After €50m upgrade, McManus’s labour of love offers real luxury
IT has long been the last word in luxury – and after a makeover lasting almost two years and costing an estimated € 50million it still is.
Adare Manor officially opened its doors to guests again yesterday and the word among staff working at the opulent resort was a simple: ‘Wow!’
The manor boasts a new 42-bedroom wing bringing the total number of rooms to 104. Meanwhile, a new ballroom that can cater for 350 guests looks set to become the ultimate romantic wedding venue.
It also features a new luxury brand La Mer spa and pool – the first in Ireland and one of just 11 around the world – and even a guest cinema with a 140in screen.
And potential visitors would want to have a few quid – room rates start at €325 for a Classic King Room to €1,995 for a one-bed suite. Prices rise to €2,750 for a suite over Christmas – though you’ll have to wait until Christmas 2018 as the hotel is booked out for the upcoming festive season.
The Limerick manor is owned by millionaire JP McManus, his wife Noreen and their family, who bought the hotel and its 840-acre estate for a reported €30million in 2015. In July, the legendary horseowner will host his Invitational Pro-Am tournament at the hotel. Previous participants in the tournament include former No.1 golfer Tiger Woods and movie star Michael Douglas.
And the hotel has played host to a number of celebrities, including former US president Bill Clinton.
Yesterday, staff were tight-lipped on exactly how much the renovations cost. One said: ‘It’s breathtaking. Every day you come into work and you’re going, “Wow!” I’m sure they spent millions but I don’t know how much. But there was no expense spared.’
But one insider said: ‘The cost is around €50million – the same as was spent on Ashford Castle.’
The hotel’s boss Colm Hannon described the remodel as ‘a labour of love from the very start’.
He said: ‘What we’re seeing is an upscaling of the luxury end. In Ireland we were poor at luxury, we were just hanging on. But this has really moved the game on. The appetite for Ireland among the wealthy is huge. The big luxury trade fairs, Ireland had hardly any presence. This will change that’.
Adare Manor already has 28 weddings booked and Mr Hannon added: ‘The wedding market is very important to us.’
The resort’s golf course, which hosted the Irish Open in 2008, is being redesigned by worldrenowned golf course architect Tom Fazio and open in March.
Hotel guests can expect to enjoy falconry displays using birds introduced by the manor’s own resident falconer.
‘There was no expense spared’