The Europe Hotel & Resort

The Europe commands one of Ireland's great hotel views: across the waters of Lough Léin to the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the country's highest mountains, with Killarney National Park's woods running along the shore. Established in the early 1960s and comprehensively rebuilt since, the resort pairs that panorama with a scale and standard of facilities unusual in the Irish countryside.

ESPA at The Europe is the calling card—a lake-facing wellness complex across several levels with a 20-metre pool, outdoor hydrotherapy, heat experiences and a vast treatment menu that has made the hotel a destination for spa travellers in its own right. Bedrooms are large by any measure, contemporary in finish, and at their best on the lake side where balconies hang over the water meadows; the sound is of birdsong and, often, hooves from the adjoining equestrian centre.

Dining runs from the panoramic main restaurant to a brasserie and lakeside terraces, with golf at the neighbouring Killarney Golf & Fishing Club and the town's lively centre a short drive away. Boat trips to Innisfallen Island, the Gap of Dunloe and Muckross House fill family days easily. For travellers wanting five-star facilities with Killarney's scenery at full volume, The Europe is the region's most complete resort.