The Best Hotels Near The Olde Post Inn, by the Record
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Perched on the banks of Lough Meelagh in County Roscommon, this castle hotel offers the full Irish country-house fantasy without the drafts. The spa, parkland walks, boating, and golf give you plenty of reasons to stay busy, or to feel virtuous about not doing any of it. Suites in the original house carry a bit more atmospheric weight; those in the newer wing keep the same grand register. The restaurant is named for Ireland's first president, which sets the tone.
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A thousand countryside acres in County Monaghan, a family that traces itself back to Attila the Hun, and the oldest plumbed bath in Ireland: Castle Leslie Estate sets its stall out early. The castle rooms skip the minibar and the telly on purpose, nudging you toward the Blue Room's lake views instead. The Lodge runs more contemporary but still has roll-top tubs. Horses, gardens, a spa, and a quiet library keep the weekend full.
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W.B. Yeats used to stay here, which Castle Dargan will not let you forget, though the 170 acres of County Sligo countryside make a convincing case on their own. It's a country house hotel with a golf course, Edwardian antiques kept carefully intact, and a choice between modern rooms in the newer wing or older, more atmospheric ones in the original house. The restaurants lean on local seafood and traditional Irish fare.
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A sandstone castle on the shores of Lough Eske, with the Blue Stack Mountains beyond and 43 acres of woodland between you and the rest of the world. This is a luxury hotel that takes the castle brief seriously: spacious rooms, generous suites, and a spa that occupies the footprint of the original Victorian conservatory. Donegal Town is minutes away, which you'll probably forget to visit.