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Dream of Luxury – The Best Spa Destinations in Ireland

There is no better way to pamper yourself than with a spa getaway, and luckily Ireland is dotted with luxurious spa destinations all across the country.

Escape to beautiful surroundings and award-winning accommodations, whether you’re just looking to get out of the city or visiting from across the sea.

Taking the time to find the right location for your trip can be daunting, so we put together a list of the best destination spas. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can find the perfect location to relax and rejuvenate on your own terms, with these top spas to help you out of course.

Adare Manor

Adare Manor is one of Ireland’s best known five-star hotels for a reason. The Spa here leans into the relaxing and secluded nature of the resort, branding itself as a “secluded sanctuary.” La Mer skincare products are used to customize spa experiences from facials to full body treatments. The first spa in Ireland to offer this service, it means that your treatment can be tailored to your specific needs. The services are informed by ancient druidic tree magic, focusing on harmony, balance, renewal, and rebirth.

Park Hotel Kenmare

SÁMAS spa at the Park Hotel Kenmare also takes inspiration from ancient Gaelic, and is designed as a complete indulgence of the senses. You don’t book your treatment in advance here, but rather spend three hours indulging in holistic treatment before selecting your final treatment based on what you’ve discovered during the initial immersion. The treatments and techniques employed by the spa take inspiration from across the world.

Monart, Wexford

This award winning destination spa is unique as Ireland’s only five star spa destination. The adults only property emphasises relaxation and rejuvenation through treatments, classes, and various therapies. The house product line is Pevonia Botanica, a natural skincare brand, and they also offer Image Clinical Skincare products for some of their therapies. Billed as a spa with accommodation as opposed to a hotel with a luxury spa, you’ll be fully immersed in the spa experience your entire stay.

The Galgorm, Antrim

Winner of Global Luxury Spa Hotel of the Year for 2018, and only thirty minutes from Belfast, this resort has 163 acres of parkland surrounding it’s hotel and spa, complete with a thermal village (to which access is included with spa treatments). The facility is located alongside a river, where you can longue in hot tubs, or head inside to take advantage of indoor pools and saunas. A variety of dining options include a gin bar and options for afternoon tea, plus an outdoor space known as Mulberry Garden, which hosts live entertainment seven nights a week.

Farnham Estate Cavan

The Spa at Farnham Estate offers a selection of packages to access their adults only spa space, including everything from a two hour Swim & Spa package to a Full Day Pamper, which includes a spa lunch. They also do unique packages for soon-to-be or new mothers, couples, and a revitalising program for men. Their signature lavender treatment is nearly two hours of massage, skin treatment, and aromatherapy designed to relax and cleanse.

Fota Island Spa, Cork

Located on an island on the coast of Cork, the spa at this resort is a getaway within the secluded resort. They offer a massive array of treatments, from facials to maternity packages, massages and water treatments. They also have a full salon with hair and nail services. Stay in one of their lodges rooms or get your own and self-cater for your stay. Break up the spa relaxation with good food, or a bit a golf.

ESPA Spa Powerscourt Hotel, Wicklow

The luxury hotel as Powerscourt plays host to one of Ireland’s ESPA Spas. The skincare and spa brand focuses on holistic processes for instant and long term results. The Spa at Powerscourt has a range of special packages, like the “Capsule Spa” package which includes a pedicure or manicure, a massage, and a classic facial along with lunch and use of the spa facilities for the day. Signature treatments at the spa include a hot jade stone and rose quartz massage and a Shillelagh Massage, using a traditional Irish Shillelagh to relieve stress in the back.

ESPA at The G Hotel, Galway

Another of ESPA’s irish locations, the Spa at the g hotel takes up the entire two upper floors of the hotel with pools, treatment rooms, and a thermal suite which includes everything from an ice fountain to a crystal steam room. Along with the usual breakdowns of facials and massages, they also have treatment options focusing on mindfulness and detoxing. If you just want to have a relaxing morning or afternoon and want to skip the more hands-on treatments, you can also avail of using the thermal suites for an hour to take your relaxation into your own hands.

Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle is one of Ireland’s best known retreats, and their award winning spa of course maintains that high standard. They focus on restoration and balanced treatments, meant to leave guests feeling relaxed and nurtured. Signature treatments include the “World Weary Traveller” treatment, which begins with a seaweed body wrap and mask and finishes with a hot stone massage. They also have an overwhelming list of options for massages and facials, each designed to treat specific needs. Spa treatments include access to spa and fitness center facilities, including a relaxation pool and steam rooms.

Ice House Hotel, Mayo

The appropriately named Chill Spa at the Ice House uses irish made VOYA products and a mixture of indoor and outdoor therapies for a unique spa experience. Your experience will begin in their riverside Thermal Area, and continue with steam rooms and their outdoor sauna. Signature treatments include a massage that pulls from many techniques to create a unique massage experience. They also offer more traditional treatments, like facials, head massage, and full body “scrubs and rubs.” Outdoor therapies include detoxifying baths and aromatherapy treatments.

Oceo Spa – Seafield Hotel

The Seafield Hotel is an award winning spa destination, named European Residential Spa of the year a whopping four times. The spa takes its inspiration from the irish word suaimheas, indicating a silent sense of contentedness. They strive to create an atmosphere that is at once calming and rejuvenating. An offering of luxury facials, body treatments, and energy boosting and muslease treatments cater to unique problems and stresses. They also offer spa packages, especially mid-week specials that can take a regular Monday and make it something special. Consider booking in for a long weekend to take advantage of the special weekday offers.

Lough Erne Resort

Tucked onto the banks of the lakes of the Fermanagh lakelands, Lough Erne is one of the most luxurious stays in Northern Ireland. Their Thai Spa uses Elemis and ESPA products in treatments inspired by traditions of Thailand. Alongside the treatment rooms, you’ll find a Crystal Aroma Steam Room, a dedicated light therapy room, and a Sabai Sabai Room, which means Health and Happiness. If you’re traveling with children, this spa also has a children’s pool so that you can make it more of a family affair.

The Cliff House Hotel

This small hotel still boasts one of the best spas to head to for a weekend of relaxation. Located right on the sea in Waterford, the pools of the spa overlook the water, the view only adding to the sense of relaxation you’ll feel upon entering the spa. Packages with names like “Pure Bliss” and “Deep Exhale” invite you to really slow down and enjoy your stay. Their signature treatments take inspiration from the natural surroundings, like the Out to Sea face and body treatment or the Ocean Leaf Facial. They even offer a “Peat for the Feet Grounding Pedicure,” which uses exfoliants and peat mud to create a mask for your feet and ankles.

FEATURE BY ELIZA SULLIVAN
Wonderful Wedding VenuesEliza is a graduate of Boston University, where she studied English Literature and Journalism. Education took her to Sydney and London, but she wasn’t ready to quit travelling with graduation. This brought her to Dublin, where she spends free mornings in cafes and free afternoons wandering museum galleries, all while trying to find even more favourite restaurants.

She loves working on new recipes and has more than a few well-loved notebooks full of favourite experiments. You’d be hard pressed to find her without a coffee in hand, and she’s always looking for the next thing to write about.

Eliza Sullivan
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