I often wondered about the merchant princes of Cork. Did they hanker for crowns? Yearn for ermine? I doubt any of their wildest dreams encompassed charred larch pavilions nestled in landscaped woodlands overlooking the river Lee.
But such was the ambition of Montenotte Hotel owners Frankie and Jo Whelehan, that they commissioned 10 of these spots on the 2.4 hectare grounds of the Montenotte site.
Architects HJ Lyons and interior designer Róisín Lafferty have conjured nine suites and a club house (read classy bar) on the slopes below the hotel. Back in the 1800s, the wealthy butter merchants would perch up here in their palaces, watching for their ships. No wonder they chose the spot: above the town, the views stretch across the river, past woodland thickets, all the way to St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. Sure you can even see The Elysian.
There are two suite types: the smaller are the five Woodland Suites, hexagonal pods that are so nestled in the trees, you are wrapped around in green. Cleverly sited, they are almost entirely private. I say “almost”, as you may quickly learn when indulging in the bath that sits at the foot of your comfortable bed.
Put the strategically placed blind down first. The four larger river Suites have views across the Docks, and while that might sound less romantic than the green of summer trees, they’re equally fabulous, in a master-of-all-you-survey kind of a way.
According to general manager Frits Potgieter, who came to The Montenotte by way of Red Carnation and the Doyle Collection Hotels, just over €8 million was spent on the project, including planting and landscaping, and it’s evident that no expense has been spared. The Montenotte is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, and Potgieter says he expects guests at the suites, which start at €680 B&B each, to come from all over the world. “We have a Swiss family booked in to three suites as soon as we open,” he says, “an American group are coming too.”
Potgieter describes the vibe they’re going for as “rebellious luxury,” and even though butter merchant princes are no longer quite the thing, shipping magnates may well love it, but only if they are ahead of the curve enough to appreciate stealth wealth, and the Japandi style. It may be based on the Japanese/Scandinavian trend but, with Irish inflections added, it’s quite a cocktail, and testament to Lafferty’s skill that it comes off so well.
The suites, Potgieter stresses, are not exactly set up for children, so we’re talking about young lovers and older rediscoverers. You will be greeted with champagne at the Clubhouse, ferried about in golf buggies, and welcomed back for sundowners and excellent and inventive canapés by chef Janice Casey Bracken before dinner.
Inside your pod (sorry, suite: these are bespoke, no generic prefabs have been craned in here), is a gently but relentlessly luxurious offering.
There are bespoke Irish-made American oak beds, brushed brass accents, travertine floors, your own kitchenette complete with cooking facilities, honour bar, dishwasher ... In fact, it becomes a mission to try to find out what is not available. A TV pops up from the foot of your bed at the touch of a button, it even turns around so you can watch it from the bath, for goodness sake.
Sashay through to the bathrooms: generous mirrored pods in the Woodland Suites, and more separate spaces in the river Suites, and find show-stopping travertine sinks. These have been carved in Ireland by Miller Brothers for Lafferty and would make a custom-made sink-fancier of the most jaded of travellers.
I contemplate making their signature Jackalope cocktail, from the QR code instructions in my suite. Adopted to characterise the hotel’s Urban Retreat vibe, the Jackalope is, apparently, a mythical combo of jack rabbit and antelope, borrowed from Native Amercian Folklore, although the cocktail itself calls for the Montenotte’s own gin, made just down the road at the Blackwater Distillery. But time has flown and it’s almost sundowner hour.
After dinner, I return to my leafy retreat to discover a booklet and card on my pillow. The Montenotte has partnered with Irish charity, Hometree, to plant a native tree in Ireland marking your stay. The next morning, I will wake up in my canopy of green, while down the hill the city stirs in a distant fashion, and even though it is just a short stroll away, I don’t think I will make it there this time.
There is talk of an outdoor hot tub and sauna in the next phase. There is already a private cinema, spa, pool and salt room. Leave? Why on earth would you?
Gemma Tipton was a guest of Montenotte Hotel
