See all Motoring AdviceWhether they like it or not, charging is a big consideration for any electric car driver. Planning stops to suit the fastest charging points, picking routes on the basis of charger availability and making sure you set off with enough charge are all facets of motoring with which any electric vehicle (EV) owner will be familiar. Charging overnight plays a key part in that, and many EV drivers will already have provision for that at home, but what about nights away?
Hotels with charging points will be in demand among electric car owners, and the number of hotels offering charging for your EV is growing. But not every hotel has facilities just yet. For some, it’s an infrastructure thing – there simply isn’t space or the electrical connection to get a proper EV charger installed – while for others, it’s an expense that’s low on the list of priorities. Yet finding these hotels isn’t always easy, so we’ve had a little look to find some great spots for overnight charging in Ireland.
East
Charging EVs in Ireland is still something of an Eircode lottery, so it’s no surprise to find most of the charger-equipped hotels in the east of Ireland are in and around Dublin. In the city centre, the Fitzwilliam Hotel has three Tesla ‘Destination’ chargers offering up to 22kW, so that will likely be the best choice for Tesla owners. Further out, the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown also has three Tesla Destination charge points of up to 22kW.
County Kildare is also well-supplied, with The K Club and Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort both offering 7kW Tesla Destination charging. Elsewhere, the Powerscourt Hotel & Spa in Enniskerry has charging points.
If your destination is in County Cavan, though, choices are pretty limited, with the Farnham Estate Spa & Golf Resort offering one of the best selections, with a bank of 10 electric vehicle charging points for guests. County Louth is low on chargers, too, as is County Meath, although the Moyvalley Hotel is right on the border with County Kildare.
South-East
With fewer big cities to choose from, the south-east of Ireland is predictably less well-stocked than the north-east when it comes to charging points. Wexford and Waterford are your best bets for hotels with charging points, with the former offering 22kW charging at the Clayton Whites Hotel in the heart of Wexford, and two Type 2 connectors at the Whitford House Hotel just out of town.
There’s also the Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy, which has a couple of EasyGo chargers, and there are some Tesla Destination Chargers in Rosslare, although they aren’t especially powerful.
In Waterford, meanwhile, the Faithlegg Hotel has four electric car charging points, while the Majestic Hotel in nearby Tramore also offers charging points. Further down the coast, in Ardmore, the Cliff House Hotel offers a single 22kW charging point.
But other counties in the south-east are less flush with facilities, with the Mount Wolesley Hotel in Tullow representing one of the few hotels with charging in County Carlow. County Kilkenny is a little better equipped, with chargers at the Lyrath Estate and the Mount Juliet Estate, and it’s a similar situation in County Tipperary. In County Laois, meanwhile, your best bet is The Heritage, in Killenard, although it only has two charging points.
South-West
Cork and Shannon make the southern and south-western areas of Ireland pretty good for electric car owners, particularly in towns and around the coast, so there are plenty of hotels with charge points in this part of the country.
County Kerry is particularly good, with a number of hotels in Killarney offering charge points. The five-star Park Hotel at Kenmare has a 22kW charger, too, and the Hawthorn Rooms in Dingle also offer charging facilities, along with a handful of others.
But it’s difficult to beat Cork, where even more hotels offer charging facilities. Naturally, plenty of those in Cork City itself have chargers, or at least are positioned near a public charger, but some more out-of-the-way locations also offer charging. Take the Castlemartyr Resort Hotel for example, where you can find four charging units with speeds of up to 22kW. Perryville House, in Kinsale, has charging facilities, too, while the Ballymaloe House Hotel has a free charger for Teslas and a Type-2 charger for other vehicles.
Limerick can’t match Cork, although there are a few hotels in the city with charging points and even a few in the countryside, such as the Adare Manor Hotel and Ballycannon Lodge, near Rathkeale.
But County Clare shows more promise, thanks in part to its proximity to Limerick itself. The Radisson Blu Hotel Limerick is technically in County Clare, although it’s in the city on the river, and that offers 22kW Tesla Destination charging. Gregan’s Castle has much the same arrangement, while those heading to Shannon Airport can top up the battery at the Park Inn there. Out on the west coast, the Doolin Inn, north of Lahinch, also has a 22kW charging point.
West
Further up the west coast, the story is similar again, with Galway and Sligo offering a few hotels with chargers, while the rest are somewhat spread out around the countryside. However, there are plenty on the coast, such as Renvyle House and the Connemara Sands Hotel, where there are four charging stations, while the Connemara Coast Hotel, much closer to Galway, has six.
Up in County Mayo, Westport is of course home to a handful of hotels with chargers, with the Wyatt Hotel offering a charge point in its underground car park. The Castlecourt Hotel also has EV-charging provisions, as does the Breaffy House Hotel & Spa, near Castlebar.
Given its size, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that County Donegal has its fair share of hotels with charging points, but Donegal town itself isn’t flush with them. There are three connectors at the Mill Park Hotel, north of the city, and there are four chargers at nearby Lough Eske Castle, but the rest are dotted around the landscape, from the Radisson Blu at Letterkenny to the An Chúirt Hotel, Gweedore.