We’re all parents here at Mykidstime, and between us we’ve checked into quite a few family friendly hotels in Ireland over the years. We’ve also got parent friends who love to recommend a great place to stay. So if you’re looking for somewhere truly welcoming to the whole family, here’s why we love these fantastic family friendly hotels in Ireland (and a few brilliant self-catering options too). Happy holidays!
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When we’re looking for family friendly hotels in Ireland or abroad, the main thing we want is somewhere the whole family can enjoy. Mums and dads can relax knowing there’s plenty to occupy the kids, and the children are free to enjoy themselves without worrying about being a nuisance.
The hotels below cover cities, countryside and coastal areas, so whatever kind of break you’re after, you’ll find something here. Time to get booking your next family break — starting with our pick of the best family friendly hotels in Ireland!
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You’ll Love These Family Friendly Hotels in Ireland
Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort, Wicklow
“We recently stayed a night at Druids Glen Hotel and were impressed by how family-friendly it is. There’s an outdoor playground and indoor playroom, a leisure club with a pool, and DVDs and bikes for hire.
During school holidays there’s a Kids High Tea Club from 5–9pm which includes dinner and activities, so we got to enjoy a lovely dinner while our son was entertained. Breakfast is served until a leisurely 11am, if you can convince the kids to stay in bed!” – Jennifer, mum of one.
We Love: The Kids High Tea Club, keeping kids amused and giving parents some free time.
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Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort, Waterford
“We loved the lodges at Waterford Castle and Golf Resort, which offer stylish facilities in a stunning location — the resort sits on its own island. You travel across by ferry, just a two-minute crossing, but exciting all the same!
Visit the playground beside the lodges, or explore the island and spot the local wildlife. Discover the fairy door of the resident fairy Eliza as you wander through the woods. There’s a free kids club during school holidays for ages 5–12, with a range of activities.” – Michelle, mum of two.
We Love: The fact that it’s on its own island that can be explored!
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Castlemartyr Resort, Cork
“Castlemartyr Resort near Midleton is always a favourite in our family — we’ve been probably four times in the last few years. The first time we visited, we stayed in the lodges, which offer more space and self-catering, but the rooms in the hotel are very spacious too, so on later visits we’ve opted to stay in the hotel, close to all the facilities.
There’s a kids’ club during holidays, with the added bonus of kids’ tea and movies from 6pm each evening. Their family packages often include dinner, bed and breakfast, with family passes to Fota Wildlife Park, and are good value — so check what’s available before you book. There’s a good variety of dining options too, and super friendly staff.” – Jennifer, mum of one.
We Love: The size of the bedrooms and choice of family friendly dining options.
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Fota Resort, Cork
“We’ve stayed at Fota Island Resort two years running because we loved it so much. We chose the self-catering lodges, which had loads of space and all the mod cons, and were only a short walk from the hotel where you can use the pool.
There are good kids’ meal options in the clubhouse and loads of things to do around Cork with kids. You can’t walk to Fota Wildlife Park, but it’s only a short drive away.” – Caroline, mum of two.
We Love: The great self-catering lodges and proximity to Fota Wildlife Park.
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The Spencer Hotel, Dublin
“We thought The Spencer Hotel was fantastic. The room we stayed in was really stylish — interconnecting with a large shared bathroom, so our daughters enjoyed their own space while we had our own lovely bedroom too.
There was a nice pool (a bit small, but still enjoyable) and good food. It’s located near the IFSC, so if you’re heading to the Grafton Street area, just jump in a taxi or get the trainers on for a good walk. Very handy for the 3Arena and Bord Gáis Energy Theatre too.” – Jill, mum of two.
We Love: The family-friendly accommodation and great location!
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Dungarvan Park Hotel, Waterford
The Park Hotel Dungarvan sits in five acres of landscaped gardens overlooking the Colligan Estuary, with the famous Waterford Greenway just around the corner.
The family friendly hotel has 84 bedrooms and fifteen self-catering holiday homes. Visitors have access to the Riverside Health Club, which includes a 20m swimming pool, changing facilities, gym, sauna and steam room.
Close to the hotel, families can enjoy the Waterford Greenway, Ardmore Open Farm, horse riding, the Waterford Suir Valley Railway, Ardmore Adventures, and a range of fantastic beaches.
We Love: The fab location and the supervised kids club.
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Castlecourt Hotel, Mayo
“We really liked the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport! It had a good pool, nice rooms, friendly staff and an excellent breakfast. It’s right in the centre of town too, so not far to walk to the shops and see the sights.” – Jill, mum of two.
We Love: The yummy breakfast and friendly staff.
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Westport Woods Hotel, Mayo
“We stayed in interconnecting rooms at the Westport Woods Hotel, which were nicely decorated. There’s a lovely pool, a huge lobby area with chairs and sofas for kids to climb on, a kids club, and a nice bar. It’s very near Westport House too, which was handy.” – Sarah, mum of three.
We Love: The large family rooms and range of kids club activities for all ages.
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Renvyle House Hotel, Galway
“Renvyle House Hotel is fabulous. They offer a service where they entertain your children while you eat dinner. There’s a kids’ menu served in the early evening for under-12s, so they get a good dinner too, and also a teen menu (for under-17s) for when you want the kids to eat with you.
There’s an outdoor pool as well as horse riding, boating, kayaking, tennis and fishing on-site — all close to Connemara National Park, which you can explore during the day.” – Michelle, mum of two.
We Love: The outdoor swimming pool and teen menu in the restaurant.
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Diamond Coast Hotel, Sligo
“The Diamond Coast Hotel is a firm favourite with our family! We love the extra-large family rooms, which fit both parents and all four children, with room to spare for board games, luggage and moving about. An onsite playground adds to the free entertainment already provided each evening by the Little Diamonds Kids Club. There’s a great range of well-priced evening meals to suit even the fussiest eaters.
The golf club, pitch and putt, beach and surf schools are all within walking distance, and the footpath means older kids can set off independently to their camps or to buy ice creams and smoothies in the many cafes or the beach shop.” – Denise, mum of four.
We Love: The extra spacious family rooms and the range of activities nearby.
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Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire
“This is one of our family’s favourite places to stay when visiting Dublin. Large family rooms, some with stunning sea views, and a great pool for a quick pre-dinner swim after a busy day in the city, make it a big hit with everybody.
The DART stop is a few minutes’ walk away, making trips to the city centre really easy. Dun Laoghaire itself has lots of cafes and shops, and we love a walk along the pier followed by an ice cream from Teddy’s. The library next to the hotel has a great events programme all year round.” – Denise, mum of four.
We Love: The good size family rooms and great location.
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Parknasilla, Kerry
“Parknasilla Resort & Spa is a firm favourite in our family, with its picturesque walks and beautiful setting. We’ve visited many times over the years and have tried both the self-catering two-bedroom lodges and the hotel. The two-bed lodges are close to the hotel, so a good option if you have kids. Three-bed lodges are also available, but these are further away. In the hotel itself, there are some suites and family rooms with bunk beds.
There’s a lovely swimming pool with gorgeous views, but it’s worth taking turns minding the kids so one or other of you can enjoy the fab outdoor hot tubs and thermal area (don’t think we’ve ever been in a sauna with a nicer view!). Kids will enjoy the archery, tennis courts, fun golf, and exploring the adorable Fairy Trail in the woods. And if the weather allows, take a trip out on the motorised kayaks to explore the islands in the bay and see the seals up close. There’s a kids club during school holidays with activities and supervised movie time.” – Jennifer, mum of one.
We Love: Everything really! Great accommodation options in a stunning location.
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Kenmare Bay Hotel, Kerry
“We’ve stayed three times at the self-catering lodges at the Kenmare Bay Hotel, twice in a house for six and once in a luxury lodge for four. This is such a family friendly hotel. They have a fabulous pool, a playground, and a kids’ room in the hotel with games and movies. It’s a short walk along a pedestrian-only path into Kenmare itself, so you don’t need to fret about walking on the main road.
The last time we stayed we brought our dog, as one of the self-catering houses is set aside for dog owners, with a perfect little garden to let the dog out in the morning.” – Jill, mum of two.
We Love: One lodge is dog-friendly, and the hotel is very family friendly.
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Radisson Blu, Limerick
“We’ve had several great family breaks at the Radisson Blu in Limerick. Located on the edge of the city in large grounds, there’s a small play area for younger kids, plus tennis courts and a pool to entertain the rest of the family. The Young Explorers’ Club really makes the kids feel welcome, with an activity pack on arrival and evening entertainment so we could enjoy our dinner together. The kids’ meal options were healthy and tasty.
We visited King John’s Castle, Bunratty Castle and Thomond Park on our visits — there’s even a park and ride facility to Munster matches from the hotel.” – Denise, mum of four.
We Love: The Young Explorers Club, swimming pool and tennis courts, which provide entertainment for all ages.
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Dromoland Castle, Clare
“A splurge, but worth every cent — we stayed at Dromoland Castle with the kids a few years ago over Easter. They organised kids’ activities, including cookery classes in the kitchen, and have an on-site pool, tennis, go-karts, golf course and golf cart rides for kids. Best of all, we got chocolates on our pillows and the kids got little packets of jellies.” – Michelle, mum of two.
We Love: The indulgent treat that is this hotel, and so much for kids to do during school holidays.
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Premier Travel Inn, Belfast
“The Premier Travel Inn in Belfast is a good option if you’re taking the ferry to Scotland, or for a weekend break to Belfast if you’re planning to visit the Titanic Exhibition or W5. It’s centrally located, within five minutes’ walk of the main shopping area. It has reasonable rates, good buffet breakfast options with kids eating free with an adult, and a good night’s sleep guaranteed — all in all, a good option.” – Jill, mum of two.
We Love: Great location and kids eating free with an adult at breakfast.
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Malone Lodge Apartments, Belfast
“The Malone Lodge Apartments have one, two and three bedroom apartments and are located in the Queen’s Quarter of South Belfast, easily accessible from the M1 motorway. We stayed for a three-day family break and found them really clean, with a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities.
The neighbourhood has lots of quirky shops, cafes and galleries. A short walk takes you to Queen’s University, the Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Museum, where the kids took part in a free workshop. Belfast is a compact city, and a short drive took us to the Titanic Quarter, where we spent a great day visiting W5, the interactive Discovery Centre, and of course Titanic Belfast — a huge hit with the whole family.” – Denise, mum of four.
We Love: The clean apartments with self-catering facilities, in a great location.
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Do you have a favourite family friendly hotel in Ireland (or self-catering option) that’s not on our list? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
More Family Travel Ideas
If this list has you dreaming of your next getaway, you might also like our roundups of the best hotel pools for kids, our pick of hotels with brilliant kids clubs, and our favourite self-catering options for families around Ireland. Browse the travel section for more parent-tested ideas.
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