Opened in 2005, this modern, attractive lodge features very comfortable bedrooms, a fine-dining restaurant and a spacious lounge, perfect for relaxing with a snifter or two after a round of golf. The manicured lawns lead down to the Ennistymon Road, a straight run to Lahinch village, the beautiful golf course, and of course, the famous beach.
The building was purpose-built, the embodiment of a dream held by Michael and Maria Vaughan, both experienced powerhouses of hospitality and marketing. You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy a stay here but it was designed with golfers in mind, and true to plan, the rattle of trolleys can be heard regularly as new visitors check in with their precious clubs in hand.
Unlike older hotels, the rooms are large, designed to provide ample space for families and guests with luggage or mobility challenges. Of particular note is the superior room featuring a balcony; golfing guests in particular may enjoy watching their fellow aficionados traverse the course from the comfort of this sunny perch.
Having built up an appetite on the green or down by the beach, guests can look forward to an excellent dinner onsite at the fine-dining VL Restaurant (see below). Offering fresh local produce, a comprehensive wine list and a refined style of cooking courtesy of chef Pawel Giasiorowski (formerly of the Wild Honey Inn and Trump International Golf Links and Hotel, Doonbeg), this destination restaurant is one of the best in Co Clare.
Afterwards, if a digestif is on the menu, the bar offers eclectic antiques, comfortable armchairs, and a fireplace to curl up and enjoy the hotel's collection of local books. It’s ideal for golfers to rest their weary legs, or to warm the cockles of those brave enough to have taken a dip in the Atlantic. Eagle-eyed guests might even spot photographs of the hotel’s proprietor with some famous faces, including a former US president.
The hotel staff are maestros of multitasking: the same friendly faces appear in various guises in the reception, the bar or the restaurant. The fifth generation of Vaughans is tasked with taking breakfast orders, his youth belying a high standard of service, executed with a confidence borne from many summer holidays spent pitching in to help, like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him.
Breakfast is served in VL Restaurant and it's a highlight of a stay at Vaughan Lodge, memorable for authentic Irish food, cooked with a generous hand. The menu offers every kind of morning sustenance guests could want, from a continental buffet to whiskey-soaked porridge, all the way to toasted bagels and grilled kippers. Health-conscious diners will find themselves with plenty of choice too, with a range of fresh fruit, superfood ingredients and gluten-free options.
This is a thoroughly modern hotel, imbued with reassuringly traditional hospitality. It offers all the comforts expected by the modern guest, along with excellent local food, commanding views and a warm welcome from the Vaughan family, stalwarts of Lahinch hospitality.
VL Restaurant:
Run as a stand-alone restaurant specialising in seafood and welcoming non-residents, this spacious and elegantly appointed room sets the tone for some fine cooking by Head Chef Pawel Giasiorowski (formerly of the Wild Honey Inn and Trump International Golf Links and Hotel, Doonbeg) and an accomplished team.
As is the custom here, Pawel's menus are refreshingly to the point and fresh local seafood usually accounts for over half of the à la carte menu in summer, with the selection offered typically including line-caught mackerel as well as seabass, hake, monkfish, mussels, scallops and organic salmon.
Interesting artisan foods from the area also feature strongly, some of them from named producers, and valued suppliers are listed on the menu.
These fine ingredients are used in a creative modern style, with key starters based on local seafood, notably Liscannor crab claws, and St Tola goat cheese. Main courses also offer a lot of local fish, delicious Burren lamb and perhaps Skeaghanore duck from West Cork; foraged ingredients may feature in season too - as, perhaps, in a fine dish of whole Dover Sole with samphire.
To accompany, the wide-ranging wine list (grouped by price) includes a strong house selection, useful tasting notes and a good choice of half bottles.
The dinner menu offers less choice (and probably a lower proportion of seafood), but it is very good value and includes a well chosen local cheese selection. The aim is to offer a balance between fine dining and popular local choices, attracting a good mix of residents and local diners.
Quality food plus excellent service and hospitality (Michael Vaughan is an attentive and charming host), have made this one of the area's most highly regarded restaurants - and a favourite destination for many.
