Ring of Kerry


Photos: Favorite places to stay on the Ring of Kerry in every price range - (clockwise, from upper left), the Parknasilla Hotel, Parknasilla; Rosegarden Guesthouse in Kenmare; the Park Hotel, Kenmare on the Kenmare River; and Sallyport House, Kenmare.
Like its varied scenery, the Ring of Kerry offers a vast selection of places to stay - from top notch hotels such as the Park Hotel in Kenmare and the Great Southern at Parknasilla, to appealing family-run guesthouses and B&Bs. The places featured below offer all rooms with private bath/shower (en suite) unless otherwise noted. Here are some of my favorites:

Price Key
B&B per person per night

- under 50

€€ - 50 to 75

€€€ - 75 to 100

€€€€ - 100 to 150

€€€€€ - over 150

 
Click below to select the accommodations type of your choice:

Ring of Kerry Hotels
Ring of Kerry Guesthouses and B&Bs

Ring of Kerry Hotels


Brook Lane Hotel, Killarney/Ring of Kerry Road, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-42077; e-mail: info@brooklanehotel.com. Nestled on a corner at the north edge of town (off N 71 Ring of Kerry Road), this custom-built two-story boutique hotel provides all the warmth of a traditional B&B enhanced by contemporary furnishings and modern comforts including sound-proof windows and nightly turn-down service. The 20 air-conditioned guest rooms have king or twin beds, heated floors, plasma TV and DVD player, safe, hair dryer, coffee/tea-maker, and internet access (9 are ground-floor rooms and 2 are geared for families). Facilities include Casey’s Bar & Bistro and a (soon-to-open) spa/wellness centre. Closed: 24-26 December. €€ to €€€  Web site: www.brooklanehotel.com

Butler Arms, Main Street, Waterville, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-947-4144; fax 066-947-4520; e-mail: reservations@butlerarms.com. A longtime favorite on the Ring, this vintage 4-star hotel was once the summer haunt of Charlie Chaplin and family. With a semi-turreted and gabled white façade, it dominates the Waterville townscape. Now in the hands of the fourth generation of the Huggard family, the hotel has been expanded and up-dated since Chaplin's days and now offers 40 contemporary rooms, many with views of the sea. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, sun lounge, tennis court and fishing privileges for guests. Closed: end-October to April. €€€ to €€€€   Web sitewww.butlerarms.com

Derrynane Hotel, Caherdaniel, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-947-5136; fax 066-947-5160; e-mail: info@derrynane.com. If you are looking for a remote resort, try this. Nestled on a precipice between the mountainous landscape of the Ring of Kerry and the open waters of the Atlantic, this 3-star hotel enjoys one of the Ring of Kerry's most stunning settings, next to the Derrynane National Park and midway between Waterville and Sneem. The hotel offers 70 contemporary guest rooms, enhanced by wide-windowed ocean views, plus a restaurant, lounge and a leisure centre with steam room, sauna, gym, tennis court and a heated outdoor pool. Closed: early-October to mid-April. €€€  Web sitewww.derrynane.com

Kenmare Bay Hotel, Sneem Road, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-41300; fax 064-41541; e-mail: info@kenmarebayhotel.com. Sitting at the entrance to Kenmare from the Ring of Kerry, this modern multi-story hotel has grown in recent years to a total of 136 contemporary guest rooms, many with expansive views of the Kerry mountains. It provides good value for a 3-star hotel, plus a fine restaurant and lively lounge that usually offers music in the summer evenings. Closed: November - mid-March. €€ to €€   Web site: www.kenmarebayhotel.com


The Park Hotel, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-41200; fax 064-41202; e-mail: info@parkkenmare.com. If we could award one hotel in Ireland 10 stars instead of the usual ceiling of 5, this would be the place. A haven of impeccable service and luxurious living (including Samas, Ireland's only destination spa), this 47-room 19th century chateau on Kenmare Bay has won just about every major award in the hospitality industry. But, most of all, it has won the hearts of savvy travelers who can splurge and spoil themselves for a few nights. The Park's location also makes it a winner - set on a private 11 acre estate with gardens and tree-lined paths, just a 2-minute walk from the Ring of Kerry's classiest and most interesting town, Kenmare, with an 18-hole golf course down the road. The Park is a one-of-a-kind hotel, with exquisite furnishings and a very attentive staff, thanks to the meticulous care of proprietor Francis Brennan and general manager John Brennan. The public areas are arrayed with antiques, oil paintings, and tapestries, and guest rooms are individually decorated, many with four-poster or canopy beds, hand-carved armoires, china lamps, and every modern comfort including towel warmers. Many rooms overlook the water, as does the restaurant, and some have balconies. It's a very romantic and memorable hotel, ideal for honeymooners, anniversary celebrants, or anyone just looking to enjoy the best that Ireland has to offer. Closed: January to mid-February. €€€ to €€€€  Web sitewww.parkkenmare.com

Parknasilla Hotel, Sneem, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-45122; fax 064-45323; e-mail: info@parknasillahotel.ie. Want to get away from it all? Longing to ramble amid palm trees, flaming fuchsia, holly bushes, flowering shrubs, and wild shamrocks, rimmed by the Atlantic Ocean and warmed by the Gulf Stream? Then head to this magical paradise called Parknasilla, an exotic-sounding placename derived from the Irish language, meaning "field of the willows." George Bernard Shaw came here 80 years ago, and he wrote St. Joan as a result. You may not be inspired to write a Nobel prize-winning play, but you will have a very memorable vacation staying at the this hotel (formerly the Great Southern Hotel) which sits in the midst of this 300-acre estate. The present structure, an outgrowth and expansion of a former private mansion, was built with its fanciful Victorian stone facade in 1896. Over the years, it has been expanded and refurbished to its present 4-star standard with 83 excellent guest rooms, many of which overlook the water, plus a restaurant with romantic garden and sea views, and a leisure centre with swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, hydrotherapy baths, and outdoor hot tub. In addition, guests can partake of pony trekking, boating, archery, water skiing, and a private 12-hole golf course. €€€ to €€€€   Web site:  www.parknasillahotel.ie

Towers Hotel, Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-976-8212; fax 066-976-8260; e-mail: towershotel@eircom.net. Surrounded by palm trees and subtropical foliage, this vintage 3-star hotel is in the heart of a small fishing village on the Ring of Kerry road 20 miles west of Killarney en route to Cahirciveen, and within a mile of the sandy Rossbeigh strand. The building has been expanded and refurbished in recent years and now consists of the original inn and a modern two-story wing of 20 contemporary guest rooms. The on-premises restaurant is synonymous with fresh local seafood and the pub is known for music and local character(s). Closed: November - March. €€ to €€€  Web site:  www.towershotel.com

Ring of Kerry Guesthouses & B&Bs

Annagry House, Sneem Rd., Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-41283; e-mail: info@annagryhouse.com. Situated on the Ring of Kerry approach to Kenmare, this two-story B&B house offers panoramic views of the countryside, yet is less than a 10-minute walk from town. Host Dan Carraher O'Sullivan offers 6 rooms. Closed: December - March.  €   Web site:  www.annagryhouse.com

Ard na Mara, Pier Road, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel./fax 064-41399. Located at Kenmare Wharf overlooking Kenmare Bay, this modern wide-windowed B&B enjoys some of the best waterside views in town. Hostess Edel Dahm offers 4 guest rooms. It's an easy walk to town of 5 minutes or less. Closed: at Christmas.

Druid Cottage, Sneem Rd., Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-41803;e-mail: druidcottage@eircom.net. With a classic cut-stone façade, this 19th century two-story house stands out as a unique B&B on the Ring of Kerry road from Sneem. It has been renovated and enhanced with modern features such as a glass enclosed conservatory. Hostess Bernadette Goldrick offers 3 rooms (2 are en suite). Closed:  December - January.  Web site: www.neidin.net/druid/index.html

Klondyke House, New Line Road, Waterville, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-947-4119; fax 066-947-4666; e-mail: klondykehouse@eircom.net. Situated on the edge of town, this modern two-story B&B house with a mansard-style roof is close to the golf course and the beach. Hostess Cirean Morris offers 6 guest rooms, each with TV, phone and power shower. Closed: at Christmas. €   Web site:  http://homepage.eircom.net/~klondykehouse

The Lodge, Kilgarvan Rd., Kenmare, Co. Kerry; tel. 064-41512; fax 064-42724; email: thelodgekenmare@eircom.net.  Just a 3-minute walk from the town centre, this 4-star guesthouse enjoys a very convenient location, across the street from the Kenmare Golf Club. The house is purpose-built, with four of the 10 guest rooms on the ground floor.  Each room is individually named and decorated with traditional furnishings, phone, TV, coffee/tea-maker and safe.  The public areas comprise a large sitting/reading room with TV and a cheery breakfast room, with lovely gardens and ample off-street parking outside. The owner, Rosemarie Quill, keeps to herself, but the receptionist and breakfast chef are friendly and welcoming. Closed:  early-Nov. to mid-March.  to €€

Web sitewww.thelodgekenmare.com


Muxnaw Lodge, Castletownbeare Rd., Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-41252; e-mail: muxnawlodge@eircom.net. Named after a local mountain and built in 1801, this two-story gabled Victorian house is set back on a hillside overlooking Kenmare Bay. Hannah Boland and her family have transformed Muxnaw into a B&B, offering 5 guest rooms of varying sizes and styles, some with waterside views. The extensive grounds include lovely gardens and a tennis court. It's just a half-mile walk over the bridge and into the town. Closed: Christmas. Web site: www.neidin.net/muxnaw/index.html

Rosegarden Guesthouse, Sneem Rd., Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-42288; fax 064-42305; e-mail: rosegard@iol.ie. Promise yourself a rose garden on your visit to the Ring of Kerry — and enjoy this 3-star guesthouse, encircled by a one-acre garden encompassing hundreds of roses and a pretty pond, yet within walking distance of town. Host Padraig Jones offers 8 modern rooms plus a fine restaurant on the premises serving dinner, an attraction in itself. Reduced rates for stays of 3 nights or a week. Closed: November - March. €  Web site:  www.euroka.com/rosegarden

Sallyport House, Glengariff Rd., Kenmare, Co., Kerry; tel. 064-42066; fax 064-42067; e-mail: port@iol.ie. Set back on its own grounds but within easy walking distance to town and adjacent to the Park Hotel, this neo-Georgian-style guesthouse is in a romantic setting overlooking Kenmare Harbour. Proprietors — the Arthur family — offer 5 guestrooms, each with telephone, TV, and lovely garden or harbour views. €€  Web site:  www.sallyporthouse.com

Shelburne Lodge, Cork Rd., Kenmare, Co. Kerry, tel. 064-41013; fax 064-42135; e-mail: shelburne@kenmare.com. Just a 5-minute walk from town, this Georgian-style guesthouse stands out on the road to Kilgarvan - it has a charming stone-faced farmhouse façade, set in large garden with lawns, herb garden, orchard, and a tennis court. Proprietor Maura O'Connell-Foley, who has won many an honor as the chef/owner of Packie's restaurant, offers 9 guest rooms, each individually furnished with TV, phone, antiques and polished old wooden floors. Closed: December.  to €€ Web site: www.shelburnelodge.com



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