Photos: A sampling of Co. Wicklow accommodations – (center) Marriott Druid’s Glen Hotel; (clockwise, from left to right) Woodenbridge Hotel; Tudor Lodge in Laragh near Glendalough; Tochar House in Roundwood; and the Glendalough Hermitage cottages.

Wicklow Hotels

Marriott Druid’s Glen Hotel & Country Club, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, tel. 01-287-0800; email: mhrs.dubgs.reservations@marriotthotels.com. Set high on a hillside among ancient woodlands with views of the seacoast, this luxurious contemporary hotel is ideal if you are a golfer (since it overlooks two impeccable courses at Druids Glen and Druids Heath). For non-golfers, it is also an ace central base for touring all of Wicklow or getting a shuttle to the DART for visits to Dublin. Surprisingly, you can get very affordable midweek multiple night rates here, if you plan ahead and book via the Marriott web site for advance-purchase rates. With 148 oversized and well-equipped guest rooms, huge indoor spa and health club, two restaurants/bars, and outdoor terrace, as well as a cordial and obliging staff, it is simply the best in Co. Wicklow, and certainly my favorite haunt in a serene country setting. Note: if staying in May-Sept., plan at least one overnight here for a Thursday, to enjoy the weekly barbecue on the terrace – a delicious cooked-to-order buffet dinner on a summer’s night with seating indoors or outdoors. The obliging chef cooks your choice of salmon, beef, chicken, shrimp, burgers, sausages, corn, and more before your eyes, all at an appealing price (including an array of salads and veggies). €€ to €€€€ Web site: www.marriottdruidsglen.com

Hunters Hotel, Newrath Bridge, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, tel. 0404-40106; email: reception@hunters.ie. Old world charm is the keystone here, with antiques, polished brass, heirlooms, faded pictures and open fireplaces. Established over 280 years ago, this creaky coach house has been in the same family for five generations. Although the 16 guest rooms are adequate, the real draw is in the restaurant, popular with locals, and in the splendid gardens. Closed: 24-26 December. € to €€ Web site: www.hunters.ie

Parkview Hotel, Main St., Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, tel. 01-201-5600; email: info@parkviewhotel.ie. If you want to stay close to Dublin yet within easy reach of the beauties of Co. Wicklow, this hotel is an affordable choice.  Nestled between the Wicklow Mountains and the Irish Sea, it stands out on the simple main street of this small village –  a village famous for having two excellent golf courses (Druid’s Glen and Druid’s Heath) as well as the longest placename in Ireland.  Distinguishing itself from the many charming old world country inns of the area, this hotel is brashly contemporary with light woods, abstract art, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The 60 guest rooms have all the modern amenities including flat screen TV, mini-bar, marble bathroom, and safe, enhanced by views of the village or mountains. Facilities include Synnott’s Restaurant and the Parkview Bar. € to €€. Web site: www.parkviewhotel.ie

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, tel. 01-274-8888; email: powerscourtreservations@ritzcarlton.com.  Built in an opulent Palladian fashion, this hotel has managed to match the natural elegance of the Wicklow Mountain surroundings with a similarly grand exterior and interior. No expense has been spared in this first-ever Ritz-Carlton in Ireland – and it is receiving a steady stream of Irish couples and families checking in to satisfy their curiosity. The lobby area is vast and comfortable with an array of plush velvet chairs and settees, marble and hard wood floors, Oriental rugs, fresh floral arrangements in three-foot-high vases, gilt mirrors and warming wood-burning fireplaces. Public areas also include the Sugar Loaf Lounge with floor-to-ceiling verdant views of the nearby mountain and gardens and the music of a resident harpist, the Gordon Ramsay restaurant (another first for Ireland - see "Great Food & Drink" section), and McGill’s Pub. The lower level contains a spa, swimming pool and treatment rooms; and two 18-hole golf courses are part of the Powerscourt estate. The 200 guest rooms are designed to fulfill every need, from bedside controls for lights, temperature, drapes and nightlights, to huge beds with a raft of plush pillows, and bathrooms with rain forest showers and a flat screen TV imbedded into the mirror, not to mention three-ply toilet tissue. Even the ice bucket is made of hand-cut crystal. Level 5 is the concierge floor complete with private lounge. It’s conveniently close to the bustle of Dublin (16 miles), yet so serene and sylvan. It’s tempting to make the splurge and live in luxury, if only for a night. €€€€ to €€€€€ Web site: www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/powerscourt

Tinakilly Country House, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, tel. 0404-69274; email: reservations@tinakilly.ie. Built beside the Irish Sea amid seven acres of gardens, this 1870’s Victorian landmark was originally the home of a sea captain and hence the décor is rich in seafaring memorabilia as well as local antiques. The 51 guest rooms are luxurious and romantic (many with 4-poster or canopy beds). The award-winning restaurant uses vegetables and herbs from the house gardens, and the best locally sourced meats and seafood. Closed: 24-26 December. €€€€ Web site: www.tinakilly.ie

Woodenbridge Hotel & Lodge, Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, tel. 0402-35146; fax 0402-35573; e-mail: info@woodenbrudgehotel.com. Sitting in the heart of the Vale of Avoca (on what was the original Dublin-Wexford Highway), this 23-room hotel claims to be the oldest hotel in Ireland (first licensed as a coaching inn in 1608) and played host to many historic personalities including Eamonn and Sinéad DeValera on their honeymoon. One of the rooms is named after the DeValeras, as is a room named after Michael Collins who also stayed here in the 1920’s. Accommodations today are offered in the original 11 rooms or in 12 new rooms with modern accoutrements including balconies overlooking the valley and the Woodenbridge Golf Club across the road. Facilities include a restaurant, bar and residents lounge in Victorian style, with open fireplaces and portraits of local people and historic figures, as well as assorted memorabilia, old prints, nooks and crannies. It’s a charmer. For more contemporary style, the hotel also operates the new 40-room Woodenbridge Lodge across the road. € to €€ Web site: www.woodenbridgehotel.com

Wicklow Guesthouses & B&Bs

Cherrybrook Country Home, Avoca, tel. 0402-35179, is a contemporary B&B home on the outskirts of Avoca.  Hostess Bernie Ivers offers 5 rooms (including triples) with TV, coffee/tea-maker, hair dryer and other amenities. Facilities include a guest lounge, garden, and picnic area. Closed: December. € Web site: www.cherrybrookhouse.com

Glendalough Hermitage, St. Kevin's Parish, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow; tel. 0404-45777; fax 0404-45140; e-mail: glendalough2000@eircom.net. Famed as the place that attracted St. Kevin to a secluded monastic life in the 6th century, Glendalough has added five small individual houses or hermitages (called "cillins") for visitors who seek solitude and respite from daily life. Each cillin — fully furnished (with single or twin beds) and equipped with basic kitchen and toilet/shower — sits on a hillside next to St. Kevin's Parish Church amid ancient trees and meditation gardens and overlooking the scenic and serene valley. There is no formal retreat program but spiritual guidance can be provided if needed. Cillins are allocated on a first-come reservation basis for occupancy of up to one week, with prices the equivalent of an average bed-and-breakfast rate. Best of all, the Glendalough monastic site is just down the road as is the picturesque village of Laragh. It's the perfect setting to "get away from it all" in the best traditions of Irish spirituality. € Web site: www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie/home.html 

Keppel’s Farmhouse, Ballanagh, Avoca, Co. Wicklow, tel. 0402-35168, is a traditional Irish farm B&B, built circa. 1880 and set on a working dairy farm 1.5 miles from Avoca. Hosts Joy and Charles Keppel offer 5 rooms including 1 triple, equipped with tea/coffee maker, and hair dryer. Guests enjoy use of  lounge and garden. Closed: November – April. € Web site: www.keppelsfarmhouse.com

Koliba Country Home, Beech Rd., Avoca, Co. Wickow, tel. 0402-32737, is an award-winning bungalow-style B&B located in a rural setting 2 miles east of the Vale of Avoca. Hostess Rose Gilroy offers 4 ground floor guest rooms , each with hospitality tray, TV, hair dryer and coffee-tea-maker.  There is also a guest lounge and garden. Closed: November – March.  € Web site: www.koliba.com

Tochar House, Main St., Roundwood, Co. Wicklow; tel. 01-281-8247. This well-established B&B home sits in the heart of Roundwood village, high in the Wicklow Hills. Hosts Annette and Patrick Fanning offer 6 rooms with modern comforts. There is a bar/lounge on the premises. Closed for a week at Christmas. € Web site:www.glendalough.connect.ie/tocharhouse.html

Tudor Lodge, Rathdrum Road, Laragh, Co. Wicklow, tel. 0404-4554; email: info@tudorlodgeireland.com. Situated on the west edge of Laragh with the Avonmore River adjacent, this award-winning B&B home is an ideal base for touring Glendalough, Avoca, and other parts of the county. As its name implies, it is built in the old Tudor style but offers all modern comforts in the 6 guest rooms (including two family rooms). € Web site: www.tudorlodgeireland.com

Other East Coast Choices

Beaufort House, Ghan Rd., Carlingford, Co. Louth; tel. 042-937-3879; fax 042-937-3878; email: michaelcaine@beauforthouse.net. Nestled in an idyllic sheltered setting on the shores of Carlingford Lough, just a two-minute walk from the village, this contemporary guesthouse provides great views of the water and nearby mountains. Hosts Michael and Glynnis Caine offer 5 guest rooms which are large and spacious, with hotel-style amenities. In addition, the Caines operate a yacht charter and sailing school from their lovely waterside location. €€ Web site: www.beauforthouse.net

Four Seasons Hotel, Carlingford, Co. Lough, tel. 042-937-3530, fax 042-937-3531, email: info@fshc.ie. In spite of its name, this contemporary new hotel is not a member of the luxurious Four Seasons chain, but is an independent property with moderate prices and standard amenities. Its main forte is its idyllic setting - in the heart of a picturesque medieval village, wedged between the Cooley Mountains and Carlingford Lough, and equidistant between Dublin and Belfast. The 59 guest rooms offer the usual comforts, enhanced by views of the water or the mountains. Facilities include a spacious lounge and sitting areas for guests including WiFi access, restaurant, bar, and leisure center with a swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, gymnasium. Best of all, it is a three-minute walk to the center of Carlingford. Closed: 25 December.  € to €€  Web site: www.4seasonshotel.ie

Kilkea Castle, Castledermot, Co. Kildare; tel. 059-914-5156; fax 059-914-5187; email: info@kilkeacastle.ie. If you are seeking a genuine castle on Ireland’s East Coast, this is the place. Nestled beside the River Greese and surrounded by formal gardens, this multi-turreted stone castle dates back to 1180, and is considered as the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland. For many years the home of the Geraldines, it is said to be haunted by the 11th Earl of Kildare. Converted into a hotel in the 1970’s, the castle is decorated with all the appropriate trappings of a regal setting – suits of armor, medieval banners, dark wood furnishings, gilt-framed paintings, original stone walls, and open fireplaces. About a third of the 36 guestrooms are in the original building and the remainder in a newer courtyard wing. Facilities include a restaurant, a 12th century themed bar, 18 hole golf course, and leisure centre with heated indoor swimming pool, saunas, steam room, gym, and more. The grounds offer fishing for brown trout, hard tennis courts, clay pigeon shooting, and archery. Closed: 23-27 December. €€€€ to €€€€€ Web site: www.kilkeacastle.ie

Marriott Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co. Meath, tel. 046-954-000, fax 046-954-0001, email: info@johnstownhouse.com. Located on the main Dublin-Galway Road (N6), about 45 minutes west of Dublin Airport, this hotel is a luxurious base for exploring the Boyne Valley and Newgrange. Surrounded by 120 acres of parkland, an 18^th century Georgian manor forms the core of the hotel surrounded by a modern wing of contemporary guestrooms with top notch accoutrements. Public areas include the Pavilion Restaurant, Atrium Brasserie, and the Coach House bar, as well as a spa/leisure centre with indoor heated swimming pool, steam rooms, saunas, therapy rooms and more. The best room rate deals are advance-purchase web fares. €€ to €€€€  Web site: www.marriottjohnstownhouse.com

McKevitt’s Village Hotel, Market Square, Carlingford, Co. Louth; tel. 042-937-3116; fax 042-937-3144; email: info@mckevittshotel.com. Step outside the door of this vintage family-run inn and you are in the heart of Carlingford, a wonderful medieval town beside the sea. It’s a favorite gathering spot for the locals, so it’s no wonder that a hometown atmosphere prevails here. The public areas, which include a restaurant, lounge and bar, have a maritime theme. The17 guest rooms, which vary in size, shape and style, have been updated with all the modern comforts. It’s a great place to come and get away from it all for a few days. €€ Web site: www.mckevittshotel.com

Seamrog, Hill of Tara, Tara, Co. Meath; tel 046-902-5296. If you are visiting the historic sights of Co. Meath, this contemporary B&B home is very convenient, next to the Hill of Tara, with expansive views of the nearby Boyne Valley countryside. Hostess Joan Maguire offers 3 guest rooms (2 with private bath). Open May – October. €

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