Big Adare Manor, Co Limerick, Ireland
A DARE MANOR, the former seat of the 2nd Earl of Dunraven, is a neo-Gothic gem and example of a rare ‘Calendar House’, a building with architectural elements that nod towards the number of days in a week, a month or a year (www.adaremanor.com). The style first rose to prominence in the Elizabethan era, reappearing in the Victorian age. Adare is adorned with 365 leaded windows, 52 chimneys, seven stone pillars and four towers. In the 1980s, it was converted into a hotel; in 2017, it reopened following a 21-month refurbishment project with a new, 42-bedroom wing, a spa and a ballroom. The Signature Suites, which come with a dedicated Manor Butler, are among the most prized.
Adare is an amalgam of elegance and ease; affable staff ensure a seamless stay. And there’s plenty to do, from the spa, the first in Ireland to offer customised face and body treatments from 111Skin, and Padel Club, which caters to aficionados of one of the world’s fastest growing sports, to the 18-hole championship golf course. Other highlights include the Michelin-starred Oak Room, afternoon tea in a gallery inspired by the Versailles Hall of Mirrors and the world-class whisky collection, stored in the clubby Tack Room bar. In all respects, this is one of Ireland’s finest addresses. Gilly Hopper
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HIDDEN inside a 10 million-year-old primordial rainforest, The Datai feels like a secret hideout that Tintin might stumble upon on one of his adventures (www.thedatai.com). Dusky langur monkeys swing between the trees and oriental pied hornbills streak across the vast swimming pool on the hotel’s main terrace. From here, you can look down the magnificent central staircase—built using material excavated when the site was cleared—over the butterfly walk towards Datai beach and the Andaman Sea.
Guides in the Nature Centre will point you in the direction of the wooden walk bridge in the jungle where, if you keep your eyes peeled, you’re more than likely to spot the magnificent brown-winged kingfisher with its bright-red bill. Leisurely kayaking trips into the mangroves with a local botanist make you realise how much is going on unseen and unnoticed. Who knew that the filtration system in mangrove seeds inspired the kidney dialysis machine?
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