Gemma Tiptonvisits Radisson SAS Farnham Estate Hotel
THE Radisson SAS Farnham Estate Hotel didn't come off too well in Robert O'Byrne's recent book celebrating 50 years of the Irish Georgian Society. He listed it as among the "worst offenders" for the way the house has been extended and transformed into a luxury hotel, golf and spa resort.
He's right, in architectural and conservation terms, but as someone who has endured the dampness and interesting plumbing in some of Ireland's unrestored country houses I think there is at least something to be said for a certain amount of comfort.
Photographs of Farnham tend to concentrate on the old part, the original great house where the lords lived, rather than on the bedroom and spa extension, where (unless you've booked a suite) you'll be staying. And it does feel like a hotel of two halves. At the front is the grand entrance, reception and, off to the right, a series of rather wonderful drawing rooms. The unadventurous might miss these altogether, as I discovered them only by exploring. There are real fires, comfy sofas, books and board games. One room even has a wild curving circle of a sofa, which I didn't really feel decadent enough on my own to enjoy to the full.
The more ordinary bedrooms are in a long three-storey extension, although it's a bit mean to call them ordinary, as they are as good as you would expect of an established hotel chain that knows what it's doing. There are large and very comfortable beds, a funky armchair, a chaise longue, TV, free wireless broadband, a generous window on to stunning views and a well-appointed bathroom. As a gimmick, the bathroom has a little sliding panel window, so that technically you could lie in the tub and see through to, a) your friend in bed and, b) the trees and fields beyond.
The trees and fields are among the things that are very special about Farnham. One of the lords was once president of the Tree Council, and there are amazing specimens along walks that wind for minutes or hours, depending on the weather and your own fancy. Ask at reception for a guide to the trails on the estate, and also for snacks and drinks to bring with you along the way. You'll even find an umbrella in the cupboard in your room, so rain is no excuse for inactivity.
Another big hit is the spa. It is both luxurious and health-focused; there are treatments for ailments (real and imaginary), and you can be checked for glucose, cholesterol, haemoglobin and blood pressure, and even have your body composition analysed (scary thought). Then there are the Water Mint Thermal Suite, where hot and cold water, aromatherapy and steam prove effective for hangovers; a gym; and the amazing swimming pool.
I had driven up that morning from Dublin, skirting the endless roadworks that would almost make you wish they would hurry up and drive their precious motorway through Tara. I was in Cavan to meet a pair of architects, Orla Murphy and Dermot McCabe, who are part of the Cavan Re-imagined project. Cavan Re-imagined had architects and artists working on looking at Cavan in a new way and was really interesting. It was a miserably cold and rainy day, and it was dark by the time I got to the hotel, so it was a wrench to leave the bedroom, with its deep bath and warm TV, but I forced myself and was rewarded with a sense of enveloping luxury and a large fluffy white bathrobe.
I ran into Murphy again in the Thermal Mint Suite. It's always a bit odd meeting someone you've met only professionally when you're both in swimsuits, but we got over the shyness and chatted our way around the steam and water treatments before heading over to the pool. The swimming pool is something special: you swim from the indoors out through a little opening and into an outdoor infinity pool that, in the rainy darkness, had wafts of steam rising from its surface and a feeling of mad mystery to its invisible edges. Murphy said it was a bit like Los Angeles had come to Cavan, and I know what she means - only at the Standard Hotel, on Sunset Boulevard in LA, the infinity pool looks across to a myriad of city lights. Here all was inky blackness and the feeling of raindrops on warm water.
Breakfast the next morning was a lovely buffet, with the right mixture of the healthy and the indulgent, which is a mix that sums this hotel up pretty well.
WhereRadisson SAS Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan, 049-4377700, www.farnhamestate.ie.
WhatFour-star hotel on 525 hectares with golf course and spa.
Rooms158, from doubles to suites.
Best rates€75 B&B midweek, based on two people sharing.
Restaurants and barsBotanica Restaurant in the main hotel. Pear Tree in the spa, for juices and salads without having to get changed. Botanica bar adjacent to lobby. Wine Goose Cellar bar in the basement.
AccessHotel wheelchair- accessible, with nine fully-accessible bedrooms.
Child-friendlinessThe hotel is designed as an adults' retreat, so the spa is adults only. Children are welcome, though, and there are games for them, as well as the walks.
AmenitiesGolf, spa, walking, fishing.