Sheen Falls Lodge

Oh, to have been the Marquis of Landsdowne — what’s now one of Ireland’s finest country house hotels was once his summer home, just a place to disappear to for a bit of hunting and fishing, alongside Kenmare Bay and the Sheen River falls, surrounded by countless acres of parklands and forests. It’s doubtless every bit as stunning as it was in the Marquis’s day, though obviously some things have changed. You won’t have the place quite to yourself, but you will find the kind of personalized service that’s fit for the lord or lady of the house. Guest rooms are lavish, steeped in contemporary luxury, all pastels and florals, with picture-perfect views of the river, the bay or the surrounding countryside. And while the rooms are merely indulgent, the suites verge on the decadent, and the villas and cottages downright extravagant: the Little Hay Cottage comes with its own satellite guest house, and the Garden Cottage, facing Kenmare Bay, is a full-sized self-catering residence. The sensibly named Falls restaurant has what may be the best view of the falls, as well as one of the largest wine cellars in all of Ireland. Daily diversions include all the Marquis’s favorite pastimes and more, from fishing and hunting to shooting, golf, tennis, a thoroughly modern spa complex and even a 1936 Buick Roadmaster, for classic car aficionados or period play-actors. How to get there: Sheen Falls Lodge is five minutes’ drive from the town of Kenmare. The nearest airport is Kerry International Airport, 56 km to the north.