More than a dozen Irish hotels honored with new Michelin Guide distinctions

The Michelin Guide revealed its brand new One, Two, and Three Key distinctions for the most outstanding hotels in Ireland and the UK on Tuesday, October 1.

Two hotels in Ireland received a Three Key distinction for providing "an extraordinary stay," three Irish hotels received the Two Keys distinction for providing an "exceptional stay," while nine hotels in Ireland received a One Key distinction for providing a "very special stay."

Michelin said on Tuesday that the announcement of its Key Hotels in Ireland and the UK comes four years into a comprehensive refresh of its hotel selection.

The Key Hotels, Michelin says, represent the highlights of its broader selection of more than 5,000 hotels across the world.

"Like the Michelin Stars for restaurants, the Michelin Keys are our most outstanding hotels," the guide said.

In total, the 2024 Michelin Guide hotel selection for Great Britain and Ireland includes 14 Three Key hotels, 37 Two Key hotels, and 72 One Key hotels.

Read on to see the hotels in Ireland that received a Key Hotel distinction from the Michelin Guide.

Three Key Hotels in Ireland

Adare Manor - Adare, Co Limerick

Michelin says: "Classically European, it’s elegant without a trace of fustiness, especially in the luxurious guest rooms and suites."

Adare Manor. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Ballyfin Demesne - Ballyfin, Co Laois

Michelin says: "...the interiors are a contemporary-classic evolution of the house’s original style, an opulent fantasy to rival any country-house hotel you could name."

Ballyfin Demense. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Two Key Hotels in Ireland

Cashel Palace - Cashel Town, Co Tipperary

Michelin says: "...it’s an aesthetic triumph: a historical hotel that does justice to its heritage, while also presenting a fresh look and a modern sensibility."

Cashel Palace Hotel. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Sheen Falls Lodge - Kenmare, Co Kerry

Michelin says: "Guest rooms are lavish, steeped in contemporary luxury, all pastels and florals, with picture-perfect views of the river, the bay or the surrounding countryside."

The Merrion - Dublin City, Co Dublin

Michelin says: "This hotel, comprising four meticulously restored Georgian townhouses just across from the Irish Government, was designed in the Nineties, but in a remarkably authentic traditional style."

The Merrion Hotel. (Ireland's Content Pool)

One Key Hotels in Ireland

Gregans Castle Hotel - Ballyvaughan, Co Clare

Michelin says: "...not a castle at all, it’s a 250-year-old manor house, lovingly maintained, thoroughly renovated, and reopened as a charming and elegant country house hotel, the sort of place that’s far too high-class to boast about the famous names in the guest book."

Gregan's Castle Hotel. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Cliff House Hotel - Ardmore, Co Waterford

Michelin says: "An hour’s drive outside of Cork on Ireland’s south coast, Ardmore isn’t exactly a hotbed of contemporary design. But the Cliff House doesn’t feel out of place here — it just feels extraordinary."

Castlemartyr Resort - Castlemartyr, Co Cork

Michelin says: "This level of luxury is uncommon in Ireland, and this depth of character is uncommon in luxury resorts no matter the location."

Dylan - Dublin City, Co Dublin

Michelin says: "The building is a classic, built in the Victorian era as a nurses’ boardinghouse, a setting with plenty of character for its new use as a luxury boutique hotel."

Wilder Townhouse Dublin - Dublin City, Co Dublin

Michelin says: "...the Wilder Townhouse splits the difference between country-house chill and urban boutique-hotel style."

The Killarney Park  - Killarney, Co Kerry

Michelin says: "The park in question is the Killarney National Park, some of the wildest land that remains in Ireland. And the Killarney Park is worthy of the name..."

The Victoria - Killarney, Co Kerry

Michelin says: "In style, of course, it’s a classic country-house hotel, full of details that recall, perhaps not coincidentally, the Victorian era."

No. 1 Pery Square - Limerick, Co Limerick

Michelin says: "Originally built in 1830 and restored with great precision, the hotel gets the aesthetic just right, from the ornate marble hearth to the gilt-framed mirrors. "

Dromoland Castle - Newmarket on Fergus, Co Clare

Michelin says: "...a remarkable experience, a heavy dose of Irish history with a dash of aristocratic fantasy and just enough of the modern world to prevent total culture shock."

Dromoland Castle. (Ireland's Content Pool)