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The Great Southern Hotel in Killarney has been officially elevated to a five‑star property after a two‑year upgrade and inspection process, a milestone for one of County Kerry’s most storied hotels. I spent a night at the hotel to see how the rating has changed guest experience, staff routines and the way the hotel honours its long history.
From railway terminus to luxury address
Built in 1854 as Ireland’s first purpose‑built railway station, the Great Southern carries a layered past. Royal visits and silver‑screen glamour sit alongside darker chapters; the building was used by the IRA for bomb making during the Irish Civil War, while guests over the decades have included figures such as Queen Victoria and Grace Kelly.
Killarney’s historic hotel converted into a five-star property
Una Leonard of 2210 Patisserie joins Chupi in aid of the Irish Cancer Society
Today the public rooms present a softer, more ornate face: a stained‑glass ceiling, a central grand piano and a lobby warmed by an open fire. The contrast between those historic bones and the recent modernization is immediate on arrival.
A stay transformed
My first visit to the hotel was for a noisy, late‑night wedding in 2022. This time, a concierge met me at the nearby train station, took my luggage and escorted me to a calm check‑in, where I was offered a welcome drink and a clear plan for the evening: a champagne toast, dinner in the fine‑dining room and a nightcap in the bar.
The room I stayed in had been refurbished with a king‑size bed, an elegant bathroom and Ground beauty products. It was an understated, comfortable space—designed for rest rather than spectacle.
Dining and the weekly ritual
The hotel has introduced a number of small rituals and upgrades as part of its five‑star positioning. One is the Friday evening Champagne Moment, held at 18:54 to mark the year the hotel opened. It sets a deliberately celebratory tone.
Arbour, the revamped fine‑dining restaurant, exemplifies the culinary changes. Dishes that stood out included an elevated prawn cocktail, a West Cork chicken supreme finished with a tarragon velouté, and notably indulgent truffle fries. Breakfast in the same room was particularly strong: alongside classic buffet items the hot menu featured individual eggs Benedicts, pancakes and a French toast with Irish whiskey syrup and caramelised banana.
Wildlife on the lawn
One of the hotel’s newer guest experiences is a falconry session on the grounds, conducted by master falconer and wildlife biologist Liam Regan. Over an hour he introduced four birds that have distinct personalities: Jessie the Harris hawk, Cookie the African spotted owl, Liath the great grey owl and Dusty the Eurasian eagle‑owl.
Despite a grey, rainy day, the experience was memorable. Regan’s knowledge and enthusiasm were infectious, and the session gave a surprising lift to a short overnight stay.
What it takes to reach five stars
The elevation to a five‑star rating was awarded in June 2026 after a process the general manager, Jamie Power, describes as comprehensive. Fáilte Ireland’s criteria cover a wide range of requirements, from practical items such as heating and the number of hangers, to standards for how staff should welcome and induct guests.
Fáilte Ireland carried out several inspections: two guided audits with management and three unannounced “mystery” assessments. Attention to detail was intense—Power says the Arbour dining room was repainted three times to achieve the right atmosphere.
He also emphasises that staff needs shaped the upgrades. “Most of the time, if not all of the time, the teams will tell you exactly what they need to do. ‘We need new uniforms, we need new cyber stations, we need to be more organised at this part of the day’, and then it’s about supporting them to do that,” Power told me.
Small touches, changed expectations
On a practical level the difference shows in small, consistent details: a branded bookmark left in a book by housekeeping, a server remembering a coffee preference at breakfast. Behind those touches are investments in training, uniforms and operational changes.
Where the hotel once felt like a gracious, traditional house, it now reads as a property trying to preserve its heritage while delivering a contemporary, luxury service. As Power put it: “We modernised it, but it kept its soul and its heritage.”
Guest information and disclosure
Nightly rates at The Great Southern Killarney start from €375. I was invited to stay at the hotel for the purpose of this review; accommodation, breakfast, a falconry experience and one meal in Arbour were provided by The Great Southern.
RTÉ Lifestyle reviews are independent of the properties they cover.
