Sheen Falls Lodge

Sheen Falls Lodge

Sheen Falls Lodge sits a kilometre from the centre of Kenmare in County Kerry, close enough to walk in but far enough that the garden and terrace already feel like a different address. This is a Relais & Chateaux property, the international collection of independently owned hotels. The estate itself backs that up: 72 rooms across just three floors, set among gardens with a library, and grounds built for archery, horse riding, fishing and boating rather than a single loop past the car park. Rooms range from Classic doubles to Superior suites, several with mountain views, and come with bathrobes, slippers and a DVD player as standard, with floor space climbing from around 420 square feet in the smaller categories to over 900 in the suites. The Falls Restaurant and The Stables Brasserie give two distinct places to eat, both with vegetarian and gluten-free options, and packed lunches are available for anyone heading out to hike or fish for the day. Indoors there's an indoor pool, spa tub, sauna, steam room and treatment rooms, though spa appointments need booking ahead rather than being a same-day decision. A playroom and kids club mean this isn't run purely as an adults' retreat, and a bridal suite points to the weddings that plainly happen here too. It suits someone who wants the day built around the estate itself rather than the town, and it suits less well anyone hoping to stay right in Kenmare's centre, since the lodge is a kilometre from it. What Sheen Falls Lodge has that most hotels this size don't is that range: land and water, sport and spa, inside one address. A Relais & Chateaux estate a kilometre from central Kenmare, with 72 rooms, an indoor pool and spa, and grounds set up for archery, horse riding, fishing and boating. It suits a stay built around the estate itself, not a base for walking straight into town.