5 Best Hotels in The Northwest, Ireland

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.