-century castle offers keenly priced luxury in a romantic setting. Facilities include an impressive spa which includes a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, and beauty salon along with a swimming pool---or just meander around the gardens. The Douglas Hyde Restaurant (named after Ireland’s first president---a local man) overlooks the grounds and sources local ingredients for a well-chosen menu.

On the outskirts of Mullingar, this stylish hotel has built up a solid reputation, both for its inviting accommodations and the high quality of its cuisine. The double, twin, or family guest rooms are decked in golds, creams, and beiges, or if you feel like a splurge, the decadent park suite is replete with a super-king four-poster and a deep soaking bath. The menu of the sleek Terrace Restaurant might include pork belly, pan-roasted scallops, Slane Valley lamb, steak, or chicken. For a more informal bite, the casual Horseshoe Bar serves beef burgers, pasta, or Thai chicken curry, and features live music on Saturday night. To burn off all those extra calories, there's a gym and the Azure Leisure Club with a pool, sauna, steam room, and a range of Thalgo treatments in the beauty rooms.

In a prime location on the banks of the Shannon, this property has a distinctive water theme; not surprising, as more than half the bedrooms have superb views of the meandering river with a lovely look at Sts. Peter and Paul across the way. Guest rooms are clean, comfortable, and modern, and all have been refurbished in neutral shades. Swans preen around the bridge and cruisers are berthed beside the hotel. The Elements Bistro serves lunch and dinner, and you can snack on lighter fare at the Quayside Bar. Between May and September, barbecues light up summer nights on the terrace. As you enter the main lobby, a huge piece of permanent artwork entitled Sionna by the Kerry artist Susan Leen gives an immediate sense of place. 

Ask at reception about the new Blu Routes, which are cycling, walking, and running trails close to the hotel planned for guests by their trained fitness staff.

There's a dreamy beauty to this châteaulike mansion set on the slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains—as you arrive, a dark, tree-lined avenue suddenly opens up to reveal a dramatically gorgeous Palladian villa, while some ducks, hens, and a Labrador called Rococo often form the welcoming party. The bedrooms in the main house are elegant and airy, or opt for cozier chambers in the adjacent 17th-century self-catering accommodations. Tiniest of all is the cottage, a stone charmer whose original tenants may have been Hansel and Gretel. Affable hosts Hannah and Paddy Flynn often share your table at dinner, and if Paddy's guitar is to hand, he'll entertain guests with classical or contemporary rock numbers. On the menu, lamb and beef are among the staple dishes. Frank Kennan, Hannah's father, is known as the "woodman and the bookman." His 2,000-volume library of the evolution of civilization can be perused in the Long Room, an outbuilding where concerts and plays are occasionally held.

Right in the heart of town, this distinctive 12-story tower hotel comes not only with outstanding comfort but also top-class views of the Midlands, making it one of the highest points in Westmeath—a county not noted for many mountains. Guest rooms in soothing milky and cream tones are inspired by the surroundings, with designs reflecting the historic nature of Athlone as a centuries-old crossing place. At 6½ feet long, the Sheraton signature beds ensure a comfy night. Ask to stay in the tower where king rooms or suites with floor-to-ceiling windows will dazzle you, revealing a 360-degree panorama of the countryside and the lazy curve of the River Shannon. The crossing theme is continued in the furnishings in the lobby and in the bespoke artwork in other public areas. There's a choice of dining in either La Provence Brasserie or the Harvest Café for lighter meals, while the S Bar and Bistro also serves snacks from its morning bakery right up to 9:30 pm; after noon, here you can choose from Irish stew, humus tikka flatbread, duck rillette, or Ancient East seafood chowder. Inspired by Japanese tearooms, the Sirana Spa offers purifying facials, hot-stone massages, and pedicures and there are swimming and hydrotherapy pools alongside a gym.

If you're 62 years or older, senior discounts of up to 15% apply to all room rates.

Outdoors types, especially golfers, prick up their ears when they hear of the facilities on offer at this modern country hotel set on 300 acres—apart from two golf courses, it also has an excellent health club. From the outside, this hotel looks like a rather wan 20th-century redo of a stately home. One comes here for modern-day luxuries and de-stressing activities, not the grace notes of yesteryear. In 2020, the hotel invested heavily in its lifestyle and golf facilities—both its courses have been accredited by the Professional Golfers' Association—and some suites were upgraded. The bright and sprightly bedrooms have chunky, Art Deco–style furniture. White linen and wrought-iron chandeliers decorate the formal Conall Cearnach restaurant, where the extensive menu includes traditionally prepared and locally sourced dishes featuring lamb, steak, chicken, duck, and monkfish. The Setanta restaurant is more informal, while the Summit Restaurant, overlooking the golf course, serves tasty snacks. 

An inviting glow hits you as you step into the long, narrow corridor of this unconventional B&B, all nooks and little staircases, an easygoing place to chill for a few days. Run by two brothers, Anthony and Vinny McCay, the Bastion is simply and tastefully furnished with crisp white linens and comfy beds. The studio room is €10 extra and is worth it for some additional space. You're spoiled for dining options, surrounded by Italian, Indian, Thai, Lebanese, and modern Irish restaurants as well as several pubs within a few minutes' walk on Athlone's left bank. Breakfast is not served, but the Bastion Kitchen directly across the road opens at 8:30 am and cooks what may well be the best sausage bap in the Midlands from the Castlemine farm.

The owners have renovated a delightful 200-year-old thick-walled and whitewashed cottage available for rent.

Killoy Cottage is a 20-minute drive northwest of Athlone at Lecarrow on the Rindoon peninsula close to Lough Ree, an area saturated in medieval history. It can be rented on a daily basis (€120) or for a week from €500, and crucially comes with a pub and grocery store round the corner. Described as a country hideaway, photographs of the cottage and interior rooms can be viewed on the owners' website.

The main attraction of this modest 200-year-old guesthouse, set in the tiny village of Clough right in the heart of the County Laois countryside, is the genuinely warm welcome extended by its owners, Sean and Marian Hyland, one that is delightfully seconded by a friendly springer by the name of Jill and a terrier called Marley. The enthusiastic Sean and Marian can bring you up to date on the history of the inn and pub, advise you on hiking in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, and organize golf and angling packages. Traditional music nights in summer—not confined to a specific evening—are a big local draw. Guest rooms are plain but clean and comfortable.

This modern hotel looks out over the parkland setting of an 18-hole golf course and across to the distant Slieve Bloom Mountains. Luxury accommodation includes different classifications of rooms—from standard to suites—all finished with a soothing and muted color and some have a private balcony with stunning countryside views. A good choice of dining venues includes Blakes which serves fish, beef, chicken, and duck, as well as wild mushroom ravioli, and barley and broccoli risotto. Other options are for light fare or afternoon tea is available in the The Galleria from 1 to 3 pm and costs €36; the Vegan afternoon tea is accompanied with plant-based sweet and savory treats. A five-minute walk from the hotel leads to the spa, where there are more than 70 treatments. There's also a health club with gym and fitness studio, Jacuzzi, pool, sauna, and steam rooms. If you prefer outdoor exercise, the hotel has walking trails and a trim trail with exercise stations as well as a championship course (home to a golf school) that was co-designed by Seve Ballesteros and features challenging doglegs, as well as lakes stocked with brown trout. On wet days, guests can choose to stay indoors and watch a movie at the 50-seat cinema or enjoy some retail therapy at the nearby Kildare Village shopping outlet. Special promotional packages include advanced purchase rates and active retirement breaks, available via the hotel website.

Ask about their picnic hamper which you can take with you on a trip to the nearby splendor of Emo Court & Gardens and enjoy your own private tour.

Sheltered beneath the eaves of Birr Castle on a riverbank, this converted cut-stone storehouse—built to store malt for Guinness in 1810—is a good option for families and offers special rates for children. The spacious guest rooms have small windows, country-pine furniture, and simple matching floral drapes and spreads. Soft lighting creates a homey atmosphere, as do the friendly owners, who will point you in the direction of area attractions.

Situated on the edge of town, its 103 guest rooms are attractively presented in cream with wood fittings, while the executive rooms are decorated in pleasing dark red furnishings. Scented creamy shampoos, hand wash, and gels come from the luxury Paul Costelloe Linen Collection. The Furlong bar—a name synonymous with local Gaelic football stars—specializes in good value bistro food (from €13 for mains) and was refurbished in 2020 as a place to relax and dine informally. A table d'hôte menu is available at the Oak Room restaurant for €34. The hotel has an on-site beauty salon.

In the town center, some gift, clothing, and footwear shops, as well as beauticians, allow 10 percent discount on presentation of your hotel key card.

The exquisite 400-year-old house, once owned by the Earl of Longford, has been restored to its former charm; the bedrooms are full of character and have impressive period wallpapers and antique mahogany wardrobes and beds. Breakfast is served in a vaulted room cheerily painted in Wedgwood blue. Try the Viewmount Boxty Benedict of smoked bacon, poached egg, and tomato. The 4 acres of grounds that surround the house are a gardener's paradise with an old orchard, a formal garden, and a Japanese garden complete with full-size pagoda. VM Restaurant, in a converted stable block, serves flavor-filled delights such as quail with smoked potato and apple, pork belly with lentils and potato mousseline, or pan-roasted halibut, all prepared by the restaurant's new Dutch chef, Marcio Laan. At €60, the five-course dinner menu is a great value; even better is the three-course early-bird (6:30 to 7:30) dinner at €35 served Wednesday--Friday.

Ireland's first "wine hotel" began life as a humble boathouse, but today it is one of the country's most enchanting hideaways—stylishly modern and light filled, with rooms opening out onto the placid waters of Killinure Lough. Guest rooms are minimalist, but stylishly adorned with leopard-skin prints and goose-down duvets. If you feel like splurging ask for the Champagne Suite spread over two floors with a mezzanine floating bedroom, a flickering fire stove, and a cradle bath. The welcoming reception area has a real log fire, comfy seats, and soft, neutral carpeting to complete the relaxing effect. In the restaurant, fine vintages and new Irish brews accompany mouthwatering offerings such as rustic chicken, linguine pasta, fillet steak, roast pork, or risotto. Special offers are posted on the hotel website and include the "ultimate two-night unwind" with one dinner and spa treatment from €575.