Tralee & Dingle Peninsula Hotels
Photos: (top row, left) Ballyseedy Castle, Tralee; and Brandon Hotel, Tralee; and (bottom row) Benners Hotel, Dingle; Emlagh House Hotel, Dingle; and Skellig Hotel, Dingle.
Price
Key
B&B per person per night
€ - under 50
€€ - 50 to 75
€€€ - 75 to 100
€€€€ - 100 to 150
€€€€€ - over 150
Tralee & Dingle Peninsula Hotels
Abbey Gate Hotel, Maine St., Tralee, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-712-9888; fax 066-712-9821; e-mail: info@abbeygate-hotel.com. With an attractive lemon-toned façade, this 3-star hotel is situated just off Tralee's main thoroughfare in the heart of town, ideal for walking to the shops and sights. Aiming to reflect Tralee's early years, the public areas are decorated in a Georgian/Victorian theme, including an atmospheric pub/restaurant known as The Old Market Place, a favorite gathering spot for the locals. The 100 guest rooms are furnished in traditional style with contemporary amenities. Closed: 24-26 December. €€ to €€€ Web site: www.abbeygate-hotel.com
Ballyseede Castle, Tralee/Killarney Rd., Tralee, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-712-5799; fax 066-712-5287; e-mail: ballyseede@eircom.net. Flanked by turrets and towers, this castle hotel is the "real thing" — a 15th century stone castle that was once the stronghold of the Fitzgerald, Earls of Desmond. Transformed into a hotel 20 years ago, and totally revamped and expanded in 2006, it still has many of its regal trappings — a cut-stone doorcase, lobby with Doric columns and a hand-carved staircase, original decorative plasterwork, huge oil paintings on fabric-lined walls, drawing rooms with marble fireplaces, and a resident Irish wolf hound. There are 17 guest rooms of varying sizes and styles. True to its old world ambiance, there is no elevator which can be a problem for people who don’t do stairs. Facilities include an antique-filled dining room, library-style bar, two drawing rooms, and 30 acres of pasture, gardens, and parkland, all secluded from the main road just three miles east of Tralee. Closed: 24-26 December. €€€ Web site: www.ballyseedecastle.com
Brandon Hotel, Princes St., Tralee, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-712-3333;
fax 066-712-5019; e-mail: sales@brandonhotel.ie.
Named for nearby Mount Brandon, this modern and busy 3-star hotel sits
at the west edge of town, with vistas of the Dingle Peninsula in the distance
and just two blocks from the center of town. Over the years, it has been
expanded and refurbished, now offering a 5-story layout of 183 guest rooms
— in standard, superior, and deluxe categories. Facilities include
a restaurant, bar, night club, and a leisure centre with swimming pool,
sauna, and steam room. Closed: 23-29 December. €€
to €€€€
Web site: www.brandonhotel.ie
Dingle Benners Hotel, Main St., Dingle, Co. Kerry, tel. 066-915-1638; fax 066-915-1412; e-mail: info@dinglebenners.com. Originally a coaching inn dating back over 250 years, this vintage 3-star hotel is the only full-service hotel right in the center of the Dingle town. Step inside the lovely Georgian doorway entrance and enjoy an 18th century ambiance in the public areas including open fireplaces. The 52 guest rooms, which have been expanded and refurbished over the years, provide all the modern comforts and traditional decor. Front rooms face the street and back rooms look out onto the walled garden or the bay. Closed: 25-26 December. €€ to €€€€ Web site: www.dinglebenners.com
Dingle Skellig Hotel, Annascaul Rd., Dingle, Co. Kerry,
tel. 066-915-0200; fax 066-915-1501; e-mail: reservations@dingleskellig.com.
Named for the fabled Skellig Rocks, this multi-winged 4-star hotel sits
right beside the harbour of Dingle Bay a few hundred yards from the town
— set in verdant grounds on the site of a former coast guard station.
Improved and expanded over the years, it is now the largest hotel in Dingle,
and a favorite for families and tour groups. Facilities include a nautically-themed
restaurant and pub, plus a leisure centre/spa with indoor swimming pool;
Jacuzzi; steam room; gym; hydrotherapy; wraps; hot stone, holistic and sports massages; and relaxation suite with hot tub. The 110 rooms
are contemporary in style, and at least half offer views of the Dingle
Bay. Closed: 19 - 27 December. €€
to €€€€
Web site: www.dingleskellig.com
Emlagh House, off Mail Rd., Dingle, Co. Kerry; tel. 066-915-2345;
fax 066-915-2369; e-mail: info@emlaghhouse.com.
Nestled beside Dingle Bay at the entrance to Dingle Town, Emlagh (meaning
townland by the water) is a new Georgian-style country house
unique on the Dingle Peninsula — a purpose-built luxury property
that fits into
the category of country manor — a truly grand home filled with antiques
and heirlooms, but without a specific family history. Built and opened
in 2001, it is the brainchild of the Kavanagh family who spared no expense
in designing a dream house including a lift, air-conditioning, under-floor
heating, and multi-window conservatory-style dining room. The 10 extra-large
guestrooms (the 4 on the ground floor have terraces), have views of the
harbour, mountains or the gardens. Each room is named after a local Kerry
flower (bluebell, iris, wild orchid, honeysuckle, gorse, primrose, fuchsia
and so on) and is individually decorated in harmony with its name, with
appropriately colored furnishings, fabrics, and botanical art by local
artist June McIntyre and paintings by Maria Simmonds Gooding. McIntyre
has also painted murals on the walls of some rooms to reflect the Dingle
seascapes with seals, swans and seagulls. Rooms are equipped with all
the comforts of a 5-star hotel room from power showers and towel warmers
in the bathrooms to king-size beds, armoires, TV/video & radio/CD
player. Public areas include a drawing room and a library, but no restaurant. Closed: November to March 1st. €€
to €€€
Web site: www.emlaghhouse.com
Tralee & Dingle Guesthouses
Tralee & Dingle Peninsula B&Bs
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