2 Best Hotels in The Northwest, Ireland

Formerly a Holiday Inn, this hotel has reinvented itself with flair, and the spacious entrance hall—with framed tweed pieces hung on walls, reflecting the area's connection to the industry—strikes a distinctive and welcoming note. Guest bedrooms in soft red and cream are well-appointed with unfussy fabrics. Dinner in the Aileach restaurant is served in attractive surroundings and the plush McGettigan's Irish Bar offers a lunch menu (noon–9:30) of comfort food such as seafood chowder, bangers and mash, or Irish stew, and dinner options (6–9) where steaks are the most popular dish. The hotel's strengths are its conference and leisure facilities that include a pool, gym, Jacuzzi, sauna, and beauty salon, although the sauna was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, so it is helpful to check the website before visiting.

An elegant creeper-clad manor house with many period features on the outskirts of Ramelton, Frewin's history stretches back to the 1880s when it was a rectory. Its three rooms, all with king-size beds and antique headboards, are themed on mellow Irish colors: buí (yellow), glas (green), and bán (white). Hot breakfasts are cooked to order but the owners focus on yogurt, honey, syrup, and fruit such as berries, figs, melon, and grapefruit sourced from the town's country market, and freshly baked bread. There's also a delightful self-catering stone cottage for weekly rental in the mature grounds. The attractions of the Wild Atlantic Way are on your doorstep and the hospitable owners can help organize walking, cycling, horse-riding, fishing, or golf.