The Best Hotels to Book in Killarney, Ireland, for Every Traveller

Locavores are spoiled for choice at this grand-looking hotel, with two restaurants focused on locally grown produce. The Café du Parc promises one of the best brunches in town and an all-day menu where modern Irish cooking takes centre stage. A little more formal, the Tan Yard combines an atmospheric setting for seasonal dishes with ingredients sourced from surrounding farms. A big spa and a snug late-night bar complete the impressive features.

Lovers of refinement should book themselves a stay in the stately surrounds of this sophisticated hotel. The Great Southern Killarney was built in 1854, with the remit “to take the visitor’s breath away” – and it certainly remains among the most impressive hotels in the town. Together with a deluxe spa, fine dining and immaculate service, the hotel has rooms that offer guests the epitome of traditional sophistication – with many of them overlooking the splendid hotel gardens.

Nature buffs who enjoy a little luxury will find the perfect combination of high-end comfort and spectacular views at the Europe Hotel & Resort. It has a rare and enviable lakeside setting, along with smart contemporary design that makes the most of it. Guests have direct access to the stunning natural beauty of the area, as well as activities including horse riding and lake boating. When you’re done, there’s a swish spa to soak tired limbs, and farm-to-fork dining in the lake-view restaurants.

If fine wining and dining is high on your holiday priorities, this hotel in Killarney provides some of the best in the region. The twice AA Rosette-winning Lake Room restaurant offers fine cuisine cooked from the freshest seasonal and locally sourced produce. A stock of superb wines is stored in the cavernous wine cellar too. Plush guest rooms, lake views and a spa with a heated indoor pool complete the five-star experience.

Fans of the historical can immerse themselves in the past at the richly storied Muckross Park Hotel. The first inn on the site operated as a hunting lodge at the end of the 19th century. Within a few years, the Herbert family turned it into the Herbert Arms, which was the first hotel to open in Killarney. While it has certainly undergone plenty of changes in the 200 years since – not least the addition of five-star facilities – a palpable sense of the past remains.

Travelling families with kids in tow are sure to find the Gleneagle Hotel just what they’re looking for. Rooms and suites cater for groups of all sizes, while apartments offer the convenience of a self-catering option – some are even pet-friendly. But it’s the family-focused facilities that really shine, including full-size and splash pools, a kids’ club, and sports diversions for all ages. A location on the edge of town also puts the great outdoors on your doorstep.

If your perfect evening is holed up in a traditional Irish pub, then the snug and welcoming Kenmare Rooms at the Killarney Avenue Hotel is just the ticket. Find yourself a cosy corner with a pint of Guinness and kick back with the locals to enjoy some live music. A town centre location also means plenty of other local pubs are within an easy stroll, plus you have the famous Golden Gate entrance to Killarney National Park just opposite.

Visitors with an eye for flamboyant design will love the Ross hotel, set in the heart of Killarney town. Rooms are a riot of crushed velvet, bold patterns and exotic tones, while huge suites also add flickering fireplaces. Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner at the Cellar restaurant, or head to the jazzy surrounds of the Lane for creative cocktails and gourmet finger food. Another bar with a plush and playful vibe is the Pink Lounge, where gin and fizz is their speciality.

Travellers with a taste for the traditional will find that the International Hotel Killarney pushes all the right buttons. Built in the mid 1800s, the storied building originally stood at the entrance to Killarney Railway Station. It opened as a hotel in 1906, and little has changed in appearance since . Guest rooms are finished in the style of old-school elegance, though with contemporary comforts that include pillow-top mattress and jacuzzi tubs in some.

For those who like a pamper, this hotel in Killarney has the spa facilities to provide everything to delight and de-stress. The Zen Day Spa offers a 20m (65ft) heated pool, a sauna and steam rooms, plus a long list of luxuriously indulgent beauty and massage treatments. The rest of the hotel is a picture of traditional elegance, nowhere more so that in the sumptuous guest rooms. Also, ale-lovers: don’t forget to sample the hotel Killarney Brew craft beer.