Renvyle House Hotel

Renvyle House Hotel Review

A lake at its front door, the Atlantic Ocean at its back door, and the mountains of Connemara as a backdrop form the enthralling setting for this hotel 8 km (5 mi) north of Letterfrack, but don't count out the interior for it contains the Long Room, one of the most eminently civilized salons in Ireland—all polished wood, endless chairs, and pretty pictures. Once the retreat of that noted Irish man of letters Oliver St. John Gogarty of Dublin (on whom James Joyce modeled Buck Mulligan in Ulysses), Renvyle is rustic and informal; it has exposed beams and brickwork, and numerous open turf fires. The comfortable guest rooms, plainly decorated in an uncluttered style, in shades of beige and cream, all have breathtaking views.