2 Best Hotels in Straffan, Dublin Environs

Manicured gardens and the renowned Arnold Palmer–designed K Club golf course surround this mansard-roof country mansion. Spacious, comfortable guest rooms, each uniquely decorated with antiques, have large windows that overlook either the Liffey or the golf course. The rooms in the old house have the most atmosphere, and if you need extra space you can also opt for several cottages on the property. The Barton restaurant serves a French menu with Irish flair, and supported with a lot of the vegetables grown in their own gardens. Their wine cellar is one of the finest in the country.

With a 13th-century castle keep at one end, an Elizabethan section in the middle, a large Georgian country house at the other end, and a modern wing, Barberstown Castle represents 750 years of Irish history. Ask for a room in one of the older sections, where turf fires blaze in ornate fireplaces in the sumptuously decorated lounges. Reproduction pieces fill the bedrooms, some of which have four-poster beds. The Georgian-style restaurant serves a creative blend of French and Irish country house cuisine, and afternoon tea in the Garden Bar is a delight.