The Daydreamer Goes To: County Wicklow, Ireland

After Dublin, we headed south to the Powerscourt Hotel Resort Spa, which is located in County Wicklow, a thirty minute drive away. Mr Man and I arrived with Jake the Cob late afternoon and as soon as we stepped inside the Palladian-style hotel we were smitten. The reception desk was situated in a huge space featuring a stunning staircase taking you down to the restaurants (and Irish bar) – it reminded me of the staircase that Rose descended to meet Jack in Titanic (I’m such a sucker for a romance). We knew instantly that we were going to enjoy some chill-out time and decided to delay our early departure until later the next day. The Powerscourt Hotel is one of those lush places that you just can’t bear the thought of leaving.

The concierge escorted us to our Mountain View Suite (ooohhheeee) and showed us every nook and cranny, explaining everything from the facilities in the kitchen to the mirror TV in the gleaming bathroom, even pointing out Jake’s very grand leather bed! Sumptuous fabrics surrounded us, and the wooden floorboards were beautifully polished. Heavy drapes further enhanced the richness of the room and, when drawn, revealed an outside terrace the length of the suite. The terrace had the most spectacular view; the suite looked out over the lawns (with giant chess game and water fountain feature) to the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain beyond. It was breathtaking and we could happily have sat on the terrace, glass of wine in hand, for hours. 

Later, after we walked Jake in the beautiful grounds, he scoffed his dinner and went to his very posh bed and we went out for dinner. We descended the Titanic staircase to the restaurant, which was packed -it’s a popular spot for both hotel guests and locals. The food was beautifully presented and perfectly precise (that whole thing of food as art) and – something I value in restaurants – the staff were knowledgeable. The Maitre D’ heard of our wine choice and immediately came to our table to suggest something more complementary of our menu choices. That’s class, yes?
 

After dinner, we went back to the suite (it was like coming home, so comfortable and pretty) and nibbled on macarons, and I had a huge bubble bath before snuggling up yet another enormous bed for yet another deep sleep and, the next morning, we had breakfast (my eyes lit up at the martini glasses containing my favourite breaky of fruit, yoghurt and granola) before walking Jake around the estate, where we discovered the original house with its own café and shop. Another hit with both guests and locals.

The Powerscourt Hotel is in such a pretty spot and there’s plenty to do without anything being too strenuous…. you can play golf, visit the spa, take a walk or a cycle (the river walk is lovely) or just enjoy a game of giant chess before a large glass of red in the hotel to enjoy the view. It’s just the ticket for a romantic break for two, a spa weekend for the girls / golfing trip for the guys – or even a minibreak for the pooch!

 

 

 

Read more about my trip to the Powerscourt Hotel here and stay tuned to The Daydreamer next week for some more road trip stories, this time in the beautiful Cheshire countryside.

 

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1 Comment

  1. b.lindsay 30th September 2014 / 16:28

    That is beautiful! So impressed with pooch’s leather bed too! Amazing building.

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