9 Best Hotels in County Clare, Galway, and the Aran Islands, Ireland

Built for Sir Augustine Fitzgerald, this enchanting, 18th-century Italianate-style lodge sits amid 15 private acres on an exhilarating, Wuthering Heights–like windswept cliff top that's a three-minute drive from Lahinch. It's a world away from the bustling seaside resort—a peaceful haven, where you are made to feel like you're a guest in a privately owned country house. The use of Liscannor stone is at odds with the velvet sofas, marble fireplaces, and gilt-frame paintings, but the building comes into its own once the ocean comes into the frame, particularly in the dining room. Upstairs, brocade curtains and Oriental rugs complement the guest rooms' Georgian and Victorian polished-mahogany antiques. Some rooms have open fires, some have freestanding cast-iron bathtubs, six have stunning sea views, and two overlook the pretty, sheltered garden. Once you settle in, enjoy a drink at the honesty bar in the elegant drawing room (help yourself, and write it down); in bad weather, curl up with a book in the peaceful library. Staying in one of the six rooms with a view is a worthy splurge. The farm-to-fork dining room is open to nonguests and offers a tasting menu from Tuesday to Saturday, when diners can devour the bay views.

The five basic rooms with all modern facilities have the edge on other properties because of their location and view directly onto Quin Abbey. Downstairs is the village tavern---contemporary, hearty fare with a lively pub. The building was the original meeting place for locals with a shop, haberdashery and pub, so expect timber beams, shifts in floor elevation, and low ceilings.   

The rambling 80-year-old house on Inishmore, with its distinctive dormer windows, is close to both the beach and the town; many guests base themselves here for two or three nights, to make a thorough exploration of the island. Almost every window at this B&B looks out to the sea, making it the perfect place to de-stress. The public rooms and guest rooms are relaxed, with modern decor including light-color linens and walls paneled with blond wood.

Not actually a castle, Ballinalacken is rather a mustard-color Victorian lodge in the shadow of medieval tower-house ruins, a few miles from Doolin Village. Its hilly setting, back from the road in a 100-acre wildflower meadow, offers panoramic coastal views and enough distance from Doolin's busy nightlife to guarantee a peaceful night's sleep. Large bow-shaped windows draw in light and lift the darker shades inside the public areas, which are decorated with natural oak and drapes. Guest rooms in the older house have massive four-poster beds, marble fireplaces, and high ceilings. Some large, sunny rooms have bay windows to frame that stunning view; nice but plainer rooms in the new wing, with antique-style decor, are equally sought after. The restaurant has an imaginative and sophisticated continental menu with the best of locally sourced food, from Lisdoonvarna's smokehouse to St. Tola's cheese.

Modest and gabled, this 1793 country house is 12 km (7 miles) and 8 km (5 miles) from Shannon Airport and is also a world apart, with views across the plains where horses calmly graze, as they have done for centuries, to the distant Shannon Estuary. It's a popular first- and last-night stopover with transatlantic passengers: you can see the airport's control tower, but you would never know the airport was so close, and you are not on the flight path. Owners Niall and Gillian Ennis have decorated the lounge and bar with a homey assortment of Victorian antiques and hunting prints, and books of local interest, with an open fire in the bar. The six bedrooms in the main house are the most elegant, some with four-poster beds, all with modest antiques. Simpler, less expensive rooms in the converted stables also have plenty of character. Most guests opt to watch the sensational sunsets from the award-winning Conservatory Restaurant, popular with Clare locals. 

The pretty gabled facade with dormer windows is traditional in style, but, in fact, Bernadette Moloney and her German husband, Armin Grefkes, designed and built this house specifically as a B&B. It's across the road from the sea, about 2 km (1 mile) north of the village, close to Bishop's Quarter Beach. The interior has character and style, thanks to a mix of imposing 19th-century German antiques, stripped-pine floors, and comfortable sofas and armchairs. Each guest room is individually styled on a wildflower theme, with plain walls, color-coordinated quilts and curtains, brass bedsteads, and attractive small antiques. The delicious breakfast menu offers an unusually wide choice, while the hosts are knowledgeable about the area, and have a good supply of books and maps. 

This rambling 200-year-old stone farmhouse, once the family home of the O'Flahertys—one of whom was Oscar Wilde's godfather—whose descendants include the famed writers Liam and Robert, is the first choice of many visitors to the island thanks to its location at the foot of Dún Aengus fort, a three-minute walk from the beach, and about 6½ km (4 miles) from the quay and the airport (accessible by minibus). The old stone house has been cleverly extended to provide extra guest rooms. The neatly kept front garden leads to a large, high-ceiling hall and wide stairs, giving a pleasant sense of space. The walls are hung with portraits of the house's previous owners, the warrior clan of O'Flaherty. Guest rooms are spacious and comfortable, with views of the fort or distant sea views. It's worth paying a small supplement for one of the four larger rooms with king-size beds.

Not your typical West of Ireland bolt-hole, this B&B has the elegance of a luxurious, small, boutique hotel with the charm and warm welcome of a B&B. The walnut flooring, large modern en suites, and marble-floor conservatory where breakfast is served are all divine, but pale in comparison to the magnificent views over Galway Bay. It's tucked into a Salt Hill residential area close to a golf club, away from Galway's heady nightlife, so a good night's sleep is guaranteed.

If a town the size and scale of Kilkee can have a grande dame property, then the Stella Maris is the place; it's a handsome, charming little hotel close to the sea, with a contemporary country style. It has served the town well ever since it was constructed back in 1853 as a coast-guard regional headquarters so expect to see some old-timers lingering in the lobby or lounge. Now spruced up with a mix of plaid and impressionist art, the Stella Maris also offers excellent views and close proximity to Kilkee's horseshoe-shape beach.