19 Best Hotels in The Northwest, Ireland

One of Ireland's most historic hotels, Bay View is well placed for seeing Donegal Bay and the nearby Slieve League Cliffs; its shiny guest rooms and lively bar and restaurant are all part of the scenic package. Soothing tones of beige carpets and curtains complement cream walls in the clutter-free rooms and pave the way for a relaxing stay at a hotel that is back at the top of its game after more than 300 years of trading. Luke's Restaurant serves steak, lamb, and Guinness-and-venison pie, while fishy delights include fillet of hake, monkfish, cod, and mixed seafood pappardelle. Carvery lunches are available in the Wheelhouse bar from noon to 3 pm, and bar food is served up to 9 pm. There's also live music in the bar on weekends. Famous Bay View residents of days gone by include Eamon de Valera and the soldier and statesman Michael Collins. Midweek or special weekend deals are available that include some meals.

If there's a chill in the air, you can warm up at the roaring fires in the restaurant and residents' lounge of this large harborside Victorian hotel. The past surrounds you and nautical accents tout the history of the bay (three galleons of the Spanish Armada went aground at nearby Streedagh in September 1588). Enjoy wonderful views of the pier and the bay from the hotel bars, or tuck into the restaurant's acclaimed seafood menu. Try the favorites: Donegal Bay fisherman's pie or the classic fish-and-chips. In the Boatman's bar, renovated during 2019, you can snack on chicken burritos or enjoy fish chowders. Special packages such as excursions out to sea with local fishermen, or guided history and nature walks and horseback-riding activities are available.

With roots stretching back to 1794, this historic and convivial hotel enjoys a central location in the heart of Carrick. Leaning heavily on its past, the hotel showcases displays of its memorabilia, although it has undergone renovation. In 2017, the Michael Collins Room opened to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the republican revolutionary's stay in the hotel in 1917, when his movements were being monitored. The room comes with period-piece furniture, china cups and cookware, and an antique telephone. Guest rooms are comfortable and unfussy; ask for a modern room at the rear away from street noise. Lunchtime diners can enjoy hearty platefuls of roast beef, potatoes, and peas while soaking up a cross section of local Leitrim life. Special cruise and dinner packages are available in summer.

Formerly a Holiday Inn, this hotel has reinvented itself with flair, and the spacious entrance hall—with framed tweed pieces hung on walls, reflecting the area's connection to the industry—strikes a distinctive and welcoming note. Guest bedrooms in soft red and cream are well-appointed with unfussy fabrics. Dinner in the Aileach restaurant is served in attractive surroundings and the plush McGettigan's Irish Bar offers a lunch menu (noon–9:30) of comfort food such as seafood chowder, bangers and mash, or Irish stew, and dinner options (6–9) where steaks are the most popular dish. The hotel's strengths are its conference and leisure facilities that include a pool, gym, Jacuzzi, sauna, and beauty salon, although the sauna was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, so it is helpful to check the website before visiting.

Step beyond the elegant, symmetrical stone facade with its central Palladian window, and wander through an appealing mix of antique bureaus, marble busts, mounted deer heads, and 19th-century paintings that fill the large reception rooms of this three-story Georgian farmhouse. Seven generations of the O'Hara family have lived here since it was built in 1774. Spacious, beautifully furnished guest rooms are decorated in shades of turquoise, burgundy, and soft grays, and some have four-poster or canopy beds. Using the family silver, guests dine by candlelight (at 8 pm sharp), on meals such as medallions of venison (from its own farm with a herd of 250 fallow deer), lamb, or fillet of Donegal monkfish made with fresh Irish ingredients. Eco-friendly measures are promoted alongside luxury at Coopershill: electricity comes from renewable resources, low-energy lightbulbs are used, and rainwater is mixed with the estate's spring water and filtered for use. You can sign up for an hour-long "Hawk Walk" with a falconer. The owners can also organize activities such as horse-riding or kayaking.

One of the brand-new attractions along the Wild Atlantic Way, Fanad Lighthouse offers accommodations in a remote and spectacular area, as well as a unique tour for visitors. Three different-size houses, Inishtrahull View, Dunree View, and Tory View, are available beside the tall lighthouse tower with a minimum two-night stay. Included in the price is a tour of the visitor center and tower, which involves climbing 79 steep and narrow steps (it is not for the fainthearted and you will need a head for heights). The accommodation and lighthouse are sited within the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) on the eastern shore of the Fanad peninsula. Enjoy a glass of wine by the roaring fire, settle down to drink in the views, and you may be lucky enough to catch sight of the aurora borealis in the night sky, or a glimpse of the whales, porpoises, and dolphins that thrive among the white-capped waves in this part of the ocean. If you don't wish to stay here, you can organize a separate tour of the lighthouse (€10 per person). Advance booking is required. A newly opened café in the grounds is open to all visitors for snacks and lunches.

An elegant creeper-clad manor house with many period features on the outskirts of Ramelton, Frewin's history stretches back to the 1880s when it was a rectory. Its three rooms, all with king-size beds and antique headboards, are themed on mellow Irish colors: buí (yellow), glas (green), and bán (white). Hot breakfasts are cooked to order but the owners focus on yogurt, honey, syrup, and fruit such as berries, figs, melon, and grapefruit sourced from the town's country market, and freshly baked bread. There's also a delightful self-catering stone cottage for weekly rental in the mature grounds. The attractions of the Wild Atlantic Way are on your doorstep and the hospitable owners can help organize walking, cycling, horse-riding, fishing, or golf.

Set in a remote and breathtaking location in landscaped gardens on the shores of Lough Eske at the foot of the Blue Stack Mountains, Harvey's Point has, since 1989, been a spirit-lifting escape. The drive to the hotel is awe-inspiring in itself and your surprise is complete when the elegant edifice looms up along the shores of the lake. Reception areas, redecorated in 2017, gleam with cherrywood and polished stone and flaunt great views. The four-course dinner menu (€59) includes guinea fowl and venison and is brimful of local produce. Even if your itinerary prevents you from overnighting, it is well worth dropping in for the Sunday carvery lunch, a buffet that has become justly famous and costs €32. Harvey's Bar (12:30–9 pm), with its delightful terrace, is a stylish place to enjoy bar snacks and drinks overlooking the lake and mountains.

With the mountains on one side and the sea on the other, the Holyrood, part of the fabric of Bundoran for more than 60 years, is delightfully hemmed in and conveniently placed along Main Street. Well-appointed rooms, refurbished in 2017, are decorated in restful colors; there's a warm feeling even when the Atlantic is sweeping in and howling a gale around the doorways and windows. The Watermelon restaurant serves freshly cooked-to-order breakfasts as well as dinner. A grill menu is available in the Waterfront bar from 12:30 to 9 pm, and there's a seasonal carvery menu. This is seafood and steak country, but you'll also find turkey and ham, roast beef, and spring lamb on the menu alongside vegetarian dishes. In a separate building at the rear of the hotel, the Blue River Leisure Club boasts a gym, pool, Jacuzzi, and a sauna. The Escape Beauty and Spa rooms offer various treatments and seaweed baths.

Not a hotel per se—there isn't a bar, pool, or meal plan—Ionad Siúl has clean, comfortable, and spacious rooms, all en suite (bathroom included), with a handy kitchen for those who can whip up their own breakfasts. Before long, most guests want to pull on their walking boots and they can count on the owner Charlie McGuire to fill them in on the best guided tours of the region—a great way to explore the area's rich heritage and stunning landscape (prebooking is essential).

If you stay three nights or longer the room rate is cheaper.

Most guests gasp as they come down the sweeping drive through ancient woodland and arrive at this magnificent Tudor-style baronial castle—complete with tower and crenellations and a suitably regal backdrop of Lough Eske and the Blue Stack Mountains. The oldest parts of the castle were built in 1621, and the estate was converted into a hotel at the turn of the 21st century. The main salons have impressive oak paneling, crewelwork armchairs, and colorful artwork. Upstairs, guest rooms are designed in neutral beige, brown, and tan tones and have traditional furniture that is superbly crafted; all rooms were redecorated early in 2019. With its crystal light fixtures and towering button-back upholstered banquettes, the Cedars Restaurant strikes just the right note between hip and elegant and offers a menu of Irish produce, including fresh catches from nearby Killybegs and vegetables grown in the on-site greenhouse. Enjoy afternoon tea and cakes served in the lounge: €26, €33 with prosecco, or €41 with champagne. For even more indulgence, head to the spa. Check for midweek and sports deals (including golf, horseback riding, pony trekking, or whale-watching). All in all, this is quite the Irish paradise. The website often has special getaway deals such as the Wild Atlantic Way package.

It is well worth going on the complimentary 30-minute history tour of the castle for residents held on Sunday morning.

There is an otherworldliness to Lough Swilly, which is mirrored in the classic country-house comfort of Rathmullan where log fires roar in antiques-filled surroundings in a place that drips with character. The house has been run for 60 years by the Wheeler family—one of the most renowned hospitality dynasties in Ireland—and historic family details line the corridor walls. Bedrooms are appointed with floral curtains, books, and soft furnishings. Breakfast highlights include sweet banana bread and a steaming bowl of the classic Irish Flahavan's porridge oats topped with carrageen moss (mild-tasting seaweed). All this will set you up for the 15-minute walk into Rathmullan along the sandy beach right in front of the house. Dinner in the Cook & Gardener restaurant promotes local produce; lamb rump, Donegal lobster, Greencastle cod, roast pepper, pea and broccoli risotto, and roast free-range chicken breast all feature prominently. The Pavilion is a king pole tent serving stone-baked pizzas in an alfresco environment, washed down with craft beer such as Scraggy Bay or Devil's Backbone from the nearby Kinnegar brewery.

A three-year, top-to-bottom renovation of bedrooms and all public areas has been carried out at the Sligo Park, which is ideally located for those touring Yeats Country. The rooms have been reimagined in warm colors of green and teal, while others have neutral shades with views of the parkland, countryside, and Sligo Bay. The hotel comes with a excellent fitness center, 16-meter swimming pool, and Jacuzzi, all redeveloped during 2019. Entertainment is held on Friday and Saturday evenings in Jack B's Bar. The hotel offers a range of special activities and family breaks, including a movie night and fairy trail. The staff are friendly and will point you to the highlights of the region.

With a 200-year-old pedigree, a recent refresh, and a legacy that spans six generations of the same family, this former mill, a rustic stone-front inn, is one of the few stops for sustenance near Lough Gill. A recent renovation added a new café offering lunches such as panini, soup, and "ploughman's lunch" (bread, cheese, salad, and pickles), while dinner steps up a notch with a more substantial local bounty of steak, pork, chicken, and fish. Traditional music sessions are held most weekends. Includes a self-catering cottage.

This modern, bright, and airy harborside hotel—an ideal base to explore this alluring corner of southern Donegal—has 31 well-equipped guest rooms tastefully decorated in warm colors with dark-red carpets and teakwood; most have expansive harbor vistas, and some come with small balconies. Regular specials at the Turntable restaurant include the roast topside of beef from nearby Castlefinn and lamb casserole. On the menu you will also find steak, chicken, and pork. Station 59 (named after the last train that came into Killybegs in 1959) is a spacious bar looking out on the busy harbor, and with five plasma-screen TVs, it is especially popular with sports fans. Bar meals may include fresh Atlantic salmon, monkfish medallions, burgers, sandwiches, and chicken salads, accompanied by local craft beers such as Donegal Blonde or Dungarvan Red ale.

With its bright white shutters and boldly red facade, this family-run pretty-as-an-Irish-picture inn sits smack on Donegal's central square, the Diamond. Huge picture windows in the back reveal lovely views of Donegal Bay and the River Eske. The suites have queen-size beds and spacious lounge areas. The newly opened Blazers Burger Bar & Grill is known for its Aubrac beef from grass-fed cattle. For sharing platters, snacks and light bites try the Central Bar, (noon–9 pm), while Chapmans Restaurant offers a more formal dining experience.

During 2019, 40 of the bay-view rooms were refurbished, so ask for an updated room at check-in.

Cosmopolitan modernists will love this funky, six-story riverside hotel. It elevates accommodations in Sligo to a brash new level: just take a look at the towering exterior, which has been designed to resemble a ship docked at the harbor. Inside, each of the floors has an alternating color scheme that may not be to everyone's taste: three floors bright orange, three floors lime green (with color-coordinated linens), and in the corridors a striped, gaudy carpet design that some find a little disconcerting. Public areas have a more sedate color scheme in the lobby and café-bar. The hotel also has three executive suites and a fitness room with an excellent workout area. Candlelit meals in the stylish kitchen restaurant include marinated Sligo lamb rack, grilled sirloin steak, or fillet of gilthead bream and surf clams. A one-man band performs each Friday and Saturday night from 9 pm in the hotel's View Bar. Some of the hotel's early sparkle may have worn off a little, but it's still worth a visit to breathe in the cutting-edge architecture and enhance your color senses.

If you want to watch the River Shannon cast its calming spell as you sip the best cocktails in Leitrim, head to this waterfront landmark where guest rooms are sleek, spacious, spotlessly well-appointed, and most have riverside views. All rooms feature wide-screen TVs. The elegant Boardwalk Café, which serves lunch and dinner, adds a funky feel to your stay. Aromas Café specializes in sandwiches, wraps, salads, and caffeine galore, and the luxurious Black Mint bar has a resident mixologist offering master classes in crafting concoctions. Look for special Sunday--Sleepover upgrades and deals.

High ceilings, marble fireplaces, and stained glass adorn the interior of this spacious Victorian manor house; bedrooms have superb views of the Donegal mountains, and some guest rooms overlook the garden. Parts of the interior and the coach house date from the 17th century. Bedrooms in the converted coach house are particularly spacious and come with small balconies. The 40-seat restaurant (where prices are usually in the $$$ range) uses burstingly fresh local ingredients in its French--Irish €42.50 prix-fixe menus; choose from slow-cooked Irish lamb, prime pedigree Angus beef, monkfish, cod, or a vegetarian dish. Desserts include crème brûlée or chocolate fondant. If you prefer a less formal (and less expensive) dining experience, choices include soup, goat cheese, pasta, oysters, and tiger prawns from 2 pm at the fully licensed lounge bar where a log fire enhances an ideal weekend getaway.