Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [201]
Auburn House ( 021-450 8555; www.auburnguesthouse.com; 3 Garfield Tce, Wellington Rd; s €38-58, d €64-80; ) There’s a warm family welcome at this neat B&B, which has smallish but well-kept rooms brightened by window boxes. Try to bag one of the back rooms, which have sweeping views over the city. Breakfast has meat-free choices; the location near the fun of MacCurtain St is a plus.
Emerson House ( 021-450 3647; www.emersonhousecork.com; 2 Clarence Tce, North Summer Hill; s/d from €60/80; ) Near the top of busy Summer Hill is this gay and lesbian B&B tucked away on a quiet terrace. The accommodation, in a Georgian house retaining many original features, is comfortably elegant, and host Cyril is a mine of information on the area.
Victoria Hotel ( 021-427 8788; www.thevictoriahotel.com; Patrick St; r €60-180; ) You can’t get better value for such a central location than this 1810 hotel; it’s popular with large groups. Staff proudly tell you that Charles Stewart Parnell gave speeches from the upper balcony; another resident was Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (his dad had drisheen for breakfast). The 29 rooms are smartly decorated; some have broadband internet.
Blarney Stone Guesthouse ( 021-427 0083; www.blarneystoneguesthouse.ie; Western Rd; r €60-150; ) A standout from this close-knit row of B&Bs – if for no other reason than its brilliant white paint scheme out front – the Blarney Stone will make you want to kiss something after you settle into one of its eight rooms. Decor is lavish in a way that harks back to the time when vinyl roofs were popular on cars; there’s lots of frill and curlicues.
Isaac’s Hotel ( 021-450 0011; www.isaacs.ie; 48 MacCurtain St; r €60-160; ) Location is the real selling point at this grand old hotel housed in what once was a Victorian furniture warehouse. The 47 rooms are decorated in a faded salmon-rust scheme and service can be a bit spotty. Also, be sure to get a room away from the busy street. Non-fan rooms can get steamy on sunny days, no matter what you get up to…
Garnish House ( 021-427 5111; www.garnish.ie; Western Rd; r €60-200; ) Every attention is lavished upon guests at this award-winning B&B. The legendary breakfast menu (30 choices!) includes fresh fish, French toast, omelettes and a whole lot more. Typical of the touches here is the freshly cooked porridge, which comes with creamed honey and your choice of whiskey or Baileys. Enjoy it out on the garden terrace. The 14 rooms are very comfortable; reception is open 24 hours.
Crawford House ( 021-427 9000; www.crawfordguesthouse.com; Western Rd; r €80-120; ) You’ll have no problem getting wet at Crawford House, a luxurious B&B: power showers and large spa baths feature in the 12 rooms, which include king-size beds and gracious yet restrained wooden furnishings. The standard is that of a contemporary hotel (24-hour reception); the atmosphere, that of a family home.
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CORK FOR ADULTS…
Looking for a night out away from your little travelling companions? The Sitters Bureau ( 021-427 5369; www.sittersbureau.ie) in Cork has child-minders who will watch over them in your hotel room.
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Top End
Imperial Hotel ( 021-427 4040; www.flynnhotels.com; South Mall; r €90-220; ) Fast approaching her bicentenary, the Imperial knows how to age gracefully. Public spaces resonate with opulent period detail such as marble floors, elaborate floral bouquets and more. The 130 rooms are of four-star hotel standards: writing desk, restrained decor and modern touches, like a digital music library. A posh Aveda spa is a recent addition – something unheard of when Charles Dickens stayed here.
Hayfield Manor ( 021-484 9500; www.hayfieldmanor.ie; Perrott Ave, College Rd; r €200-400; ) Roll out the red carpet and pour yourself a sherry for you have arrived. A mile from the city centre but with all the ambience of a country house, Hayfield combines the luxury and facilities of a big hotel with the informality and welcome of a small one. The 88 beautiful