Fodor's Expert Review Gabriel House

On a bluff high above the train station and the docks, this huge Victorian house is in Cork's boho north-side quarter among fine 19th-century homes, many of which have seen better days. Guest rooms vary greatly in size and orientation, with the biggest on the river side, but share a simple design of muted colors and have flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms are small (no tubs), but have a heated towel rail and power showers. Tea and coffee are on tap all day in the breakfast room, and there is also an attractive garden with chickens and ducks, where fruit and vegetables for the table are grown. The nearest pub, Henchy's—a Victorian gem—is one of Cork's finest.