Family Travel in Ireland, Part 3: Castle Stay at Adare Manor

You can’t visit Ireland without spotting or visiting a castle along the way. While looking into various castles in Ireland, I realized that some of them had been converted into hotels.

This got me thinking that it would be cool to stay overnight in one with my family. After considering a few different options, I settled on one that struck a balance between having room for my whole family, maximizing my credit card benefits, and offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

And so I booked a night for my family at the Adare Manor, a five-star castle hotel in County Kerry. It was one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland. 

Adare Manor – Booking

There are actually quite a number of castles in Ireland that you can book a stay at; however, most are small and can only accommodate couples or families of four in a room. 

You could book two rooms, but depending on the age of your children, it may not be an ideal set up. Furthermore, the costs start to add up quickly, as some castles aren’t cheap to stay in, so this greatly narrowed down our options.

In the end, we went with Adare Manor because of its convenient location, the slightly modern yet elegant vibe, and the fact that they could accommodate my family of five into one room.

While Adare Manor is considered a castle by most, it technically isn’t one. Rather, it’s a Neo-Gothic manor built in the 1800s by the Earl of Dunraven.

For all intents and purposes though, it looked and felt like one, and the kids couldn’t tell the difference. 

The story behind the manor’s beginnings, along with the attention to design and detail, makes it an interesting place to stay. For example, it was constructed as a “calendar” house, with 365 windows, 52 chimneys, seven pillars, and four towers to represent the number of days, weeks, and seasons in a year.

If I’m planning a stay at a high-end property, I always check to see if it is a part of Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR). Sure enough, Adare Manor was a participant in the program. 

Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts offers additional perks that make your dollar go a little further, such as: 

• Guaranteed late check-out 
• Early check-in, if available
• $100 dining or spa credit
• Complimentary breakfast 

Sometimes booking the FHR rate ends up being more expensive than booking directly with the hotel, so make sure the extra perks justify any additional cost you…