About this hotel
General information
Park Hotel Kenmare is a late-19th-century Victorian building, raised as a railway hotel for travellers exploring the south-west of Ireland. It sits above Kenmare Bay in roughly 5 hectares (12 acres) of gardens, looking across the water to the Caha Mountains, and keeps its stained-glass windows, its slightly eccentric character and a wood-burning fire that is lit all year round.
The 49 rooms and suites are finished in natural materials, with restored antiques and original works by contemporary Irish and international artists; the private art collection runs through the corridors and public rooms, and guests can join tours of it. Alongside sit the Landscape spa, with an open-air mineral bath, a 25-metre pool and a thermal circuit, a 16-seat cinema, herb gardens and a tennis court. The hotel is a member of Relais & Châteaux and Ireland’s Blue Book.
Location
The hotel stands on the shore of Kenmare Bay in County Kerry, a short walk from the town of Kenmare, and makes a natural base for the Ring of Kerry, the Beara Peninsula and the Wild Atlantic Way. Kerry Airport is 40 km away, Cork Airport 100 km and Shannon Airport 160 km; the nearest railway station is in Killarney, 30 km away. Airport transfers can be arranged at an extra charge, and helicopters land on the front lawn.
Spa
Landscape is a spa built around water and stone. At its heart is the Stone Bath, a communal open-air mineral bath kept at 38 °C all year, with an old stone window framing Kenmare Bay and a great boulder from a local rainforest at its centre. Beside it are the Ceramic Baths for one or two, a sauna, a steam room and a cold plunge, plus a 25-metre lap pool with a glass-walled sauna. Facials and body treatments use Susanne Kaufmann and Seabody products, alongside wellness and recovery technology. The spa also has a Technogym fitness room and a yoga and Pilates studio with Reformer and Cadillac equipment, and runs retreats, workshops and classes through the year. It is a phone-free space, and the thermal baths are for guests aged 16 and over.
Sports & leisure
Some activities take place in the grounds; others are arranged around Kenmare:
- a free weekly programme of morning yoga, cardio, candlelit meditation, chi flow, strength and flexibility sessions, and guided walks on woodland trails along Kenmare Bay and through Reenagross Park;
- a tennis court (rackets and balls supplied), a croquet lawn and board games;
- guided garden walks with the gardener, tours of the private art collection and a 16-seat cinema;
- falconry on the lawns above the bay, wine tastings in the cellar and whiskey tastings at the bar;
- a cycling programme with 18 graded routes, secure bike storage, daily bike cleaning and road back-up;
- fishing on local lakes and rivers with a ghillie, with the catch cooked by the kitchen for dinner or breakfast;
- horse riding at nearby stables, from an hour to a full day, on mountain trails and along the shore;
- walking routes along the Kerry and Beara coasts, mountain hikes and Kerry’s celebrated links golf courses within a short drive;
- in season, daily boat trips on Kenmare Bay to islands where seals live and puffins, gannets and eagles appear; food tours of Kenmare town.
For children
Babysitting can be arranged through the concierge. The 25-metre pool has daily children’s swimming hours (with an adult), and the cinema keeps a library of family films.
Restaurants & bars
The kitchen works with Kerry farmers, fishermen and growers and picks herbs from the hotel’s own garden:
- Landline — the main restaurant, with views of Kenmare Bay and the Caha Mountains and contemporary art on the walls: breakfasts cooked to order and seasonal dinners built on local seafood and meat;
- Garden Rooms — rooms facing the lawns and the bay, for morning coffee with home-baked scones, lunch and relaxed evening dining;
- The Outdoor Terrace — breakfast and lunch outdoors above the gardens and the bay;
- Cocktail Bar — live piano every evening, cocktails with local flavours and one of Europe’s largest whiskey collections, from Ireland, Scotland, the United States and Japan, with private tastings;
- Wine Cellar — more than 400 wines, from fine vintages to natural wines, with tastings for two;
- Blue Bottle Coffee — a coffee bar serving an exclusive house blend and single origins.
Swimming
A 25-metre indoor lap pool in stainless steel, with a glass-walled sauna, open to hotel guests all year.
Pets
One dog of up to 50 lb (about 23 kg) per room is welcome in a limited number of rooms, by arrangement at booking and with a nightly cleaning charge. Dogs receive a bed, bowls, a welcome treat, their own menu and a walking map, and grooming or dog-walking can be arranged. They are not allowed in the restaurant, bar or lounges and must not be left alone in the room, but are free to explore the gardens.
Rooms
49 rooms and suites in the Victorian house, in calm neutral tones with natural fabrics, wool carpets, restored antiques and contemporary art; many look out over Kenmare Bay. Six Landscape Suites, lined in Irish limestone and oak, are fully contemporary in style.
King, queen or twin beds, a sitting area, smart TV, Roberts Bluetooth radio, free Wi-Fi, an Italian marble bathroom with underfloor heating, Grown Alchemist toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, hairdryer, Blue Bottle Coffee and Barry’s tea, a minibar with complimentary soft treats, goose-down pillows, Italian linens, De Witte Lietaer towels, a yoga mat, a clothes steamer, 24-hour in-room dining and turndown service.
Classic Queen
A cosy room for two with a queen bed, a large walk-in shower and a private balcony looking over the gardens and surrounding woodland.
Artist’s Studio
A room in the oldest part of the house, once the chauffeurs’ quarters, reached by a hallway styled by an Irish artist and looking onto the garden. King or twin beds and a large walk-in shower; sleeps two.
Classic King
A room with a king or twin beds, a walk-in shower and a private balcony over the spa gardens and woodland; sleeps two.
Heritage Deluxe
A spacious open-plan room with a sitting area and windows onto Kenmare town and mature oaks and sycamores. King or twin beds and a bathroom with separate bath and shower; sleeps two.
Family Terrace Room
A ground-floor room with its own terrace and air conditioning, with a king bed for adults and bunk beds or a sofa bed for children. Sleeps two adults and two children.
Superior Bay View
A generous room facing Kenmare Bay and the Caha Mountains, with a sitting area and a walk-in shower (some rooms have a bath). King or twin beds for two; interconnecting options are available.
Bay View Terrace Suite
An air-conditioned open-plan suite with a furnished private terrace overlooking the bay and the Caha Mountains. King or twin beds and a marble bathroom with walk-in shower; one suite connects to Forever Begin.
Kenmare Bay Suite
An open-plan suite where the bedroom flows into a sitting area facing the gardens, Kenmare Bay and the Caha Mountains. King or twin beds and a bathroom with bath and separate walk-in shower; sleeps two.
Kenmare Bay Balcony Suite
An air-conditioned open-plan suite with a spacious sitting area and a private balcony over Kenmare Bay and the mountains. King bed and a bathroom with bath and separate walk-in shower; connects to the adjoining Superior Bay View.
Landscape Suite
One of six contemporary suites with floor-to-ceiling windows onto the bay and woodland, walls and floors in Irish limestone and oak, and a king or twin beds turned towards the view. A dark-stone bathroom has a generous shower and a deep bath in the window; each suite holds a piece from the private collection, and interconnecting options exist.
Forever Begin
The hotel’s largest suite, with a sweeping curved window, a private terrace, a dressing room overlooking the bay, a desk, sitting and dining areas, air conditioning and contemporary artworks. King or twin beds; a marble bathroom with bath, separate shower, double vanity and separate WC; connects to the Bay View Terrace Suite.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.