Castlemartyr Resort

With over a hundred guest rooms and suites, County Cork’s new Castlemartyr Resort isn’t exactly a quaint country inn. Instead it’s a modern-day palace, centered around a 17th-century manor house, set on two hundred acres of parkland, complete with gardens, spa complex, even a crumbling old castle. You won’t get lost in the crowd, though; the hotel’s team of personal assistants, assigned to individual parties upon arrival and always on hand to decant the wine and pump the air into bicycle tires, work hard to provide guests with a more intimate experience.

As one might expect of an upscale country hotel (especially one from Horst Schulze, former head of Ritz-Carlton), the guest rooms are huge and grandly appointed, with rich drapery, oil paintings and antique-style furniture. There’s a contemporary twist, of course — the lighting and heating systems are computerized and controlled from the bedside, flat-screen televisions and iPod docking stations come standard, and wireless internet is available everywhere. Most of the hotel’s guest quarters, after all, aren’t housed in the original building at all, but in a modern Scandinavian-style wing built in crisp modern glass and wood.

The decadent cheese sampler with wine is a hit at the Castlemartyr’s Bell Tower restaurant; tea next to the grand piano at Knights Bar or the gourmet picnic feast with pink champagne is even better for getting into the spirit. Those feeling guilty after the gastronomic indulgence head to the Auriga Spa, fitness center, and swimming pool, and the resort’s croquet and archery courses and nearby equestrian facilities remain the traditional forms of fresh air entertainment.