The typical Irish country escape involves rolling green hills, perhaps a bit of golf, and usually a castle of some vintage or another. But a look at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa should convince you that the part about the castle should be entirely optional. This 73-room resort overlooking the Lakes of Killarney is a Sixties-era modernist building, and it’s got interiors to match; here antique leather club chairs are replaced with pieces by the 20th century’s top designers. Still, comfort is the name of the game, and Aghadoe Heights stops well short of design-hotel territory. The rooms are spacious, and while the interior style is attractive the immediate impact of the building’s architecture is felt in the views — most rooms look out through full-length windows at the mountainous countryside. Special attention at Aghadoe Heights is given to the spa, a massive stand-alone complex offering all manner of treatments as well as a 14-meter indoor pool and a fully equipped fitness center. If you fancy a walk it can be arranged, as can a round of golf or a fishing trip, and the Lake Room restaurant makes the most of Ireland’s rich agricultural heritage. How to get there: Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa is approximately a 1 1/2 hour drive from Cork Airport (ORK) or 20 minutes from the domestic Kerry Airport (KIR). Guests are offered complimentary shuttle pick-up from Kerry Airport, Killarney Station & into Killarney town with prior arrangement.