If you’re a fan of the show “Hell’s Kitchen”, then you’ll also be a fan of The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, County Wicklow, home of “Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt” the master chef’s very own restaurant in Ireland. Stay at this luxurious hotel in Ireland for the great food and the great golfing.

Found on the lush east coast of Ireland, The Ritz Carlton Powerscourt Hotel is the place to stay if you’re in the mood for a relaxing spring golf excursion, or a not-so-relaxing yelling match with Chef Gordon Ramsay and/or his disciples. This gorgeous estate is tucked in the woodlands of County Wicklow, a peaceful, quiet area in the world’s greenest country and home to some of the world’s finest cuisine.

With 200 guest rooms in total (124 suites and 23 club-level rooms), you’ll have no problem finding a room that suites your needs. Rooms are an average size of 700 square feet (some of the largest hotel rooms in Ireland), and feature floor to ceiling windows, gorgeous views of the countryside and terraces so you can enjoy the fresh air.

No trip to The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt is complete without a meal or three at Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt. The restaurant opened in October 2007 and is Ramsay’s first signature restaurant in Ireland. Found on the third floor of the hotel, the restaurant seats 82 guests and offers quite astounding views of the hotel’s surroundings. If you’re at the hotel in the summer, take advantage of the terrace, which seats 48.
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Golf might be a Scottish game, but some of the best golfing can be found elsewhere around the world. In the U.S., the Caribbean and, of course, in Ireland (possibly the greenest country there is).

If you’re looking to get away for a golf vacation, we highly recommend the Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort, an 18th century luxury castle found in County Limerick, Ireland. It’s a luxury five-star hotel with an 18 hole championship golf course. And, it was recently voted the 4th best golf resort in Condè Nast Traveler Magazine’s “Top 100 Gold Resorts 2008 Readers’ Poll”.

So why is this Irish hotel so good for golf, you ask? Avid golfers can test their skills at the resort’s world class Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf course (which is the last major golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Senior). His design, situated on 230 acres of beautiful countryside, has gained international recognition.
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I rarely take my partner on visits to Kiwi Collection’s luxury properties as he bemoans the hours I like to spend chatting with our General Managers and noting things I both like and dislike about the hotels but, when it came to our anniversary weekend, there was no escaping. Luckily for me, I picked the fabulous Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt which kept him more than busy with its two challenging golf courses and hi-tech gadgetry.

The hotel is less than 30 minutes south of Dublin so an easy commute for business travellers but also an ideal getaway destination for those who like the best of the countryside but need their fix of city culture (Powerscourt is a stunning country estate in County Wicklow, the garden of Ireland).

The rooms are arguably the best in the area with enough space to hold a céilí, cloud beds and space-age TV screens that float in the middle of the bathroom mirrors. We celebrated in style at Powerscourt’s Gordon Ramsay restaurant where General Manager Allan Federer, newly arrived from the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, spoiled us with the best view in the house so we could watch the sun setting over the hills.

Midnight came and went over a sampling of whiskies in the Irish bar and we eased ourselves into a lazy Sunday by the side of the magnificent black mosaic pool sprinkled with Swarovski crystal lights that shine through swimmers and create mesmorising ripples on the ceiling. The pool is part of the hotel’s ESPA spa, now on my top 10 list of places to be pampered.

Monday morning found me alone and in central Dublin – time to revisit some of my old favourites.

The Dylan is a decadent, cheeky boutique hotel with as much substance as style and a library with a well-thumbed copy of our book. Unlike so many uber stylish hotels, it looks as good as the day it opened and is my top recommendation for a naughty weekend away. Don’t miss the restaurant – surely a contender for a Michelin macaroon.

The Fitzwilliam already has Michelin on its side and wins on location if you want to blow some cash on Grafton Street. The team is justly proud of its newly refurbished rooms which have set a style standard for the rest of the hotel and are guaranteed to shake off the travel blues.

For timeless elegance and immaculate service, you can’t beat the Merrion. A row of Georgian townhouses just off St. Stephen’s Green, the Merrion excels in making guests, including me, feel truly at home, even if your home is a far cry from the hotel with its priceless art collection and turf fires.

Morning pastries or afternoon tea in the lounges are a must on a rainy Irish Sunday and the cellar bar is Dublin at its best. Watch out for the Westbury, emerging from a lengthy facelift, and make time for a homemade chili-infused vodka at the Four Season’s Ice Bar.