The Best Hotel in Ardmore, The Southeast

Tucked into the cliffs overlooking the fishing village of Ardmore, ageless nature confronts modernist design at Cliff House—and this luxury hotel and spa remains one of the most innovative additions to Irish accommodations in the last few decades. You'll find massive plate-glass windows, winding public terraces that trickle down to the water, and an atrium filled with the bright blues of sea and sky. The guest rooms aren't huge, but they are neatly designed with original art and modern furniture. If you are lucky enough to land one of the 15 suites, you'll have a private veranda jutting over the ocean below. In the glassed-in dining room, Irish and international influences are deftly combined.