Posts Tagged ‘doolin’

Doolin Hotels - Three Great Hotels Worth Visiting In Ireland

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Doolin hotels have endeavored to compete with the larger hotels that are now becoming the norm in the west of Ireland. The three hotels short-listed here represent some of the best accommodation in the area with splendid view and great food to savor.

The 19 room Aran View House Hotel is possibly the most recognizable hotels in the village as its hilltop location makes it visible all over town. The hotel’s perched location also gives it the best views out to the Aran Islands, from which the hotel took its name.

As befits a genuine Georgian country house, the guest rooms are spacious with high ceilings and the recent renovations have raised the standard of the en-suites to a more contemporary style and quality. The hotel restaurant has a superb menu of Irish dishes, with a-la-carte options, and the family-friendly bar hosts traditional music sessions in summer to entertain the guests.

Within a short walk of Doolin village the Ballyvara Guest House Hotel is a modern build hotel which has a great mix of rooms including twin, double, family rooms, luxury suites and studio apartments.

The room facilities and furnishings are modern in all rooms. The luxury suites have more space, a king size bed and a spa bath as standard. The adjoining studio apartments are self-contained with an open plan design that includes a kitchen and dining area.

Finally, the Tir Gan Ean House Hotel is quite unique in its Celtic architecture and interior design. The hotel could almost be termed as a boutique hotel thanks to the 12 high-tech guest rooms that each feature plasma TVs, air-conditioning and ultra modern en-suites.

The hotel’s own restaurant and bar has a good mix of Irish and European style dishes available. In the mornings, the breakfast buffet is also surprising given the huge range of choices on offer with everything from scrambled eggs with salmon to pancakes and maple syrup (a breakfast rarity in Irish terms).

In many Doolin hotels and guest houses, visitors can expect to experience a warm friendly welcome along with some spectacular scenic views. This brief list brings a small selection of the hotels in Doolin that are rightly popular for providing comfort and modern amenities against the back-drop of this lovely Irish town.

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Doolin Hotels, Restaurants And Pub Menus - Four Recommend Places For Seafood Lovers

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

The days when the perception of Irish cuisine consisting purely of potatoes can now be finally put to rest. Any visitor to Ireland’s main cities will of course be aware of the numerous bars, cafes and slew of dining options covering every conceivable type of cuisine on the planet.

What will surprise many tourists is the rise in good quality dining out options in the smaller villages around Ireland. While the capital city & larger towns have the volume of customers to warrant better menus, it is the smaller villages that have better access to high quality local produce in seafood, vegetables, herbs and meat products.

One town of particular note, in gastronomic terms, is Doolin in the west of Ireland. For many years, visitors were only in Doolin for the traditional music sessions or to get the ferry over to the Aran Islands. But nowadays, Doolin hotels, pubs and restaurant are raising the standard of dining for the entire region.

For seafood lovers, Cullinan’s Guesthouse and Restaurant in the village provides a memorable dining experience with a great selection of dishes making the most of the locally caught seafood. The service is professional and the owners have added some special touches, such as choosing dessert wines to complement your desserts, which you would not find in many restaurants of the region.

For those who enjoy fine dining in historic buildings with sea views then the Ballinalacken Castle just outside of town will probably be a highlight of any visit to Ireland. This 15th century castle has its own hotel restaurant with views across the sea to the larger town of Galway. The menu makes the best use of prawns, scallops and salmon from the Atlantic in classic French cuisine dishes. Carnivores will be happy to hear that the menu also provides exceptional lamb and organic beef dishes.

If you are unsure of what type of dining option you and the family wish to take then a visit to the Aran View House Hotel just north of Doolin village has plenty of options. The completely informal option is to take the bar menu and enjoy the views out to the Aran Islands. Note this is a hotel bar so is definitely family friendly. The adjoining restaurant also caters for standard and a-la-carte dining options for a proper sit down dinner.

Any visitor to Doolin should not however miss out on hearing some of the best traditional music sessions that this town is famous for. The best places to experience this is in the two main bars on the main street, McGann’s and O’Connor’s pubs. Both also provide regular hearty pub fare with the local seafood chowder being a firm favorite along with the obligator Irish stew.

So you see, the variety of dining options in this Irish village can prove to be a welcome surprise for exhausted visitors following the traditional tourist trail along the west coast of Ireland and goes to prove Ireland’s burgeoning gastronomic skills are not merely limited to the capital and larger towns.

For more information about restaurants, entertainment and hotels in Doolin visit our website at http://doolinhotelsguide.com/doolin-ireland-information

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Five Best Hotels In Doolin Ireland

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

The choice of Doolin hotels and guest houses that are available is surprising given that this part of County Clare is a not one of the focal points for the regular tourist trail. That said the following five hotels would make a great location from which to take day-trips along the coast.

The town of Doolin has long been a destination point for tourists either heading over to the Aran Islands (on the Doolin ferry) or there to enjoy the traditional music that is played in Doolin’s bars. In either case, the following hotels are certainly worth the visit while in this part of County Clare.

Aran View House Hotel: The largest hotel in Doolin with 19 rooms. This 3 star hotel is perched on the coast road out of town with wonderful views out to sea and the Aran Islands (hence the hotel name). The rooms are large due to this being a former country manor and the hotel’s restaurant and bar offer the biggest variety of menu and entertainment in town.

Ballyvara: This modern 4-star guest house has some of the most contemporary decor and room facilities this close to town. There is a variety of room styles available, including family rooms with balconies and even 2 open plan studios with its own kitchenette.

Tir Gan Ean Hotel: This newly built 4-star hotel boasts 12 contemporary styled rooms with just about every modern amenity you would hope for (plasma TV, under floor heating, queen size beds, etc.).

Gregan Castle Hotel: Traveling further out of town, this 2010 winner of the Country House of the Year award is set within a beautiful country garden with views out across the Burren. Food lovers will also savor the hotel’s restaurant menu, which won the Food & Wine magazine award for 6th best restaurant in all of Ireland.

Logues Liscannor: Heading further afield (slightly) the Logues hotel is a pleasant option when visiting this picturesque fishing village. Rooms have great views of the bay and the hotel bistro restaurant and bar have a friendly relaxed atmosphere.

Choosing to stay at any of the hotels in Doolin and the surrounding area offers a great location for exploring the wonderful countryside of this unspoilt corner of Ireland.

Discover Doolin Ireland for yourself. For more information visit the Doolin Hotels Guide website.

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Doolin Hotels - Three Accommodation Gems In The Irish Countryside

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Doolin in Ireland is one of the last remaining areas in the country to have retained some of the old charm feel of a traditional Irish village with its colorful village cottages and narrow country lanes.

Most visitors to the region are understandably drawn to the likes of the Ring of Kerry (a scenic coastal drive), kissing the stone at the Blarney Castle and perhaps even Funghi the dolphin in Dingle Bay.

Great as these locations are, it would be a real shame to miss a visit to Doolin town in County Clare as it will be the destination which you will wish to return to, the town where you can get to see traditional Irish music played nightly, the town with a selection of accommodation choices with awe inspiring views of the emerald green Irish countryside and sea views of the Aran Islands sitting out in the Atlantic.

Doolin hotels and guesthouses have in recent decades come to the fore and really started to challenge the bigger towns with their high quality lodgings. The first hotel of note would have to be the Aran View House Hotel just outside the village which boasts some of the best views out to the Aran Islands and of the surrounding countryside.

Each of the 19 rooms in this hotel are big and spacious with great views. Those wishing for a variety of dining options will be tempted by this hotels restaurant with both standard and a-la-carte menus. Those seeking wholesome food in an informal setting can also partake of the pub menu on offer too.

If you are seeking something more tranquil and just that little bit extra special then a stay at the Ballinalacken Castle Country House comes highly recommended for its hill top setting with views of Galway Bay and its lush grounds.

The hotel sits alongside the castle (from which the hotel took its name) on a cliff top a few kilometers north of Doolin village. The 15th century castle forms a backdrop to the hotel with has been sympathetically designed inside and out with tasteful elegant decor throughout. Rooms are bright and spacious.

The friendly and knowledgeable staff can advise on the best walks and sights to see in the surrounding grounds and the adjoining Burren Way walk. Alternatively, if you just wish to enjoy reading a good book, then there are plenty of cozy communal areas in the hotel are most welcoming.

One final accommodation recommendation would be the Roadford House guest-house. Some might term this 6 room guesthouse as being almost a boutique hotel and it certainly has the quirky modern feel that some would enjoy. The adjoining restaurant serves award winning food and is noted in the area for its spectacular range of dishes.

For more information about restaurants, entertainment and hotels in Doolin visit our website at http://doolinhotelsguide.com/doolin-ireland-information

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