11 August 2024
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Montenotte, opens The Woodland Suite Experience today, a brand new intimate offering for guests, featuring nine new outdoor suites and a Clubhouse, the first of its kind in Ireland. Designed to enable guests to live a luxurious life to the fullest, The Woodland Suite Experience offers a completely new and elevated experience for guests, blending adventure with purpose, and connecting remarkable design with the beauty of the Irish landscape.
Frankie Whelehan, The Montenotte and Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle attending the Exclusive Preview Launch Event of The Woodland Suite Experience at The Montenotte Hotel.
Photo. Darragh Kane
Attending the Launch Event of The Woodland Suite Experience at The Montenotte Hotel.
Photo. Darragh Kane
The Woodland Suite Experience has been designed with nature at its very core, merging new and pre-existing architectural elements with the surrounding landscape to create a harmonious and diverse composition, featuring a minimalist and low-impact design. Aiming to reconnect with nature whilst offering guests an unparalleled experience, The Woodland Suite Experience is elegantly perched on the hilltop within the urban resort’s grounds, just moments away from The Montenotte. Each suite is a unique cocoon and evocative space, with the five Woodland Suites nestled deep within the trees, and four River Suites that cantilever out from the landscape surrounded by Irish wildflowers. The exclusive residents-only Clubhouse is situated amidst the two different suite styles, serving as the heart of The Woodland Suite Experience.
With an investment of €7.5 million, the Woodland Suite Experience is set to enhance The Montenotte’s offering as a truly memorable urban escape, inviting guests to unwind and indulge in the utmost luxury and inherent elegance within the beautiful Irish landscape. Curated by owners Frankie and Jo Whelehan, with Henry J Lyons and Roisin Lafferty, the Woodland and River Suites showcase understated luxury, quality design and bespoke authenticity, with breathtaking views of the woodlands or over Cork City and the River Lee below. Emanating restorative wanderlust, The Woodland Suite Experience ignites a sense of adventure and serenity, inviting guests to relax or explore amongst nature within luxurious accommodation designed to seamlessly integrate within the surrounding landscape.
Frankie & Jo Whelehan, Owners of The Montenotte, comment: “We are excited to officially open The Woodland Suite Experience today. At The Montenotte, we are passionate about providing our guests with unforgettable and inspiring stays, and with The Woodland Suite Experience we invite them to reconnect with themselves and each other whilst experiencing a total sense of escapism. We are proud to continue to set new standards in luxury hospitality here in Ireland, while remaining true to our values and principles at The Montenotte. The Woodland Suite Experience is that vision, adding to The Montenotte as a distinctive luxurious destination, an urban resort that offers a myriad of experiences but also serving as a gateway to Cork and all that the city has to offer. We look forward to welcoming our guests to embrace wanderlust, enjoy the views and indulge in the utmost comfort and luxury of The Woodland Suite Experience.”
The Woodland Suite Experience immerses guests in an authentic Irish and cosmopolitan experience. Each of the River and Woodland Suites are complete with Italian travertine and oak timber floor finishes, expansive and beautifully detailed bathrooms, view focused free-standing baths, and private terraces. In keeping with the minimalist Scandinavian architecture, the interiors feature Japanese design elements to showcase a modern, minimalist yet chic style. The Woodland Suites and River Suites feature integrated lounge and bedroom areas, flowing seamlessly to feel like a continuation of the landscape. Every element from layout to materials and finishes have been deeply considered to suit the needs and desires of guests, whilst inspired by the surrounding woodlands. The Woodland Suite Experience showcases a blend of natural, timeless earthy colours for grounded warmth with fabrics, using natural light to maximise the comfort and elegance for guests whilst creating an intimate and romantic mood encompassed by nature’s surroundings.
Exquisite furnishings are present throughout the nine suites with bronze mirrored wall finishes, solid American Oak timber veneer king beds with an upholstered olive-green headboard, concealed state-of-the-art televisions in the footboard, remote activated blackout blinds as well as beautiful artwork adorning the walls and custom rice paper screens to act as a sliding partition to diffuse daylight into a soft glow and divide the bedroom and living area. Each feature has been lovingly designed to emphasise a sensation of harmony, calm and simplicity, creating a connection to the woodland surroundings and focusing on the natural environment. A breathtaking 2-metre Red Japanese Maple is featured in every suite, curated from recycled natural wood trunks and branches, which continues The Woodland Suites’ connection to personal rejuvenation and the woodlands surrounding the River and Woodland suites, as well as symbolising the brand-new Nights-for-Nature initiative.
Committed to sustainability, and protecting the Irish landscape, The Montenotte continues its eco-conscious mission with The Woodland Suite Experience through its partnership with Hometree for the ‘Nights-for-Nature’ tree planting initiative. For every stay at The Woodland Suite Experience, a tree will be planted as a contribution from the guests, blending adventure with purpose and in support of the conservation of Ireland’s more sustainable future. Each tree will be carefully planted young, allowing it to adapt and thrive in its new home on the West Coast of Ireland. As it grows, it will enrich the environment by producing oxygen, storing carbon, and providing sanctuary for diverse insects, flora, and fauna. The Montenotte is proud to intertwine luxury with social and sustainable responsibility, inspiring a commitment to a better tomorrow. Adding to this, The River Suites feature living sedum roofs, a habitat for wildlife and vegetation, blending into the landscape of the Victorian Sunken Gardens and throughout The Woodland Suite Experience pre-existing structures and elements are incorporated into the design.
The residents-only Clubhouse, situated next to the River and Woodland Suites, serves as a private hideaway for guests of the Woodland Suite Experience, allowing guests to enjoy a sundowner’s cocktail or relax with breakfast looking out over the River Lee views and Cork City below. Deep smoked oak is integrated next to concrete and red travertine floors, and an expansive central curved bar sits pride of place in the centre of the space. These materials are contrasted with floor-to-ceiling windows and polished plaster to mirror the surrounding Irish landscape.
Frits Potgieter, General Manager of The Montenotte, says: “The Woodland Suite Experience is an important milestone in our journey to create a truly unique Urban Resort in Ireland that transcends the ordinary and invites our guests to step into a world of rebellious luxury at The Montenotte. Here, the concept of running wild is not only encouraged but very much celebrated. With the launch of the Woodland Suites and River Suites we aim to cultivate an environment where guests are not just pampered but also inspired to embrace a true sense of wanderlust, take in the incredible natural surroundings, magnificent views, and indulge in a myriad of curated experiences available throughout their stay. We look forward to welcoming guests to reconnect with themselves and experience a complete sense of escapism at our urban resort.”
As well as access to The Montenotte’s award-winning Bellevue Spa, Motion Health Club, private Cameo Cinema and F&B offerings like the Panorama Restaurant and Glasshouse, there will be curated personalised activities available for guests of The Woodland Suite Experience. These will include spa treatments, free access to the salt room, inspiring itineraries and customised adventures in Cork and further afield, as well as a private curated itineraries for guests of the River or Woodland Suites. The Woodland Suite Experience represents The Montenotte’s next step to elevating its luxury offering for guests, continuing to innovate and inspire as a wonderland of experiences.