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Recommended Reviews - Ashford Castle
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Really beautiful castle hotel with gorgeous grounds. We stayed here one night on our trip and loved walking through the gardens and woods, exploring the castle, and just gazing at the picture perfect view. Our room was nice with a beautiful bathroom and view of the lake. Room rates are quite pricey, but of all the castle hotels I looked at online, this one seemed truly the most beautiful. Check-in was easy, and we welcomed the complimentary warm beverage on arrival. We had tea scheduled the same day, and they were kind enough to push the reservation back upon request to give us more time to settle in. Afternoon tea with a view of the lake was great. Their gluten-free options were excellent, and we left perfectly stuffed. A lot of the hotel restaurants and extra amenities were still closed as we were there during the off season, but we did get to sneak into the steam room for a short time, though the pool requires advanced booking. The George V dining room where we had breakfast anddinner was nice with gf options, though none of the food was particularly special despite the glowing reviews and awards. Staff and service were all excellent, and it would probably be even more spectacular if they stayed in the summer months.
Wow! Ashford Castle offers an unparalleled experience. As soon as I entered the gates, my jaw dropped at the scenic splendor. And again, once I stepped foot inside the castle as the bagpipes played and a welcome drink was already in my hand. Our room was upgraded and had a note with chocolates to acknowledge the special occasion. Every staff member we encountered was delightful, delivering top notch service with a smile. They seem to anticipate any wants/needs before they even come up, very impressive! Highly recommend the falconry to fly hawks, the morning dog walk with the Irish wolfhounds, the cinema with complimentary popcorn and gummies, strolling the gardens and drinks at The Prince of Wales. There's two shops that sell Ashford goods, one in the castle itself with a smaller selection of mainly clothing and the other at Mrs. Teas across the bridge. I found that Mrs. Teas had a much better array of souvenirs such as hats and specialty food items. Yes it's a splurge but when else can you stay in a castle? Would not hesitate to come back again!
Just checked in here and we were welcomed with a piper playing a medley of tunes including When the Saints Come Marching In and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. The place is beautiful and the grounds and history are wonderful. Normans landed ~1200AD and built the castle. Lots of history. Staff are everywhere. Rooms are nice bed was delightful we slept well. The town of Cong is a 5 minute walk from the castle the site of The Quiet Man. We strolled through. Food is absurdly delicious and prepared to order. Gourmet at every meal. We checked out the Billiards Room and I had a nice cigar. Lots of activities to do but be sure to book ahead. We stayed two nights during our tour. Another night would have been nice. The place has been owned by a South African fellow who has put millions into the place over the past few years. Previous owners the Guinness Family sold out years ago. Highly recommend. Mark & Nancy.
Having afternoon tea at Ashford Castle has been the highlight of our trip to Ireland! The grounds and the gardens on the property are absolutely beautiful, and all of the staff are professional and friendly. We were sat in the most stunning room for tea, and all of the sandwiches, desserts, and scones we had were fantastic. I especially loved the complimentary drink that was brought over, which was a raspberry hibiscus lemonade with a whipped foam on top. I'll be dreaming of that for ages! Such a memorable experience that I'll remember fondly, and I'll be recommending it to anyone I know visiting Ireland!
There are not enough stars for this breathtaking, iconic hotel! The castle is gorgeous, the grounds are impeccable, the rooms are luxurious, the food is delectable and every staff member makes you feel like royalty! I highly suggest partaking in the Afternoon Tea. It was an amazing experience, as was every minute spent here!
One of the absolute most amazing places I have ever had the luxury to experience. This place is pure magic. You feel like royalty when staying on their estate. Highly recommend the high tea in the tea room. The school of falconry and flying a hawk (most unique, special experience), and dining in George the v dining room.
My husband and I stayed here two nights as part of a Tauck tour. Our room was quite comfortable. This is a high end pricey hotel. The hotel rates 5. Our dinner meals were better at the George V fine dining restaurant than at the Dungeon. The service was slower in the Dungeon, and that room had no windows. The breakfasts in the George V room were fine. The dining rates 5 overall. I particularly enjoyed the photographic display in the downstairs bar. The bar was not open for service the nights we visited but it was open as a photo gallery. The bar displayed 200 of the lovely black and white photographs of Father Frank Browne. He took photos of the elite about to sail on the Titanic, and also ordinary people in Ireland. Ashford Castle has expansive well maintained landscaping. We enjoyed strolling along the large lake, where people in the distance were boating. There is a nice walking path surrounding the manicured lawn. The hotel also had some nice common areas. One pretty ground level room serves lunch and tea during the day, and as sitting room and an extension of the tiny Prince of Wales bar at night. I never spent any time in that room, but it looked pleasant partly due to large windows overlooking the grounds, and antique-style furniture. We walked to the Cottage but did not dine there. Some families were dining there. When our tour bus arrived, a costumed man playing the bagpipes escorted our bus across the bridge. It was festive. I was reminded that bagpipes figure in to both Scottish and Irish history. Our tour guide arranged for a local historian to give us a tour of Ashford Castle. He pointed out features of the castle I would not have noticed. The castle started out as a hunting lodge, and had various additions. The Guinness Family did a lot of updating. The castle is rural. Some of our fellow tour members took the tour bus into the town of Cong. I believe you can walk there in about 15 minutes. Cong has the tiny Quiet Man museum focused on the John Wayne -Maureen O'Hara movie. After our two week bus tour, a couple of our fellow travelers said they would have liked to spend an extra day at Ashford Castle, just to enjoy the castle. Our tour group used the hotel as a base from which to explore sites such as Galway.
Probably one of the more expensive stays I have had but they thought of every detail. Both of my children had welcome notes with small books and toys. They had had made chocolates with their names on them. Even small robes and small slippers with the turndown service. Our last name is Sherry and we had a complimentary bottle of Sherry in our room. The castle is stunning inside and out. We ate the Dungeon since we had kids along and they have lovely activity books that kept the children entertained for the whole meal. Excellent dinner. Drinks in the lounge that evening were enjoyable by the fire. Bar is gorgeous. We walked with the Irish Wolfhounds in the morning which was great to enjoy the grounds, fresh air, and scenery. Wouldn't miss it! The breakfast was lovely and wish I had a bit more time as they even had whiskey for the porridge. My salon and husband went to archery while my daughter and I went for a trail ride. Both excellent choices and well worth the splurge. Finally we had afternoon tea. Again absolutely tremendous.
The Castle and grounds are spectacularly gorgeous and stunning. The rooms are nice, although peace and quiet are a bit hard to come by as the building is quite old. We tried to sleep in to combat jet lag and were excited by the thick curtains, window shade, and AC. But the clanking and notices throughout were constant. We stayed the night of the Mayweather v McGregor fight. The hotel awesomely showed the fight in its Cinema for free and provided popcorn, candy, and drinks. They also made the fight available in rooms so that guests didn't have to get up at 4am and get dressed to watch in the Cinema. This was a very nice touch. The piano player in the lounge is a wonderful addition for after dinner drinks. Great voice, takes requests, and humors older drunk folks who probably shouldn't be sharing the mic with him. If you're looking for a one of a kind place to spend some away time and some serious money, this is the place for you. There is no shortage of things to do (for a cost), from wine tasting to boating to zip lining and falconry. It's about a 45 minute drive from Galway and once you're here, it's easy to relax and count your lucky stars.
What an experience! From the moment you enter the grounds, a fairy-tail begins. You are treated like royalty! The castle and grounds are huge and jaw dropping, immaculately maintained, green everywhere and surrounded by water. The sights are so incredibly beautiful. The stay was more than perfect. You do nothing! They do it all. From the warm welcoming drink to planning the perfect itinerary for your stay, they do it all and with a smile! They have bikes you can ride, jackets (I want one of those jackets), boots, rain coats (if the weather is bad). The gardens. Wow. The hawk walk (a must do)! Golf, boat rides, fishing, tree climbing, zip lining, multiple restaurants, bars, sitting areas, wood burning fireplaces, they even serve afternoon tea whine a lady plays the harp! Live music at night. Cong, the very small, very quaint and awesome town is adjacent to the castle grounds, we took bikes, the ride was so green and beautiful over small rivers, so pretty (great shop for wool in town). The spa! Never seen such an incredibly beautiful spa, steam room, relaxation pool, the tile work was like art! And gym, treats in the gym, beautiful sitting rooms. The view from our room, wow. Bed so comfortable. The bathroom so fancy, had every amenity. The turn down service with chocolates and slippers! I want to live in a castle!!!! We watched a movie with pop corn right down the hall, there is a game room and library, so much you can do and yet the atmosphere is so completely relaxing. I researched a lot of castle (hotels) and am so thrilled with my choice. Only regret, not staying longer. read more
This place is so pretty and beautiful it almost brings tears to your eyes. This is the closest thing you'll ever find to feeling like royalty. The staff and the service are beyond amazing, the Castle and grounds are just absolutely stunning, A must do bucket list item! read more
8 years ago
This is an ultra luxe hotel owned by The Red Carnation Group. The service and amenities are top notch. My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights on the 3rd leg of our trip to Ireland. We walked with the Irish Wolf Hounds dogs, Krona and Garvey on their morning walk. A boat ride on the largest lake in Ireland, Lough Corrib. A horse drawn carriage ride through the castle grounds. My husband played around of 9 hole golf on the grounds. Other activities here include archery, falconry, shooting clays, not to mention the full spa. This place is so gorgeous!! read more
This castle is just beautiful. From the moment into our arrival we were breathless and every minute after that as well. You are treated with absolute professionalism and respect. Every single staff will treat you or any guest as they would royalty, they are extremely clean, organized and well balanced. Whether you are going for a stroll around the camp grounds or doing activities or dining (cottage was my favorite ) it's just perfect. We came to go around Ireland and lets just say if they didn't have an exclusive wedding for whoever that has rented out the entire castle for their exclusivity we would def change our entire trip to stay here . read more
17 years ago
I stayed in Ashford castle in Ireland for a long relaxing weekend and it was just what I needed. The castle and grounds are very private and it is set on 26,000 acres covered by a wood land and lakes. It is a 5 star luxurious hotel situated in cong, co. mayo. Checking in was very personal, quick and professional, the moment you step through the door your made to feel very welcome, I guess it is all that Irish hospitality. Just a swipe from my credit card and I received my cards to the room. A porter took our luggage to our room which was the suite overlooking the Corrib lake, the room was ok not very modern or very trendy, it was basically and old style of a room, there was a large four poster bed, huge open fire place, wardrobes and a separate living room. The bed linen not only matched the curtains but also the sofa as well. Not only been a hotel, but also an old historical castle it was very drafty, but in the evening you have a personal maid to light the fire for you and many logs to throw which was a great way to end the evening lying on your bed with an open fire burning away. The bar down stairs in the dungeon to be exact is really great; they offer live entertainment in the evening as well as traditional Irish music. Food is great as they have two very high class restaurants where you either need to wear a smoking suit or a jacket and tie. The atmosphere in the Connaught room and George v is very grand with large hanging chandeliers from above, you can eat either in the drawing room with casual clothes or have one of their delicious high teas or outside on the grounds they have an Irish thatched cottage where you can sip your pint of guineas and have a quick snack. Having many guests which come for a relaxing time, they offer a 5 star spa with much pampering for both men and women, with mostly massages, beauty treatments and skin treatments using Yon Ka Products. The spa also has a whirlpool, sauna, steam room, a gym and a lake-view conservatory for relaxing. On the estate you can go for a long walk taking in the fresh air and walk along their gardens, estate activities which are offered to guests are: golf, fishing and lake cruising. For both adults and children they offer: horse riding, Tennis, bike hire, hawk walk, archery, walking and jogging trails, jaunting car just to name a few, these activities come at an extra cost. The village of cong is relatively small, it was made famous by the movie "the quiet man" staring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Barry Fitzgerald, the movie was both made in the village of cong and also in Connemara. The village has many local and traditional Irish bars, cafes, local shops and a tourist information centre, there is not much to buy or to do in the village of cong, however it is more a scenic area. For shopping or night life your closets large city is Galway about 40 km away. The costs of the hotel come with a steep price tag; rates are from 300 - 2500 Euros per night with breakfast, however out of season you can get good discount and good packages at affordable rates. High seasons however and public holidays tend to a high rate and normally rooms are sold out. I recommend anyone either who would like a place to rest their head for a night or two or their body and soul or just to experience dining in such a fine and grand hotel as Ashford castle. I would definitely return to this hotel and yet again relax with a good book. read more
9 years ago
My expectations may have been too high. We stayed for 2 days to celebrate a birthday. The rooms are very expensive at about $1000-$3000per night. Once you're there, it's like a cruise ship where you book your meals and entertainment which adds a another $500 or so per day. I found it disappointing that about half of the staff seemed to be Eastern European and definitely not Irish, so you really miss out on that experience. Dining service seemed understaffed. Food quality was ok. Skip eating in the dungeon- it feels a lil generic. Unless you have thousands to blow, before you go, I'd recommend not adding this to your bucket list. It's not worth the money. Oh and the Castle bestowed me with some lip balm as a birthday gift. I really thought that was an insult. read more
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Ashford is special in so many ways, but the service there is was really makes the difference. From Thomas at the front gate, to Sinead at reception, Brandon at archery, Fenton the historian, Breege and Eleanor at the dining room and list goes on, every single person you meet treats you like you are queen of the castle. The grounds are so gorgeous that I often just stopped in front of a window and stared, but it always took only a moment for a staff member to come over and make sure I was enjoying myself and wasn't wanting for anything. I am so impressed with the recent (2013) renovations and can't thank the Tollman's enough for bringing this gem back to its original glory. The food was good but dinner at the dungeon wasn't of the same amazing quality as tea, breakfast and lunch in the drawing room. The caprese sandwich in the drawing room was the best I've ever had (although I asked for it on a baguette and I think they should change it to be served that way). However, the dungeon staff was fantastic and accommodated us so kindly when we ran in at 9:40pm (they close at 9:30) after walking in the rainy forest all evening. But the food isn't what you should come for, it's the royal experience, the luxuries like the stunning library in which I could have spent weeks, or the tremendous grounds that we walked for three days straight and still didn't complete. There's too much to say about Ashford, but really all you need to know is go here, it is well worth the money. read more
16 years ago
The castle grounds, trails, creeks, boat tours, and greenery were my favorite... absolutely amazing. Superb, formal dining. Could spend a week trout fishing the private creek.. Rooms were well appointed and staff friendly. Lounge singer was fun, the crowd diverse and eclectic which helped give the whole place had the feel of a murder mystery. Good Times! read more
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Be sure to take the lake cruise to Inchagoill island with Patrick and his crew. It's indescribable! read more
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Fantastic from the first moment till the last! The service, the grounds, the food, we cannot say enough about our stay! They made us feel very special, a must stay if traveling to Ireland!!! read more
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