Blissful luxury breaks
Give yourself the gift of a time out before the festive season truly starts at these indulgent spots
Brooklodge & Macreddin Village, Co Wicklow
Nestled in the Wicklow countryside, Brooklodge & Macreddin Village is the perfect hideaway to recharge the batteries before the craziness of Christmas. The One Night Winter Warmer offers bed and breakfast, plus a one-hour treatment at The Wells Spa from just €100 per person sharing. The treatment choices include a Lucy Annabella organics full-body exfoliation, a Babor beautiful back treatment with foot massage, or dry flotation therapy to boost poor circulation and to ease aches. Other treatments are available on request for a supplement. The five-course or nine-course tasting menus at the award-winning Strawberry Tree restaurant, Ireland’s first certified organic restaurant, are not to be missed, with many of the ingredients grown and foraged locally by the team.
Room with a view
The Ice House, Ballina, Co Mayo
If you can charm your boss into granting you a day or two off from work this December, treat yourself to a pre-Christmas midweek break at the Ice House Hotel in Ballina this December. Guests availing of the Nights Before Christmas offer will be met with a festive cocktail on arrival, before a three-course dinner created by head chef Anthony Holland. What makes a stay at the Ice House truly special are the river-view rooms, overlooking the picturesque banks of the river Moy. Put aside some time to visit the unique thermal suite at the Chill Spa after breakfast, which has the same breathtaking view, especially if you brave the spa deck to use the outdoor hot-tub or barrel sauna seaweed baths – totally worth it. Available until December 22 from Sunday through Thursday, from €140 per room per night.