7 Unique Places To Stay In Ireland

Want to see a different side of the Emerald Isle? Go in search of seven very special places to rest your head.

Ireland has always been beautiful, but today it’s a vibrant, exciting and creatively diverse place to visit. Staying in Ireland means you could find yourself sleeping in a 100-year-old lighthouse, a yurt or a castle, even in a transparent dome where the stars will lull you to sleep. Welcome to a new, unique side of Ireland.

Live in a bubble

Finn Lough Bubble — Enjoy nature in the most luxurious way possible at Finn Lough Resort’s bubble-like Forest Domes; with a four-poster bed, en-suite bathroom, fluffy robes and comfy slippers. Photography credit: Sarah Fyffe

Finn Lough Resort is one of those places you hear about, but can’t imagine that such a spot actually exists; it’s that spectacular. Sure, you can stay in one of their lakeside lodges overlooking picturesque Lower Lough Erne, or in a cottage or catered suite, but the real magic happens in their bubble-like Forest Domes. With 180-degree views, you’re immersed in nature in the most luxurious way possible: with a four-poster bed, en-suite bathroom, fluffy robes and comfy slippers. There are even telescopes for night-time stargazing.

Finn Lough Bubble Aerial Shot — Photography credit: Sarah Fyffe

Finn Lough Bubble Interior Shot — Photography credit: Sarah Fyffe

Sleep within history

Titanic Hotel — Titanic Belfast is the world’s biggest Titanic visitor attraction. This majestic building stands on the very site where Titanic was built, and boasts nine galleries covering everything from Belfast’s shipbuilding heritage to the discovery of the wreck.

Belfast was once a great ship-building city, and from 1909 to 1911 Harland and Wolff constructed the most famous ship of all here, the RMS Titanic. To honour its legacy, the shipyard has been regenerated into Titanic Quarter. Here, you’ll find restaurants, the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction and the stunning and luxurious Titanic Hotel.

Built into the old Harland and Wolff headquarters (where the drawings for the Titanic were made), 119 rooms celebrate the ill-fated ship with Art Deco styling harking back to a bygone era and nautical elements throughout.

Be the king of the castle

Want to pretend you’re on the set of a Medieval film for a few days? Then head to Clomantagh Castle in County Kilkeny. It sleeps up to 10 people over five bedrooms (one with a spectacular four-poster), so bring a crew. The buildings in the complex date back to the 12^th century, and there’s even a tower from the 1430s that is sure to fuel wild imaginations.

Hang out in a yurt

We know, we know – the rain in Ireland is famous, so why would you want to sleep in a tent? Well in fact, the sun shines for around 300 days of the year – and if you go in summer it has some simply stunning locations to spend time outdoors (16 hours of daylight a day, anyone?).

County Donegal is renowned for being one of the country’s most picturesque regions and it is there that you will find Portsalon Luxury Camping and their five Mongolian-style yurts. Kitted out with king-size beds, wood-burning stoves, carpets and lockable front doors, they house four to six people each, and cost as little as €65 a night. Surrounded by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, they also boast a deck area, fire pit and barbecue. This is camping for people who don’t do camping.

Find your inner lighthouse keeper

Find your inner lighthouse keeper with a stay at the Blackhead Cutter lighthouse.

Who didn’t watch Round the Twist and long to live in a lighthouse? Well now you can make that dream come true. Stay at the Blackhead Cutter overlooking Belfast Lough. Your abode is within one of the original Lightkeepers’ Houses, where lightkeepers lived and worked until 1975, witnessing Belfast’s many ships leaving port – including the Titanic.

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Hit the water

Traditional Irish narrowboat — All aboard the narrowboat!

Who needs a hotel when you can stay on a barge? Riversdale Holidays offer stays on their three beautiful barges, for trips up and down the picturesque Shannon-Erne Waterway.

Be your own captain as you glide along the water on a traditional narrowboat, complete with all the mod-cons of central heating and wood-burning stove.

En garde!

Built in 1804 to defend against the growing threat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces, Martello Tower Sutton was the first of its kind to be built in Dublin to protect the city. Built with 2- to 4-metre-thick walls, the doorway is 3 metres above ground and was once only accessible by ladder (thankfully there is now a staircase).

Today, it has been transformed into a beautiful three-floored holiday home replete with stone-walled living room, two double bedrooms and a balcony overlooking the water. The top-floor kitchen means you can source some of the incredible local seafood and eat it up here with 360-degree views of the bay.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

7 of the best unique places to stay in Ireland