Check Out: three hotels to stay in for your Cork city break
The Glasshouse at The Montenotte
It seems like everyone is checking into a Cork city hotel this weather. And that’s just the Corkonians! After the city’s hospitality sector became the poster child for the nation’s al fresco dining scene, so too have the city’s hotels been shapeshifting, with either exciting new properties such as The Dean, refurbs like at The Metropole, or with gleaming new indoor-outdoor spaces like The Glasshouse at The Montenotte. To get a taste of the latter, this week I checked into one of Cork’s most popular four-star hotels to get a taste of the highlife in this staycation Garden of Eden.
With its lofty location in, dare we say the Hollywood Hills of Cork, arriving at The Montenotte promises an immediate air of urbane razzle-dazzle. Welcomed at the door by porter Matthew (who embodied a team friendliness that would shine throughout my stay), the four-star hotel welcomes with warm, boutique vibes where the lobby and neighbouring library are lush with teal furnishing and quirky pops of colour. Touches like the ‘HI’ letter lights add character while rustic still life works from the hotel’s artist in residence, Peter Dee, bring depth. After checking in with Eimear at reception, we’re off down the hotel’s pop-art filled corridors, those already iconic views across the restaurant teasing in the distance.
I was staying in one of the hotel’s junior suites which offers a curated vintage vibe overlooking the resort grounds, with the city peeping beyond. Having stayed at the hotel’s sister property in Dublin (the fabulous Wilder), I was expecting some quirks in my Montenotte room and they soon popped up.
The room features a statement upholstered headboard, a tailor’s mannequin and a colourful porcelain pooch which offers just a sniff of a Jeff Koons work. The subway-tiled ensuite with tub, shower, twin sinks (and separate WC) calls out for a bubble bath. The generous supply of plastic-bottled water seems a little at odds with the hotel’s comprehensive environmental policy but all in all, it all creates a fine ‘treat suite’ from €305 a night.
The Montenotte’s panoramic terrace has become one of Cork’s trending spots for sundowners since it opened in 2017. And not to rest on their laurels, the hotel has just unveiled its latest space, The Glasshouse. Just opened last month, the new rooftop bar and terrace reached by a dramatic glass bridge is a cocktail oasis with a certain London Ivy feel. The drinks menu is inspired by their Victorian sunken garden and I enjoy a refreshing Cucumbara made with Blackwater Vodka, white port, cucumber syrup and topped with prosecco; delicious and a treat for €13.
Dinner at the Panoramic Terrace was very good (and more memorable than a previous visit). The highlight was a signature tomahawk steak paired with a delicious Quinta Seara D’ordens red from Portugal. Breakfast meanwhile really saw those panoramic views come to life and with the pleasure of both a self-serve buffet and cook-to-order options, I found it decently priced at €15pp for those considering a B&B rate.
I enjoyed a great Corkcation at The Montenotte. Alongside its boujee dining and drinking spots, the hotel’s Bellevue spa, pool and cool retro cinema all create a rich hotel experience for out-of-towners, while also offering refuge appeal for those seeking a local break. And it’s all just a 10 minute downhill ramble to MacCurtain Street. Aspects such as the hotel’s sculpture garden and its artist in residence programme create depth to the hotel’s palette which could easily just rely on the Instragrammable. It would be nice to see those aspects showboated a little more!
The Montenotte has exciting ambitions for the future but for now with its existing mix of offerings embellished by The Glasshouse, the hotel has taken things next level.
Rooms at the Montenotte start from €225 per night. The hotel’s current Sunset Breakaway package includes one night’s bed & breakfast for two adults, with a reserved table at The Glasshouse on arrival to enjoy a Royale Rose signature cocktails made with bespoke ‘Montenotte Gin’, fresh strawberries and prosecco. A two-course lunch at the Panorama Bistro either on arrival or departure day seals this deal for €295.
The Grand Dame of Cork’s hotels, The Metropole has been continuously reinvented during its 123-year history and 2021 is no different. The hotel has undergone a recent refurb and offers some of the most affordable rooms in the city while The Met is the hotel’s fancy new restaurant, bar, snug and (‘absolute notions!’) prosecco lounge.
There’s even an outdoor seating area where you can soak in the MacCurtain street bustle. Recent fresh appeal to the hotel is the new Harley’s StrEAT Market, located just next door, which features everything from cocktails to coffee and burritos to specialty burgers. Room-only rates start at just €115 for their compact ‘cosy rooms’ with signature doubles from €149 with breakfast.
With river views from Sunday’s Well to Shandon, The River Lee offers a unique trait for a city break base: pure tranquillity. Deluxe rooms here have a retro Scandi feel with modernist bay windows spanning those panoramas to the city outside. The buzz lies just a few floors south, however, where The River Club bar and restaurant has become not only a popular draw for guests but also a popular locale for the most discerning of patrons: Cork locals.
This weekend sees the last opportunity to enjoy Meadow at The River Club, the hotel’s summer terrace pop-up (where €1 from each signature cocktail will be donated to climate change charity, Vita) and there are already fresh plans for a new autumn/winter terrace to be revealed next month. Stay tuned. B&B rates from €231.
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