By Annie Fitzsimmons, Guest Blogger, Foodies Like Us  The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt  

As you drive through the tiny, perfect Irish village of Enniskerry on your way to the property, you notice adorable restaurants like Poppie’s, Nancy Murphy’s Pub, and Emilia’s, and start making plans to try all of them. When you drive through the tree-lined, green-lined road and arrive at this fancy property, you feel like you’re entering a movie set of Ireland, which makes sense since Braveheart, Excalibur, and P.S. I Love You filmed nearby. 

The back side of the resort

 Nestled next to the Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow, a 1,000-acre park and manor from the 13^th century, the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt combines inviting Irish hospitality with sleek and modern touches, like electronic touch pads for the lights, TVs in the bathrooms, and FREE WI-FI!  The lobby is all dark wood and fancy furnishings but without that annoying formal feel, instead, feeling both new and old at the same time.  We felt great kicking off our shoes in the lobby at night, devouring books and magazines and introducing my 17-year-old sister to her first Irish coffee.  The lobby setting did feel a bit like a luxurious old school cruise ship, with dark wood paneling and huge windows overlooking the green countryside.  

Lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt

With the smallest room here sized at 540 square feet, the rooms feel spacious and lovely with blue and white striped walls. Beds are very comfortable, while the bathroom impresses with its gigantic size and lovely bathrobes.  The grounds are stunning, complete with views of Sugar Loaf Mountain and a giant chess set.  Resort gyms normally disappoint me, but this one is in my absolute Top Five of hotel gyms!  It had a huge selection of machines, treadmills, and ellipticals, with complimentary water bottles.  There was too much for us to see and do in the area, but should you want to book a treatment, the 30,000 square-foot ESPA on property is gorgeous.  For men, the golf nearby could turn a visit here into the ultimate golfing weekend. 

The gorgeous, spacious bathroom

The Gordon Ramsay restaurant on the property was closed when I was there, and I’ve heard mixed reviews ranging from incredible to terrible.  The restaurant focuses on farm-to-table, as is all the rage right now.  I did enjoy the local touches, with names like “Clare Island” salmon, “Dingle Bay” crab, and “West of Scotland” scallops. Because it was closed, we enjoyed driving five minutes into Enniskerry and meeting new Irish friends at the pub, which felt more appropriate to the setting than a multi-course meal.

The perfect Irish village of Enniskerry, five minutes from the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt

Other food options on the property include a classic afternoon tea at The Sugar Loaf Lounge, with scones, cakes, tarts, and tea sandwiches.  Can you think of anything better than sipping tea overlooking the Wicklow countryside?  You can get classic pub fare at The Sugar Loaf, and creamy, cold Irish beers with traditional Irish foods like fish cakes, shepherds pies, gourmet ham sandwiches, and potato croquettes at McGill’s.  I can’t recommend our breakfast at Poppie’s in town enough.  They are famous for their delicious scones, oatmeal, egg dishes, and tea selection.  You will also pay a lot less for food by going off property, but I would recommend the Sugar Loaf tea service, and a cold beer at McGill’s at the very least.

The Ritz name, and the word ritzy itself, harkens back to Swiss-born Cesar Ritz and his properties in London, Paris, and the first Ritz-Carlton in America, Boston.  The Ritz Powerscourt doesn’t feel ritzy, which I liked.  It feels like the perfect Irish manor retreat, with seamless service and enough pursuits to while away a couple of days.  You leave wanting to return, as you feel with the country of Ireland itself. 

Double bed room at The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt

Tip: Don’t valet.  The self-parking lot is right near the door and much easier than waiting for your car.  Also, room rates here were surprisingly low during the off-season.  Always call the property direct, and here, the staff is unbelievable. 

My reservations: