Hayfield Manor Hotel

It is appropriate that the luxurious yet warm-hearted establishment selected as Hotel of the Year should be in Cork, the European City of Culture. Although quite new - it celebrates its first decade in 2006 - it has the feel of a large period house, providing a remarkable level of privacy and seclusion only a mile from the city centre. Since recent refurbishment, the public areas have taken on a classy contemporary tone which breathes new life into the traditional country house atmosphere of the original building; the recently completed Manor Spa offers a full range of pampering treatments - and golfers will be pleased know that the proprietors have acquired Harbour Point Golf Club, just 15 minutes away. Good food has always been a feature of the hotel, in the fine dining Manor Room - and now also in the new contemporary restaurant, Perrotts, which quickly became established as a favoured destination with discerning Corkonians who enjoy the ambience and stylish bistro cooking. But at the heart of all this, it is the Scally family’s caring hands-on management - and the confidence and warmth of their staff - that make this hotel so special.