Great hotel for November - close-ish to Dublin?

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babydays

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Considering cancelling wintersun hols due to unreliable health of my mother who was due to come with us. Soooo, in order to make this less disappointing looking for a great place to stay not too far from Dublin...

we are - elderly mother, 2 adults, 2 young kids (aged 4 and 2) and a 3 mths old baby.

Looking for great facilities for kids and adults (spa, playground), real comfort and great food. Would be great if there were some activities or sights closeby as well (but most important is a great hotel really). Something to cheer us up in the bleak November!!

oops - most important is that the hotel has a suite facility - i.e. 2 bedroomed suites (so that we can sleep in different rooms than the kids!)


Please, please - any suggestions?!!!
 
Ideally 2 hours by car but would travel 3 to 4 at a push (so actually not very near!!!!).
Any hints?!
 
Kellys in Rosslare has a very good name for this sort of family break. I can't comment further as I haven't been there myself.
 
You could try Hodson Bay in Athlone - nice hotel, good facilities & good food. Not sure about 2 bedroom suites though.
 
babydays said:
Ideally 2 hours by car but would travel 3 to 4 at a push (so actually not very near!!!!).
Any hints?!
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Days hotel in galway would be ideal. They have adjoining rooms or suites and there is kids club practically which I think runs from early morning till around 8 or 9 at night. They also have a leisure centre with spa treatments avialable and there is a chinese restaurant as well, so you would hardly need to leave your hotel.
 
The new Dunboyne Castle Hotel in Co Meath has a lovely new spa and would be circa 1 hour from Dublin, and Dunboyne village has a playground that might suit the younger ones.
 
I would recommend Kelly's Resort Hotel & Spa, Rosslare, as being perfect for a mixed family group such as yours.

Have stayed there on many occasions and always love returning to the Sunny South East.

Not cheap, but great food and plenty to do. Relax in the sauna which overlooks the adjacent five miles of sandy beach in Rosslare. There's also a steam room, Jacuzzi and outdoor Canadian hot tub - have a
swim in one of their two superb pools. The gym has been completely updated with new state-of-the-
art equipment and a superb new look. Kids are very well catered for, with supervised playroom, outdoor play area and entertainment room.

Near to Wexford, Kilmore Quay and Johnstown Castle.

Details at

http://www.kellys.ie/about
 
Kelly's do not have a pool for young children which is amazing to me as it sells itself as a family hotel.
 
Bronte said:
Kelly's do not have a pool for young children which is amazing to me as it sells itself as a family hotel.
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Presumably the Op is in situ at whatever hotel was chosen as the original post in September was for a holiday in bleak November - which it is now!!

Anyway I agree with Bronte. Having stayed in Kellys a couple of times I found it amazing that such a pool does not exist. I much prefer the Ferrycarrig which has a much better pool and its food is excellent and the staff are very child freindly. Kellys is very good on food and it has a great kids club but it always strikes me it caters more for adults and children should be seen not heard (except at mealtime when they should neither be seen nor heard by the adults). If thats your idea of a good holiday go to Kellys but I really found the Ferrycarrig more relaxing (as well as being cheaper). For the money you're paying I think the least you could expect at Kellys is a child freindly swimming area - especially for a so called family hotel.
 
Myself and my wife staye i n Lyrath just outside Kilkenny last Feb. We left the nipper (9 months) at home but there were quite a few kids there. It wouldn't be a family hotel in the Kellys sense but has a nice Spa and a choice of restaurants. It is on the Dublin side of the town and Kilkenny itself is lovely. Thoiugh we didn't actually go in that time!
 
babydays said:
- most important is that the hotel has a suite facility - i.e. 2 bedroomed suites (so that we can sleep in different rooms than the kids!)
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You don't necessarily have to have a suite, practically any hotel will offer adjoining rooms with an interconnecting door, I know we've stayed in a few like that and it worked out very well.

Quite a few years ago we stayed in the Slieve Russell in Cavan and it was fantastic for the kids, they were so child friendly, kids meals at 6 pm if they wanted, great leisure centre including kids bubble pool, beautiful grounds, and we did a 10 minute helicopter trip around the area. I think it's about 2 hours from Dublin.

However, things can change over a few years and I don't know what it's like now. Wherever you are thinking of, I'd suggest you take a look at Tripadvisor to see what recent opinions are.
 
would agree with johnstown house, also what about sligo, we loved the Quality hotel there we styed int eh self catering apartments there and you can still use the pool etc.
 
I did a whole reply...somehow I lost it.....

OP not in situ in hotel - OP looking to see why my reply got lost!!!!
 
Forgot to add that the other thing about Kelly's that amazed me was the baby changing table in the ladies loo. It was out of sight, no directions, high above a ladies toilet. Really awkward place to change a baby. We only had lunch there but my other half thought the service was atrocious even though the place was swimming in staff. Maybe it's different if you stay there.
 
Kellys - They certainly whisk you in AND out of the dining room from my experience, particularly if you have a later booking, you get the impression the staff are rushing to get home.

I think his name is Eoin Higgins from The Sunday Tribune who reviewed the dining room in Kellys - I remember one comment about him looking for something additional from the kitchen and being told that the kitchen was closed - he wondered who was going to make his desert !!!:eek:

I recommend the Marriott Druids Glen, lovely there and only about 45 mins from Dublin

No affil to either
 
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