Prevue March/April 2013 - (Page 90)

The Drawing Rooms are fun during afternoon tea. We sat with Matthew Rowlette, director of sales, for over an hour discussing Dublin’s uncanny wealth of writers. This is that kind of place. The food is exceptional from Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud—the only Michelin 2-star establishment in Dublin. Next to that, the Cellar Restaurant & Bar inside the 18th century vaulted wine cellar serves casual fare like a roast loin of Finnebrogue venison with horseradish mash. Lastly, there’s a 60-foot pool at the ESPA-managed spa. “We also work with Ashford Castle for groups who want a town and country package,” says Rowlette. THE RITZ-CARLTON POWERSCOURT Located 30 minutes outside Dublin in County Wicklow— “The Garden of Ireland”—the region is anchored by the Powerscourt Estate & Gardens dating back to 1741. Inside The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt starting with the Georgian grand lobby, the mix of classical elegance and woodsy environs invigorates the senses in anticipation for your program here. Of the 200 rooms, there are 93 suites starting at 700 sf with large balconies fronting the lawn and forest, tall floor-to-ceiling windows and large white-on-white baths. The updated period furnishings are residential in tone with a modern sensibility that’s elegant without being stuffy. The 30,000-sf ESPA at The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt is the largest spa in Ireland with 20 treatment rooms and a fun 86 | prevue magazine variety of steam rooms, tepidariums, vitality pools, “thermal suites” and a 65-foot pool lit with Swarovski crystals. The gorgeous Powerscourt Golf Club in nestled among deep green undulating hills, making this is one of the most visually appealing layouts in the country, with three more courses within a 20-minute drive. “For groups who want the iconic Irish countryside experience with full meeting and incentive facilities, along with world class golf and spa, this is it,” says Anne Marie Whelan, director of sales/marketing. For dining, Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt is located on the lobby level with a full glass wall facing Sugar Loaf Mountain. This is the only restaurant in Ireland operated by the Michelin star chef, serving dishes such as Castletownbere crab, wild sea trout and braised lamb shoulder with Boulanger potatoes. Total meeting space is 10,200 sf, including a 600-pax ballroom divisible by three with direct vehicle access. THE SHELBOURNE DUBLIN Our final night dinner took place in The Constitution Room at The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel. It was here where the Irish Constitution was signed in 1922—a huge deal for the fiercely independent Irish. This is the largest 5-star hotel in the country, which has hosted the bulk of celebrities who’ve ever passed through tow, from

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2013

Planner's Pick: Miami
Fresh Meets: Renaissance Hotels
Bureau Buzz: Austin
Good Business: Washington, DC
Sea Shores: Cruising Sweden
Feelin' Good About Incentives
Special Section: California
On Location: JW Marriott Desert Springs
Caribbean & The Bahamas
On Location: U.S. Virgin Islands
On Location: Aruba
On Location: Omni Amelia Island
The South: Best of Golf & Spa
On Location: Fairmont Scottsdale
On Location: W Singapore
Austria
Ireland
On Location: Mexico City
On Location: Starwood Los Cabos
On Location: Universal Orlando
On Location: Villas of Grand Cypress, Orlando
Check Out: Alpina Gstaad, Switzerland
Club Med

Prevue March/April 2013