Kildare Hotel & Country Club

The darling of the affluent, sporty set, Kildare is most famous for its 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed golf course that hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006. A 45-minute drive from Dublin, this 132-hectare (326-acre), no-expense-spared resort makes a luxurious base from which to visit Dublin and the sights of Kildare. The surroundings are gorgeous and the service excellent, but the atmosphere here is more formal and less relaxed than at some of Ireland's other manor hotels. A Georgian mansion serves as the main hotel, although guest rooms are spread out among several buildings -- all sumptuously appointed with luxurious fabrics. The main restaurant, the French-focused Byerley Turk, is very formal, but given how much the rooms cost that's no surprise. Men will want a jacket and tie for dinner. You can adjourn for drinks in the library -- it's a showcase for an extraordinary collection of Jack B. Yeats paintings.

Facilities:
3 restaurants; pub; babysitting; concierge; 18-hole golf course; gym; indoor pool; room service; sauna; 2 indoor and 2 outdoor tennis courts

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.