Checking In: Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links – Dublin • Ireland
- Author & Photographer: Teri Didjurgis
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Hotel
- Accomodation: 4-Star
- Brand: Owned by Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate
- Location: Strand Road, Portmarnock, Ireland
FIRST IMPRESSION
Elegant!The glass atrium entry & hanging lights in the lobby were stunning.
THE SCENE
Country club vibe
THE ROOMS
Modern & Luxurious
PERKS
Spa on siteGolf… of course
The Location
The Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links is located in an area called ‘The Velvet Strand’, one of Ireland’s most stunning stretches of uninterrupted coastline.
It is just 20 minutes drive from the Dublin city centre & a 13 minute drive from Dublin International Airport.
The History
After I dropped my bags and a quick walk to see the sunset, I headed to cocktails with my friends and I found a little history.
The bar is located in the original building of what was the Jameson estate.
The property was built by John Jameson III, the grandson of the founder of the Jameson Distillery at Bow Street in 1847. Thanks to the new railroad, Jameson could travel to Dublin with ease to oversea his whiskey distillery empire.
The Jameson family crest, a ship in full sail and the motto ’Sine Metu’, Latin for ‘Without Fear’, still stands proudly on the front of the building overlooking the golf course.
The property passed down through subsequent Jameson’s including sporting man Willie Jameson (1851 -1939) and his socialite wife Henrietta who entertained the English kings of the time Edward VII and George V. They had grand parties here with aristocratic set.
After Henrietta’s death, Willie took a second wife Flora who continued the festivities at Portmarnock with the artistic community.
The Scene
The property has both gorgeous interiors and even more gorgeous views out to the golf course and the seaside in the distance.
The hotel has a country club feel as guests were coming in from golf and outings and heading to the bar for cocktail hour and then the restaurant for fine dining. There seemed to be a mix of both locals on “staycations” from Dublin’s city centre, just 20 minutes away, golf groups and travelers like me looking for R&R and quick access to the airport.
Both the bar and the restaurant were comfortably busy.
The Rooms
While the estate has roots going back over 100 years which house the bar, the rest of the property is modern and was refurbished in 2014 with a 5 million euro upgrade to the 134 hotel rooms, spa, restaurant and a 1 million euro improvement to the golf course.
Rooms were decorated in cool blues matching the seaside destination. Everything had a contemporary vibe with fast wifi and lots of ports – thank you as I charged my kindle, noise cancelling headphones and phone for my trip home the next day!
- … lots of ports for charging
The Dining
After drinks, we headed to dinner at The “1780”, proudly serving cuisine with the freshest ingredients.
The three course meal was not only delicious but well presented with views out to the sea.
Starters
Homemade Bread, Sun-dried tomato butter
Amuse Bouche, Soup and goat cheese
Duck Parfait, Rhubarb Chutney, Warm Brioche
Salmon & Crab “Cannelloni”, Cucumber Jelly
Mains
Mushroom Tortellini, Sauté King Oyster Mushroom, Parmesan
Free Range Chicken Ballantine, Cabbage, Bacon, Smoked Shallot
Dessert
Chocolate Ganache Tart, Rhubarb, White Chocolate
Banoffi, caramel sauce
Irish Artisan Cheeseboard, Pear Chutney, Homemade Crackers
In the Area
This property is 20 minutes drive outside of Dublin so it is still accessible for city sightseeing.
The main draw to this property is the Golf, Spa, and rest & relaxation with that gorgeous beach. The village of Howth is also nearby.
Dublin
Golf
Final Thoughts
I had the chance to stay at this gorgeous hotel on my last night in Ireland before heading to the airport.
We arrived at ~8pm after an adventure filled 10 days in Ireland starting in Dublin and venturing all along the Wild Atlantic Way. Did I ever want to stay here longer!
An early flight meant I did not have time to enjoy the spa and other amenities on this gorgeous property. For the little time I was there, The Portmarnock was a sense of both luxury and calm with breathtaking views.
But… I’ll be back!
Thank you to Tourism Ireland & Steller for hosting me on this trip. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Information
- Accommodation: 4-Star
- Brand: Owned by Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate
- Location: Strand Road, Portmarnock, Ireland
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