Three Donegal hotels make the Irish Independent’s ‘100 best hotels in Ireland'

Three Donegal hotels have been included in the Irish Independent’s ‘100 best hotels in Ireland for 2023, from five-star luxury to budget escapes’.

Travel editor Pól Ó Conghaile picks the 100 best hotels in Ireland for 2023, with Harvey’s Point; Arnold’s, Dunfanaghy, and Lough Eske all included.

Harvey’s Point, at Lough Eske, came fourth overall and is described as: “There's a reason this Donegal doozy tops TripAdvisor's list of the best Irish hotels year in, year out. Actually, there are oodles of reasons. The stunning lakeside setting, the surprisingly big rooms, turf fires, Noel Cunningham's greetings, the knack it has for Christmas and cabarets... the list is long and lovely.

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“Harvey's is a distinctly Irish institution, carrying the personable spirit of Deirdre McGlone and Marc Gysling (who sold it in 2019) forward without being afraid to change. There's no spa — but watch this space. When I asked Cunningham to describe how it feels to stay, he said, ‘It wraps one in the warm embrace of top-notch hospitality.’ Simply put, Harvey's is like a hug.”

Then, in 85th place, came Arnold’s, Dunfanaghy: “A Dunfanaghy delight for more than 100 years, Arnold's is run by the fourth generation of the same family. Aisling Arnold is now steering the three-star, adding a cafe and burger bar, cocktail bar, and room updates with a firm feel for its place within the community. I love the sense of locals who know it inside out, and guests who come back over and over again... you'll often find live music, too.”

Lough Eske came 88th and it’s review read: “County Donegal's only five-star sits in a woodland estate below the Bluestack mountains. The sandstone central building is a stunner, filled with suites, baronial furnishings and antiques; other rooms are in courtyard and garden settings.

“Outdoor hot tubs in the walled garden, a fairytale Lake Lodge, whiskey cellar and two AA Rosette Cedars restaurants are highlights. It's regularly compared to Harvey's Point, but in reality these are very different properties.”