Mount Falcon Country House Hotel & Spa

Description:

• This sternly beautiful gray-stone manor house has a striking setting just south of Ballina amid lush forests and lakes. It was built in 1876 by the same man responsible for the exterior of Ashford Castle, and was renovated in 2006 in luxurious style. The expansion tripled the number of guest rooms and also changed the property from one of near total isolation to a somewhat busier place, by adding three private home developments to the estate. A spa with a heated pool has been added for hotel guests, and the house's kitchen has been turned into a 72-seat restaurant with an attractive bar. Given all of that, the fact that the hotel's prices have more than doubled since the renovation should come as no surprise.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010