Ireland’s finest new hotel is to the manor reborn

overhaul was needed to make the address truly world-class. So began the largest restoration project of its kind in Ireland. On Nov 2, Adare Manor reopened following a 21-month renovation, with a new wing added and every aspect of the guest experience recalibrated.

Today a freshly laid driveway takes guests past a tidal river, the imposing ruins of a 13th-century castle and through an immaculate 842-acre estate shaded by some 19,000 trees. The hotel’s immense extension swings into view first, its limestone a touch lighter in colour and without the occasional studs of pink stone that decorate the original, but otherwise a convincing addition to the building.

In the original house an intricately carved stone archway leads to the Great Hall, a hotel lobby unlike any other in Ireland. Designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, the architect behind the Houses of Parliament, the space is ecclesiastical in style, with cathedral-height ceilings, vaulted arches and a black-marble fireplace replenished throughout my stay with wood from trees felled by Storm Ophelia. The most impressive room, however, awaits upstairs. Apparently the second-longest room in Ireland (after Trinity College’s Long Room library), The Gallery was inspired by Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors and served as a repository for the treasures the Dunravens accumulated on their jaunts through Europe. Today a newly installed bar stands beside its 17th-century Flemish choir stalls and families taking afternoon tea are bejewelled by the coloured shards of light that stream in through the original stained-glass windows.

It was during a late breakfast – I opted for honeyed porridge and homemade soda bread with local butter and cheese, classic Irish home comforts – that manager Paul Heery explained Adare’s aspiration “to be the leading luxury hotel in Ireland”. It’s a bold objective. Though long devoid of truly exceptional five-star properties, the country is already home to two of the world’s best heritage hotels in Ashford Castle, on the Galway-Mayo border, and Ballyfin in County Laois.

Heery, a Dubliner formerly of Gleneagles and The Connaught in London, believes there’s “magic” to the manor but knows it must offer more than its remarkable surroundings and architecture to surpass the competition. Completely revised, the existing 62 bedrooms and suites have been joined by a further 42 in the new West Wing; all individually styled, they may feature stand-alone bathtubs, 19th-century oil paintings, gold leaf detailing and restored heraldry. More modern additions include televisions that can store guest preferences for future visits and drapery that can be opened by the tap of a tablet or the flick of a bedside switch.

For me, the only discordant note came from the Aqua di Parma toiletries – the Italian brand is misplaced in a property that aims to showcase the best of Ireland. Elsewhere, the resort’s Tom Faziodesigned golf course will open in March and is expected to be of a sufficient standard to host the Ryder Cup; resident fees are likely to start at €200 (£180) per game. The La Mer spa, the first to open in the UK and Ireland, offers signature treatments from the skincare brand – the €250 La Mer Miracle Broth Facial is already a bestseller.

On the estate await falconry, fishing, cycling and archery. Should a visit coincide with inclement weather, guests can borrow Dubarry jackets and boots or they might prefer to seek shelter within the hotel’s cinema. (This is the west of Ireland, after all; during my stay last weekend an English couple asked a team member when the rain would stop. The answer: “March”.)

It all adds up to an enticing offering, enhanced by the hotel’s proximity to the pretty, prosperous village of Adare which features a photogenic terrace of thatched cottages and a cluster of pubs, but let down somewhat by the spa’s facilities. There’s a cool – as in cold – plunge pool which, at just 26ft long, is a let-down for swimmers; a sauna but no steam room; and a gym that, while adequate for general exercise, may prove unsatisfactory to fitness fanatics.

Likely to impress all, however, is the hotel’s culinary offering. Before its opening, five senior members of Adare’s kitchen team went on a nine-day road trip around the island to meet the country’s best small-scale farmers and artisans. The hotel’s aim is The Gallery, above, features choir stalls and stained glass. Above left: the cuisine has Michelin aspirations to become a peerless purveyor of Irish produce and their efforts are best enjoyed at the candlelit Oak Room restaurant. Its five-course menu (€110, plus €70 for matching wines), features succulent Wicklow venison with red cabbage and fig and Tipperary quail with pearl barley. It’s unpretentious, delicious fare with Michelin aspirations. The waiter beamed as he served me one sophisticated dish after another, each on specially commissioned Irish tableware. Though the country is abundant with exceptional ingredients, it’s still rare for them to be handled with such precision. And the restaurant staff ’s sense of pride in their surroundings was shared by colleagues throughout the hotel. About three-quarters of the