Ireland is famous for many things―writers, Guinness, the Titanic, the craic―but it is the country’s hospitality industry that makes stays for international visitors so special. Nowhere is the Irish gift for warm welcomes more evident than at Sheen Falls Lodge, a discreet five-star property located just outside the tiny town of Kenmare in the west of County Cork. Kenmare’s reputation as one of Ireland’s culinary capitals beckons a sophisticated set of visitors to come experience fresh local produce prepared in ever more novel ways thanks to the originality and creativity of Irish chefs who have discovered that food on plate is as much an artistic medium as paint on canvas.
Sheen Falls Lodge, a member of Relais & Châteaux, is an independently owned property situated next to the rapids in the river that give it its name. The hotel feels more like a country home than a stereotypical hotel, with the grand entrance hall reminiscent of a manor house and the guest bedrooms exactly that, bedrooms for the host’s guests. Sheen Falls Lodge’s general manager, Mr Séamus Crotty, is the personification of Irish hospitality, an example followed assiduously by the entire staff only too eager to ensure every guest enjoys the time spent in house. Or out of it.
Sheen Falls Lodge can arrange a variety of outdoor activities from horseback riding to photography shoots. Indoors, the large house has numerous rooms for social gatherings or private reflection. The library is well stocked with books ranging from the latest releases to historic tomes; the drawing room, the lounge, the bar, and the various corners where conversations take place are all perfect for their purposes.
Also differentiating the property from typical hotels, rooms at Sheen Falls Lodge are far larger than the standard sized hotel room, with the exceptionally large signature suites offering not only a lot of space but also serene views of the falls and Kenmare Bay. The Lodge’s peaceful setting is one of the most appealing aspects of a stay here. If travelling with family or friends and seeking complete privacy away from other guests, Sheen Falls Lodge maintains private villas on the property with full hotel services.
A car in necessary to visit Kenmare, but those not wanting to drive themselves can make arrangements with Ireland Chauffeur Travel for transfers to and from the hotel as well as all other transport needs in Ireland from airport pick-up and drop-off to daytours and multiday itineraries around the Emerald Isle. Sheen Falls Lodge makes an excellent base for exploring western Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way to see such beautiful locations as Bantry Bay, the Caha Mountains, the Ring Of Kerry, and the Beara Peninsula. The Tourism Ireland website has plenty of information about this and all of Ireland’s appealing regions.
Written by Robert La Bua
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