11 Best Hotels in The Midlands, Ireland

A blend of stone, wood, and glass, the Farnham Estate—one of the top spots in the Midlands to detox and purify—exudes the promise of contentment over its 1,300 acres, as well as offering a superb choice of dining options. Extended from the original big house (dating from 1664), the hotel includes a golf course and mature grounds. Guest rooms and corridors are in relaxing neutral themes of beige, silvery greens, and sky blue, echoing the tones in the gardens and grounds. The Cedar Rooms restaurant, named after the 300-year-old cedar of Lebanon, the largest and one of the oldest trees in the estate, showcases local artisanal producers' food with beef, vension, and hake among the dishes. What steals the show however, is the spa, and in particular the Laconium, which re-creates the atmosphere of a Roman sauna. The snail shower, salt grottoes, and reflexology footbath are also recommended.

Ask at reception for a booklet outlining five nature trails through woods and around lakes, and make sure you see the magnificent Monterey pine in the center of the parkland.

Barry Keenan is the fifth generation of his family since 1838 to run this first-rate hotel overlooking the Shannon, with a quality restaurant perfectly capable of challenging the Purple Onion next door for culinary polish and panache. It's a popular stop off for river cruisers so there's a constant, convivial vibe in season. The bar is a mini museum filled with memorabilia and a "Wall of Fame" featuring some well-known celebrity visitors over the years. Bedrooms are painted in calming beige and cream, with black curtains, and dark-wood furnishings, and were given a makeover in 2019.

Ask for a room where you can watch sunrise over the Shannon from your small flower-filled balcony—an ideal spot to gaze at the river and listen to birdsong.

Ireland's first "wine hotel" began life as a humble boathouse, but today it is one of the country's most enchanting hideaways—stylishly modern and light filled, with rooms opening out onto the placid waters of Killinure Lough. Guest rooms are minimalist, but stylishly adorned with leopard-skin prints and goose-down duvets. If you feel like splurging ask for the Champagne Suite spread over two floors with a mezzanine floating bedroom, a flickering fire stove, and a cradle bath. The welcoming reception area has a real log fire, comfy seats, and soft, neutral carpeting to complete the relaxing effect. In the restaurant, fine vintages and new Irish brews accompany mouthwatering offerings such as rustic chicken, linguine pasta, fillet steak, roast pork, or risotto. Special offers are posted on the hotel website and include the "ultimate two-night unwind" with one dinner and spa treatment from €575.

With its collection of mock-Gothic towers, turrets, and crenellations, along with rumors of paranormal activity, Cabra Castle has been deemed one of the world's scariest hotels; the Irish Ghosthunters Association has confirmed that it was indeed a place visited by spirits. Some reports speak of guests meeting a man in full early-20th-century military uniform striding down the corridor while others claim to have heard a horse and carriage pull into the courtyard in the middle of the night. Standing amid parkland with mature trees and pristine lawn, Cabra boasts rooms of all shapes and sizes, from attics to ones that can accommodate three double beds. Rooms in the castle are recommended (although some are small), but many of the larger bedrooms are in the adjoining courtyard area, in a carefully restored stone outbuilding overlooking Mitzies garden, named after the owner. Some come with roll-top baths and four-poster beds. The Victorian Gothic theme of the main castle is carried through in the bar and the restaurant (reservations are a must for lunch or dinner) with varying degrees of success. Framed portraits and deer heads adorn the walls. Don't miss the castle gallery, which has hand-painted ceilings and leaded-glass windows.

Originally a coach house, this unpretentious country hotel in Birr's central square, just a five-minute walk to Birr Castle, began life in 1747 and has retained its old-style homeyness with well-appointed rooms decorated with neutral furnishings. An open fire and relaxed welcome invite you in; the bustling bar and coffee shop are popular with locals and serve lunches. For a more formal dining experience, you could try the Emmet Restaurant, where lamb rump, roast duck, supreme of chicken or striploin steak are main course highlights. The hotel has added the atmospheric Bianconi Courtyard, a bar where, in favorable weather, you may indulge in alfresco dining, and in 2019 modernized its Coachhouse Bar for casual snacks and drinks.

The guest rooms have a soothing palette of buffs, creams, and lime greens. Ranging from classic to luxury suites, the rooms boast views over the lake or across the 18-hole championship golf course, cleverly crafted by Christy O'Connor, Jr. And it's for the golf that many still come to this idyllically sited location. The award-winning course has been upgraded and enhanced with improved chipping and putting facilities. Public areas in the hotel have been refashioned with the new Killinure dining room specializing in fish, lamb, and steak dishes while at the more informal Lakeview bar with its floor-to-ceiling windows, pies, burgers, bagels, salads, and lighter meals are on the menu. You can work it all off at the in-house gym, avail of the complimentary bikes to explore the grounds, or arm yourself with a walking pack made up of a picnic, blanket, and walking sticks.

Overlooking Lough Meelagh deep in a 40-acre estate, this restored 18th-century castle offers keenly priced luxury in a romantic setting. Facilities include an impressive spa which includes a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, and beauty salon along with a swimming pool---or just meander around the gardens. The Douglas Hyde Restaurant (named after Ireland’s first president---a local man) overlooks the grounds and sources local ingredients for a well-chosen menu.

On the outskirts of Mullingar, this stylish hotel has built up a solid reputation, both for its inviting accommodations and the high quality of its cuisine. The double, twin, or family guest rooms are decked in golds, creams, and beiges, or if you feel like a splurge, the decadent park suite is replete with a super-king four-poster and a deep soaking bath. The menu of the sleek Terrace Restaurant might include pork belly, pan-roasted scallops, Slane Valley lamb, steak, or chicken. For a more informal bite, the casual Horseshoe Bar serves beef burgers, pasta, or Thai chicken curry, and features live music on Saturday night. To burn off all those extra calories, there's a gym and the Azure Leisure Club with a pool, sauna, steam room, and a range of Thalgo treatments in the beauty rooms.

In a prime location on the banks of the Shannon, this property has a distinctive water theme; not surprising, as more than half the bedrooms have superb views of the meandering river with a lovely look at Sts. Peter and Paul across the way. Guest rooms are clean, comfortable, and modern, and all have been refurbished in neutral shades. Swans preen around the bridge and cruisers are berthed beside the hotel. The Elements Bistro serves lunch and dinner, and you can snack on lighter fare at the Quayside Bar. Between May and September, barbecues light up summer nights on the terrace. As you enter the main lobby, a huge piece of permanent artwork entitled Sionna by the Kerry artist Susan Leen gives an immediate sense of place. 

Ask at reception about the new Blu Routes, which are cycling, walking, and running trails close to the hotel planned for guests by their trained fitness staff.

Right in the heart of town, this distinctive 12-story tower hotel comes not only with outstanding comfort but also top-class views of the Midlands, making it one of the highest points in Westmeath—a county not noted for many mountains. Guest rooms in soothing milky and cream tones are inspired by the surroundings, with designs reflecting the historic nature of Athlone as a centuries-old crossing place. At 6½ feet long, the Sheraton signature beds ensure a comfy night. Ask to stay in the tower where king rooms or suites with floor-to-ceiling windows will dazzle you, revealing a 360-degree panorama of the countryside and the lazy curve of the River Shannon. The crossing theme is continued in the furnishings in the lobby and in the bespoke artwork in other public areas. There's a choice of dining in either La Provence Brasserie or the Harvest Café for lighter meals, while the S Bar and Bistro also serves snacks from its morning bakery right up to 9:30 pm; after noon, here you can choose from Irish stew, humus tikka flatbread, duck rillette, or Ancient East seafood chowder. Inspired by Japanese tearooms, the Sirana Spa offers purifying facials, hot-stone massages, and pedicures and there are swimming and hydrotherapy pools alongside a gym.

If you're 62 years or older, senior discounts of up to 15% apply to all room rates.

Outdoors types, especially golfers, prick up their ears when they hear of the facilities on offer at this modern country hotel set on 300 acres—apart from two golf courses, it also has an excellent health club. From the outside, this hotel looks like a rather wan 20th-century redo of a stately home. One comes here for modern-day luxuries and de-stressing activities, not the grace notes of yesteryear. In 2020, the hotel invested heavily in its lifestyle and golf facilities—both its courses have been accredited by the Professional Golfers' Association—and some suites were upgraded. The bright and sprightly bedrooms have chunky, Art Deco–style furniture. White linen and wrought-iron chandeliers decorate the formal Conall Cearnach restaurant, where the extensive menu includes traditionally prepared and locally sourced dishes featuring lamb, steak, chicken, duck, and monkfish. The Setanta restaurant is more informal, while the Summit Restaurant, overlooking the golf course, serves tasty snacks.