Cool Hotels

Castle Venlaw

Staying in a castle can fulfill a number of different fantasies. There's the princess fantasy. The extraordinary wealth fantasy. The mead-drinking fantasy. And my personal favorite, the ghost-hunting/mystery-solving fantasy. (If you can think of others send them along.)

Castle Venlaw, not far outside of Edinburgh, fulfills the extraordinary wealth fantasy or perhaps the princess fantasy. Built in 1742, the gorgeous stone castle was never a castle in the practical sense. Built to look like a storybook castle, it always served as a country getaway for the folks lucky enough to own it. Currently it has twelve rooms and a lovely and cozy library bar. The rooms have everything you'd want for a romantic weekend - four poster beds, etc.

Dromoland Castle

Back in the day, the only way rich, pretentious Americans could stay in British Castles they couldn’t really afford was to become a paying guest of otherwise impoverished aristocrats. I suppose there were Americans who actually made friends with people who lived in castles, but remember, I said rich, pretentious Americans.

Anyway, the trend of the paying guest has fallen by the wayside. Now, many of the great castles of Europe have become hotels that anyone can stay at, pretentious or not.

Just such a place is Dromoland Castle in Ireland. First established in 1002 (Yes, that’s 1002), the castle spent most of its life as a stronghold of the O’brien family. Back in the day, it was more of a practical stronghold. Much later, in 1543, the family built the current stone castle. Over the years, they revamped and restructured the stone structure into more of a luxury residence. But it’s still got towers. And now it’s got a number of guest suites, a couple of restaurants and a wholly unnecessary spa. The castle sits on 410 acres of green, Irish rolling hills and gardens. And it’s popular for those who want to live out their aristocratic fantasies.

No word on ghosts, but I’m sure they are there.

The Morgan

I don’t associate Dublin’s Temple Bar neighborhood with anything chic. I associate it with throngs of piss drunk tourists, mostly from London and Manchester. Bachelor Parties and all that rot. However, there is another layer to the cobble-stoned historic district, which doesn’t just house touristy bars but also cultural institutions like the Irish Film Archive and The Project Arts Centre.

And it is into that layer of Temple Bar that the sleek, bright and airy Morgan fits. Like many boutiques, it boasts furniture by Philippe Starck, a see-and-be-seen bar scene and funky bath fixtures. And unlike many boutiques, The Morgan also offers well-designed extended stay apartments with kitchens, if you plan to stay in Dublin for a good while.

And, I don’t think I have to tell you that Dublin can get a bit dreary with the James Joyce and all the rain. But there’s nothing dreary about the Morgan. It goes out of its way to bring light and peace to your stay, and that’s very cool.

myhotel Bloomsbury

One of the more irritating trends in the urban boutique movement has to be the darkness factor. For the last decade, apparently being able to see was terribly un-hip. So, how wonderful for myhotel Bloomsbury to take everything that’s cool about boutiques (modern design, Asian flavor, urban setting, sophisticated crowd made up of creative professionals) and brighten it up with light, airiness and splashes of color.

Now for good measure, the designers claim that feng shui principles have been applied in the design, and if that doesn’t give you the prerequisite feelings of safety, peace and good will, you can always make use of their spa services. That doesn’t appeal? At myhotel Bloomsbury there’s a library available to the guests 24/7. Although I think if they really wanted it to be the promised oasis, they'd remove the internet access. Books are far more relaxing.

Ostán Oileain Árainn (The Aran Islands Hotel)

Eerily silent, green and isolated, Ireland's Aran islands do seem to exist a little bit out of time and place. After all, island's famously rugged denizens  speak Gaelic as their native tongue because the islands are so remote that the British never bothered to invade and force everybody to speak English. Although very popular with day trippers from Galway, very few take the Aran islands experience to the highest level by staying the night.

Pity that because Ostán Oileain Árainn or The Aran Islands Hotel offers a chance at peace and quiet rarely found so close to the modern world. The well-built structure isn't big or imposing, but it does fit right in with the other sturdy Irish buildings on Inis Mór, the largest of the three islands, and it does keep out the cold wind and rain that add to the mystique of the islands. Family run, the staff is always willing to suggest a route for one's walk, whether you'd like to see ancient ruins or sublime vistas. And yes, walking, sitting and talking are probably the primary activities at the hotel and on the islands. The rooms themselves are comfortable and warm, which is probably all you need or want if you come here.

Inis Mór can be reached via ferry or small plane, but if you are at all prone to seasickness, take the plane.