A Step Back in Time
The History of Actons Hotel
A harbourside haven with style and soul, we’ve been welcoming guests to Kinsale for over 75 years. As the oldest hotel in town, we’re proud to have helped shape Kinsale’s reputation as a world class tourist destination.
Our beautiful hotel looks a little different these days, though the original facade is still very recognisable from the waterfront. Originally the home of the Acton family, who were drawn to the waterside location in 1860, the entrepreneurial family quickly established a number of businesses in Kinsale. Over the following years, these enterprises thrived, allowing the family to buy the buildings adjoining their substantial period home. By 1946, sisters Sheila and Sidney Acton owned enough property to open a family hotel – the first of its kind in Kinsale.
Actons flourished for nearly 20 years, attracting the interests of English hotel and restaurant company, Trusthouse Forte, who purchased the landmark property in 1962. Modernising it to attract an increasingly sophisticated clientele, they developed an impressive leisure centre in 1986, with a swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room. Two years later a conference centre was added, capable of accommodating up to 300 delegates.
In July 1995, Actons Hotel was sold to the renowned Stafford Group, who owned it for 12 years before selling it to a local consortium that proudly runs it to this day. Making substantial investments, most recently the completion of beautiful new suites, the current owners have transformed this Kinsale classic into a contemporary four-star destination. True to its heritage and the exemplary standards set by the Acton family in 1946, we look forward to extending our legendary Kinsale welcome to you and discerning guests for many more years to come.
