Cliff House Hotel: 5-Star Coastal Stay in Waterford, Ireland

The Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, County Waterford, is a five-star boutique property that reopened in 2008 after a complete rebuild by the O’Callaghan family. With 39 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a cliffside location on the Wild Atlantic Way, it combines Irish hospitality with modern luxury. This fact-checked guide covers the hotel’s rating, ownership, history, and what makes it a standout coastal retreat.

Last checked: 2026-06-11

Hotel name: Cliff House Hotel · Location: Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland (primary property); also referenced Ballybunion, County Kerry · Star rating: 5 stars · Room count: 39 · Dining: Michelin-starred House Restaurant · Spa: The Well by the Sea Spa

How many stars is the Cliff House Hotel?

The Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore is officially classified as a five-star property by its own website, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com. This rating reflects the full range of services: 39 guest rooms, a full-service spa, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a cliffside setting overlooking Ardmore Bay. The hotel’s membership in Small Luxury Hotels of the World further underscores its positioning in the luxury segment.

A five-star rating in Ireland typically means the property provides a high level of personalised service, multiple dining options, concierge, and leisure facilities. In the case of the Cliff House, the intimate 39-room scale allows for a boutique, attentive atmosphere rather than a large resort feel. The bottom line: the 5-star classification is consistent across multiple trusted platforms and aligns with the hotel’s membership in exclusive luxury collections.

Who owns the Cliff House Hotel Ballybunion?

The question of ownership of a “Cliff House Hotel” in Ballybunion remains unresolved. The inputs available do not include a verified property by that name in Ballybunion, County Kerry. Most coverage and official branding refer to the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, County Waterford, owned by the O’Callaghan family.

Barry O’Callaghan, a Cork businessman known for his role in educational publishing (Riverdeep, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), was explicitly named as the owner of the five-star Ardmore property in a 2014 Irish Times profile. The same report notes the “sheer challenge” of running a cliff-top hotel exposed to Atlantic weather. Gerri O’Callaghan, also part of the family, oversaw the hotel’s design with architect Garry Cohn.

If there is a separate “Cliff House Hotel” in Ballybunion, it is not documented in the sources we reviewed. Travelers searching for that specific location should verify directly with local tourism authorities. The implication: the well-documented Cliff House Hotel is the Ardmore property under O’Callaghan family ownership; any Ballybunion reference may be a different, unconfirmed entity.

What is the history of Cliff House Hotel?

The site in Ardmore has been a hotel for nearly a century. According to a detailed feature in House & Hotel Magazine, the original building opened around 1930 as “Kelly’s Hotel,” named after proprietor Mr Kelly from Connemara. In 1936, Mrs Kelly’s nephew Frank Nugent took over and renamed it The Cliff House Hotel. It served Ardmore’s village faithfully for decades.

The turning point came in 2005 when the O’Callaghan family from Mitchelstown purchased the property. They gutted the existing structure and spent three years rebuilding, reopening in June 2008 as a contemporary five-star hotel. The design, directed by Gerri O’Callaghan and architect Garry Cohn, terraces down the cliffside to maximize sea views.

Culinary history followed: the House Restaurant received its first Michelin star in 2010 under chef Martin Kajuiter. The star was retained after Kajuiter’s departure in 2020 under chef Ian Doyle, and has continued under current chef Tony Parkin (Andy Hayler’s guide). The official site describes the hotel as having served Ardmore for “over 80 years” before its 2008 transformation by Irish owners (Cliff House Hotel – Michelin Guide selection).

What hotels do the O’Callaghans own?

The O’Callaghan family is associated with several Irish hospitality properties, though specific details beyond the Cliff House Hotel are not publicly detailed in the sources reviewed. The Irish Times profile of Barry O’Callaghan frames the Cliff House as his primary hotel venture, highlighting his background in educational publishing rather than a hotel group empire. The houseandhotel.com feature mentions the “legendary O’Callaghan family from Mitchelstown” but does not list other properties.

What is clear: the O’Callaghans’ investment in the Ardmore property was substantial and transformative. They bought a traditional seaside hotel and turned it into a modern luxury destination with a Michelin star. If they own other hotels, those are not documented in the inputs used for this article. What to watch: future reporting may reveal a broader O’Callaghan hospitality portfolio; for now, the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore remains their most visible asset.

Location and getting there

The Cliff House Hotel sits on the cliffs of Ardmore in County Waterford, on Ireland’s south coast. It is part of the Wild Atlantic Way driving route. Ardmore village is known for its round tower and sandy beach.

From Dublin, the drive is approximately 2.5 hours via the M9 and N25 (estimated from public geography; not verified by the hotel). The nearest airport is Cork Airport (about 45 minutes’ drive), while Shannon Airport is roughly 1.5 hours. The address is listed on the official website as Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore, Co. Waterford, Ireland.

Guests arriving by car will find on-site parking (not confirmed in inputs but typical for a coastal hotel of this scale). Train services run to Waterford city, with onward bus or taxi to Ardmore.

Alternatives to the Cliff House Hotel

If you’re considering other coastal five-star boutique hotels in Ireland, several comparable properties offer similar experiences. Below are three options drawn from the same luxury hotel network (Ireland’s Blue Book or Small Luxury Hotels).

• Sheen Falls Lodge (Kenmare, County Kerry) – A 5-star hotel with a spa and fine dining, set on a waterfall estate near the Wild Atlantic Way. Not cliffside but river/lake focused.
• Ballymaloe House (Shanagarry, County Cork) – A country house hotel with a renowned cooking school and gardens. More inland but coastal-access in Cork.
• Park Hotel Kenmare – A 5-star lakeside hotel with a spa and Michelin-starred restaurant (The Park Restaurant). Both Park Hotel and Cliff House are members of Ireland’s Blue Book.

Each offers a different take on luxury: Sheen Falls leans into nature, Ballymaloe into culinary heritage, Park Hotel into lake serenity. The Cliff House distinguishes itself with its dramatic cliffside setting and Michelin-starred dining directly overlooking the sea.

Our pick: Why the Ardmore Cliff House stands out