Located in the centre of Naas town in County Kildare, Lawlor’s Hotel has been offering its guests a warm welcome since opening its doors over 100 years ago. Built in 1913 and expanded in 2022, the four-star facility boasts incredible restaurants and comfortable rooms, alongside corporate and event spaces to suit every need.

While visitors travel from all over the world to stay in Lawlor’s, for me, it was just a short trip down the road! As a Naas native myself, I’m no stranger to the hotel, having enjoyed many a delicious lunch, dinner and drink in the establishment.

However, I had never been lucky enough to stay there overnight. That was until Lawlor’s invited GCN for a visit, and I jumped at the opportunity, bringing my mother with me.

We stayed in a Superior Room fitted with traditional furniture including two queen-sized beds, a flat-screen TV and a cosy lounge area. As strange as it may sound, one of the highlights was the ensuite bathroom, complete with a power shower that I could have stayed in for hours, and a deep bath, providing ultimate luxury.

After checking in and dropping our bags, we headed downstairs to Vi’s Restaurant where we had a dinner reservation. One of the newer additions to Lawlor’s offerings, it is named after the daughter-in-law of the hotel’s founder, Violette Lawlor. Celebrated for her style, elegance and renowned parties, she has been described as “a glamorous socialite with a glass of bubbles in her hand” – and this restaurant aptly channels her aura. The custom-made iconic dining bar is a landmark centrepiece of the hotel’s new lobby.

The modern contemporary style menu combines the tastes and flavours of land and sea using locally sourced and high-quality ingredients. For those looking to quench their thirst with something special, they also offer seasonal cocktail specials as well as all the usual favourites.

As a vegetarian, my food options are always more limited. However, I was incredibly satisfied with what I ordered in Vi’s, enjoying the Spiced Squash & Sweet Potato Soup for my starter and the Baked Filo Parcel for my main. The former was served with a selection of different breads, while the latter contained grilled courgette, wild mushroom, vegan feta, baba ghanoush and herb vinaigrette. The main course was a particular favourite for me, with my mother also thoroughly enjoying her Slow Cooked Beef Blade with roast garlic and celeriac purée, glazed shallot, parsnip crips, creamed potato and red wine jus.

With our stomachs satisfactorily full, it was time for our next activity. There were plenty of options at hand, both in Lawlor’s itself (a sold-out ABBA Sensations concert, for example) and throughout Naas. We decided to go to the ODEON cinema, less than a 10-minute drive away, to finally see for ourselves if Wicked lived up to the hype. It did.

After spending almost three hours holding space for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and of course ‘Defying Gravity’, it was time to head back to our rooms for a good night’s sleep. The following morning, while parting with the comfortable beds and relaxing showers was a challenge, there is little that fills me with more excitement than a hotel breakfast.

So, off we went to the Bistro, open both to guests and walk-in customers. The extensive buffet offers hot food with all of the traditional Irish fry-up favourites, as well as a selection of international cold dishes, pastries and cereals. Across my several helpings, I tried a bit of everything, with the croissants and orange juice going down particularly well.

Too soon, it was time to check out. We left with an excellent impression of Lawlor’s, getting further confirmation as to why it is one of Naas’ most popular spots. If you want to discover all that this hidden gem in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East has to offer, visit the official website here.

 

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