Hotel review: Hats off to new Co Waterford townhouse with cocktails on room service

"This boutique hotel in Dungarvan brings design flair without hollowing out the building's heritage Why can't every town have nice things like this? The Hat Maker is a classy little hideaway with cocktails on room service, bathrooms you'll actually want to spend time in, and smash-hit pastries from an artisan bakery across the road. Rebecca Queally and David Burke's 16-bed Dungarvan stay sounds simple."

"Why can't every town have nice things like this? The Hat Maker is a classy little hideaway with cocktails on room service, bathrooms you'll actually want to spend time in, and smash-hit pastries from an artisan bakery across the road. But that's the swan effect. There are feet paddling away energetically under the surface of this beautiful little building, and a lot of work going into its grace notes."

Rebecca Queally and David Burke operate a 16-bed boutique called The Hat Maker in Dungarvan that combines modern design with respect for the building's heritage. The property offers room-service cocktails, attractive bathrooms, and access to popular pastries from a nearby artisan bakery. The public impression is of effortless elegance underpinned by substantial unseen labor; careful design and operational work create refined grace notes throughout the stay. The hotel demonstrates how small-scale hospitality can uplift a town without erasing historical character, delivering high-quality amenities and considered interiors within a preserved architectural shell.

Read at Independent