Dublin

Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links Review

Darragh

01 Apr 2025 — 6 min read

Portmarnock Resort & Golf Links

Portmarnock is a coastal village 40 minutes from Dublin City and importantly only 20 minutes to Dublin Airport.

I recommend staying here the night before you fly home instead of going into Dublin City. It's calmer, a nice relaxing way to end your trip ahead of a busy travel day.

What is Portmarnock Resort?

Portmarnock Resort is more than just a golf hotel. It's a seaside hotel with a stunning setting on one of Dublin's longest beaches with views looking out over to the famous cliffs of Howth. This is a dramatic setting for your last night in Ireland before going to the airport.

The resort is famous for its golf course. Portmarnock Links rebranded to Jameson Golf Links in October 2023 with five new green complexes and four new tee areas. The new links routing and topography provide stunning views of The Velvet Strand, Lambay and Ireland's Eye. It is one of the top courses in Ireland and on a windy day, will challenge the best of golfers.

The Rooms: There are 130 rooms from classic to suites. Some have sea views, some have garden views but you'll be busy out doing things rather than spending time in your room.

The Spa: The Portmarnock resort spa is well known by locals who use it too, they have seaweed baths, massages and facials. Another good way to spend your last day in Dublin after a busy week of sightseeing.

Activities: They have yoga, you can rent e-bikes, you can join the locals who go swimming on Portmarnock beach no matter the weather.

The Lobby & First Impressions

The hotel has that high end golf feel. You can see the dunes as you pull into the car park. There's sea views from the reception and all of its restaurants. I love the big open reception area where there's lots of seating. I just like to sit and people watch in Irish hotels.

And of course everyone is friendly so there's always the chance to start a conversation. I had a chat with a lady who was asking for a lighter blanket because it was one of those very rare warm Irish days.

Restaurant & Bar

The beauty of Portmarnock Resort is that you don't have to leave once you arrive. This is why I think it's such a good airport hotel in the non traditional sense.

The Seaview has sea views and sea food for lunch & dinner. Or go for the very Irish tradition of afternoon tea.

The Jameson Bar is a golf bar, you can feel it when you walk in. High end, wood filled but with the sea as a back drop. There was a group of local golfers discussing the round as they drank plenty of rounds of Guinness and I heard quite a few American accents too. It's also popular for locals to come in and enjoy a pint with a view. Every time I'm in the Jameson Bar, there's a good mix of people.

The 1780 is the breakfast restaurant. 1780 refers to the year that Jameson started making whiskey. Probably best to wait until after breakfast for your first Jameson though.

Location & Getting Around

You can walk directly from the hotel to the beach, walk along it and nearly touch the cliffs of Howth.

Portmarnock village is close by and has some nice restaurants and bars.

Malahide is a fabulous coastal village filled with shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants (I love Jaipur Indian).

The walk to Malahide from Portmarnock along the coast is one of the nicest in Dublin. It takes about an hour but the views are so nice that you won't feel it.

There's a castle in Malahide that you can visit too. I actually took these photos this week when my friend was staying at Portmarnock Resort because we went to see Iron Maiden at Malahide Castle!

Walking Tours. I am a walking tour guide in Dublin. I can guide you on the walk to Malahide or any of my other Dublin walks including my famous Jetlag Buster!

Airport Access & Transfers

Portmarnock Resort is a 20 minute drive to Dublin Airport.

Rental Car: If you are flying out the next day, you could return your rental car the night before and save the stress of car return on day of travel. You already have to get to the airport 3 hours early if you are flying to the US.

Taxi will take 20 minutes from the airport.

Private Airport Transfer: Being a small coastal village, taxis can be hard to come by, so play it safe and book a private transfer to Dublin Airport

Who Should Stay Here?

For golfers - one of the top courses in Ireland.

People wanting a relaxing few days by the sea - direct beach access and coastal walks.

People Just arriving in Ireland- You've flown all night, it's not safe to start driving cross country so book in here, play a round of golf to keep you awake and your room is ready after you've played golf or had a massage.

People flying out the next day - it's the most scenic airport hotel in Ireland.

Who it's not for: it's a good 40 minutes into the city, so not a great place to base yourself if sightseeing in Dublin is your main goal.

Similar Hotels in Dublin

The Grand Hotel in Malahide is similar without the golf. You swap the golf for the convenience of being right in the heart of Malahide and walking distance to Malahide Castle. 👉 Check Availability

Here are all my hotel recommendations in Dublin