InterContinental Christmas
If you fancy changing things up this Christmas there’s still, at the time of writing, availability at the five star Intercontinental in Ballsbridge to sign up for its luxury residential Christmas package.
Choose to arrive on Christmas Eve and leave on St Stephen’s Day, or come Christmas Day and leave on the 27th. Either way, you’re guaranteed lots of treats and festive fun, starting with a mulled wine reception, four-course dinner in Season’s Restaurant, and breakfast overlooking the Garden Terrace.
Christmas Day Lunch is a leisurely affair at the five-star property – starting with a glass of champagne, a four-course Christmas Lunch menu and live music later that night. For an extra charge, they’ll leave a beautifully decorated tree in your room, to make things easy for Santa.
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The Hotel’s ESPA Spa, pool and thermal suite will all be open to guests, with a very civilised 2pm check out. The Christmas residential package costs from €875.00 per person sharing, on a two-night minimum stay basis. Limited non-residential Christmas bookings are also being taken, subject to availability.
New Year, New You
If the idea of a great escape for New Year’s floats your boat instead, then Monart Destination Spa in Wexford could be just the ticket. The adult-only destination spa offers not just a winning mix of luxury and relaxation but a New Year’s Eve gala dinner celebration too, complete with champagne, entertainment and fireworks. A two-night stay costs from €495 per person sharing.
Coffee culture
Is there no end to our coffee addiction? The latest indicators from Esquires – The Organic Coffee Company, which currently operates 15 sites in Ireland and has a new outlet opening in The Square, Tallaght before Christmas and another in Carlow early in the new year – show the answer appears to be no.
The New Zealand-based holding company behind the franchise, Cooks Coffee Company, is now the largest solely franchiser-focused café chain in Ireland and the UK and is dual listed on the Aquis Stock Exchange in London since November. It’s already listed on the stock exchange in Wellington.
It’s good news, says Tony McVerry, managing director of Esquires Coffee in Ireland, as it “provides us with an avenue to raise capital for growth, which will help expand our shareholder base both in Ireland and the UK and allow for easier trading in Cook shares”.
Make mine a margarita
Dublin cocktail company Craft Cocktails has released a new margarita collection, celebrating all things tequila with a trio of exciting flavours. The brand’s popular Spicy Margarita is being joined by two new original recipes, the Mezcal Margarita and Pineapple Margarita, the first special collection to join its permanent range of colourful bottled cocktails.
The Mezcal Margarita is uses traditional methods to create a mix of smoky mezcal, 100 per cent agave tequila and lime, while the Pineapple version uses pineapple three ways – charred pineapple, pineapple liqueur and pineapple sugars. “Tequila is on fire right now,” says Dave Mulligan, the company’s founder, who also owns Bar 1661 on Dublin’s Green Street. Available direct from craftcocktails.ie for nationwide delivery.
MICE market is golden
November saw the opening of Dublin’s newest meeting and events venue, the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, at the new Le Pole Square development, under the same ownership of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Golden Lane. The convention centre can cater for everything from private boardroom meetings to conferences of up to 1,100 delegates, or gala banquets for 550 guests.
Christmas catch-ups
If you’re in the market for afternoon tea this yuletide season, and heading west, Galway’s five star g Hotel & Spa has a glamorous option that includes such festive fare as smoked salmon on brown bread with dill and cucumber; sausage stuffing, walnut and sage croquette with cranberry gel; honey ham, Kylemore Cheese and prune cake with a herb cream cheese, plus coronation turkey and cranberry on brown bread. Its pastry team has rustled up sweet treats including traditional Christmas pudding; Baileys and salted caramel yule log; cinnamon and spiced rum baba; dark chocolate, whiskey and hazelnut delice plus freshly baked spiced fruit scones and Santa cup-cakes. It all comes with a selection of speciality teas and freshly roasted coffee and costs €38 per person. For an extra €22, wash it all down with a glass of Tattinger champagne. Available until January 6th.
