The old Setanta Hotel, the setting for this hotel is just stunning. The old building is really very…read moregrand, and they've put a lot of money into the decor inside. It's great to see it being used again as it was closed for many years following the economic slump, which was a shame as it should be an asset for a town like Celbridge. Beyond the hotel though, I would however love to see the guys here really try to get more of the local crowd in on the weekends. The food just isn't all that. Celbridge is crying out for a really top notch restaurant to go to - Maynooth has loads - but it seems that the Manor Hotel has unfortunately fallen short of the mark. It'd be great to see them re-look at their menu and do something a little special that would draw the non-residents crowd in and make it a hub in the town.

We stayed here for three nights last month. The location was perfect as we were visiting my son who…read moreis living in nearby Leixlip for one year. The hotel's facade is beautiful and raises one's hopes for the interior which is tired and somewhat charmless. Our room was spacious and had a large bathroom with a wonderful tub--perfect for reading in a bubble bath in the middle of the night due to jet lag. One night, there was a wedding onsite, so the noise was loud, despite the fact that we were in the attic. The breakfast was okay. The staff was friendly. Easy walk to the village and Castletown House--which is a lovely place to visit if you're interested in history, architecture, or dogs (lots and lots of dogs are brought there to romp in the field).

Truly a five star golf resort, but a wonderful hotel where you are greeting by a true gentleman…read moreasking what he can do. Lovely rooms and amenities with some some of the best service we have had. Lovely hallways that beg with a Jameson and intimate conversation. Both restaurants are similar yet different and great food. A totally different Irish retreat, on to Galllway!

For a five star hotel, the Carton House was a real disappointment…read more The outside and grounds are impressive, to be sure. Two full golf courses tells you who the target audience is. This is a conference center/golfing destination that is geared toward larger groups. I was supposed to share a room with a friend, and we were told there was a water issue so we were upgraded to each have a room. Awesome, right?The room was a nice size, and the bed was very comfortable. But the air conditioning wasn't working in either -- or in the hallway. When we told reception about this, we were told, "Maybe you're not used to the air conditioning in Ireland -- it's not as strong as in the States." We'd already been in Ireland for two weeks, and in every other hotel that had air conditioning, the AC worked perfectly. They said they'd send someone up to look at it; when we returned from dinner, nothing had been done and there was a small fan in the room that did nothing. I tried opening the window but had to close it quickly because it was so buggy. The next day, I called someone else at the front desk, and they said, "Yes, yes, we know about this, we will look into it." The staff feel like they're made up of people who are there to be trained; a real mish-mash of folks who didn't seem to particularly enjoy their work. Unlike every other hotel we stayed in throughout Ireland, where people told us proudly how long they'd worked in a particular place, stories about the area, and just about themselves, the people working at Carton House barely made eye contact (with a few exceptions). Understaffed bar and restaurant.

Been going here for years.! I don't think any time that we have gone there where the meal wasn't…read morenice.?? Would have to say it is the nicest restaurant in Leixlip.! The food is out standing and the service is the same.! Also a good % of the staff have been working there for a good few years know us and always very helpful and attentive.!

Salivating ahead of heading here this weekend…read more We usually go for Christmas Eve and other big occasions and I've always found that the staff are exemplary. The menu is vast, with options to suit all palates. Becketts provides their menu seasonally too, so vegetable sides are generally what is in season which I think is quite rare so lovely to have. The variety is across starter, mains and desert, which again, usually places fall down on one area but I can't say this about here. What I love is the fact that the starters generally push the boat out a little on flavour so it really gives you the opportunity to try something but still has the soup and melon for the plainer eaters. You see all age groups in Becketts and while, at first, the space might seem to be a little cramped and there can be a bit of a squish at times, the food makes everyone happy and cheerful!

I recently picked up a Groupon deal for a night in Finnstown House and we decided to book for the…read moreweekend of my birthday. The hotel is located just past the barren wastleland of Adamstown. The fact that you have to walk through physical evidence of the recession from the train station might be a little off putting at first but it's only a short walk and the hotel has helpfully sign posted the way very clearly. Once you're within the grounds you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in the middle of the countryside. There's a some lovely gardens surrounding the hotel and they probably made for some great photos for the wedding couple we spotted on arrival. I was a little nervous when I spotted the party because having been to several Irish weddings I know how loud they can get. Thankfully the reception was held in another part of the hotel far removed from our room and we never heard a peep out of them. Once we'd gotten the key to our room from the smiley receptionist we headed straight upstairs and to our delight the heating was already on full blast (it was like minus 3 that day). The room was tastefully decorated in a old country house style with massive curtains covering an entire side of the room and the comfiest bed I've ever slept in. We opted for bar food instead of the restaurant for dinner and our burgers were delicious and reasonably priced as was the drink. The breakfast the next day was a buffet and while the sausages were a little tough there was a big choice of food (both hot and cold). Well deserving of my first 5 star review.

I am a fan of this place because of their amazing grounds,staff and food…read more I have been at Finntown many times, and as my wedding venue I couldn't have picked better place. The food is superb. Starters, mains, desserts, everything well presented and delicious. I love their breakfast and tea time. The rooms in the main building can get a bit noisy during wedding time.

Promises a lot....Avoid room two if you are noise sensitive; we left a little underwhelmed which is…read morea shame. The property is set in a great location and is handy for Dublin airport. Our bedroom was comfortable with the exception of the bed; this was at the end of its life and the mattress was not that comfortable. The location is quiet so we slept OK. The staff just two of them) were friendly but it must be a tough place to work as there seemed to be few staff. The bed mattress in Room TWO needs replacing and also one hears noise from 06.00 from the small kitchen/washing up area beneath it, which was irritating. The small selection of food served in the bar was OK but there is no atmosphere within the bar area and it feels 'cold and sterile'.

Beautiful, calming, serene, wonderful, lovely, delightful, charming. We were so blessed to call…read morethis home for 8 days. Staff is welcoming and kind. Grounds are amazing and take you back in time. Food and drinks at the bar are excellent and reasonably priced. We fed the ponies daily and strolled the town as well. The Victorian garden and hidden gardens are so peaceful and serene. What a lovely place to stay on holiday or otherwise.

We stayed for two very cosy nights; it was delightful to return here and try to restart what had…read morebeen our normal for years. The staff, as ever, were welcoming and attentive, and the warming gas fire was burning away in the lobby fireplace. We bunked up in room 202. The only downside here, that didn't especially bother me, was that I could hear the central heating boiler kicking on in the early mornings. We dined in their pub both nights. It made me smile to think we were in Arthur Guinness's original brewing site so it was Guinness and Paddy whiskey, a sipping whiskey, both drinks are so smooth, with Paddy only requiring two drops of water. Arthur, lived to 83. He had 21 children. He was left £100 by his deceased uncle, a church of Ireland Archbishop, which he used to start his brewery. I recall reading that he sold his stout at a penny a pint and most competing brewers, of which there were many, were a halfpenny when recession hit hard. As it turned out, his brewery was one of very few that survived staying at a penny a pint as discerning drinkers opted to pay a penny for quality. Speaking of quality, the food here was exceptionally good. I'm not a big fan of chicken wings but opted for Guinness & whiskey sticky sauce wings as the choices were restricted. They were very good and at least 5 chickens were definitely harmed in the making of my starter. The fillet steak main - grass fed dry aged Irish beef is world class, needing only proper cooking (from room temperature) rested at least the for time taken to cook and the pink pepper sauce was quite good - some added butter and a small sup of cream would have made it much better. I asked for a medium steak. I got it. Perfect. The only other improvement would be to make the onion ring batter lighter/crisper say buttermilk batter or tempura? The chocolate brownie dessert was very tasty, only walnuts would improve it. We were served by Marc both nights. What a joy - he's not a barman he's a host. He really took great care of us. You do notice when folks are being attentive to your needs so thank you Marc. All the breakfast food we had was delicious and what joy to return. I paused mid this review as the WW1 commemoration was on tv - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - and your politics don't matter when millions of human beings selflessly gave their today for all our tomorrows. The least we can do is say thank you for sacrifices beyond comprehension. Democracy is fragile. It's now under attack like never before; just look at what happened in Washington DC on 6 January 2021 and think on....

After discovering the truth behind Groupon's travel package scams, my wife and I decided to build…read moreour own trip: drive throughout the majestic and history-laden island of Ireland. After touching down in Dublin just after 4 AM (my apologies...0400!), we hit the capital city with the kind of blunt force one would receive stepping into the ring with Ivan Drago! After visits to Malahide Castle, The National Museum of Ireland (which was absolutely incredible so for anyone teetering on the fence regarding carving out some time for a look, DO NOT HESITATE! The museum is chock-full of historical treasures!), Trinity College (The legendary Book of Kells), Christ Church Cathedral and a trip down Temple Bar, we headed outside the perimeter of the city and nestled into our room at The Courtyard in Leixlip. Since I put together our travel itinerary, allow me to explain why I chose this location as our initial point of lodging. The hotel serves as the original site where Arthur Guinness created his brewing empire; the entire hotel is renovated from the old brew house, which I admit is very cool. And as the website points out, the location is VERY picturesque, with an incredible open courtyard and a walking trail behind the hotel with follows the path of the nearby flowing river. There are a few spots where one can step out onto the "pier" and look out over the river flowing below. I've included some pictures to accompany this review. So, why only two stars? First, the hotel is damn near impossible to find unless you're a local. A GPS gets lost in the middle of town and spins around like a compass sitting on a gravity field. There are NO signs to be found directing one along the correct path. What you have to do is travel further down the road and the hotel's entrance is located BEHIND a large car park. Again, NO signs stating this fact. Once one has traveled through the car park, they are presented with a gate, which requires a 4 digit pin. The ONLY way to get the access pin is from the hotel's receptionist, which would require the individual to know where the hotel resides. It's a nightmare simply finding the hotel and then actually getting access to their car park. Next, the room amenities. There are NO shower doors and the floor is completely level with the room's carpeted area. So, water pools up everywhere, creating a severe slipping hazard and due to the lack of any semblance of door, sprays down every inch of the bathroom. I found it a very unsafe design, especially for older folks. And with the leveled floor, the carpets were routinely getting wet. The radiator (room heater) controls also seemed to be fused into place so it was impossible to adjust the room's temperature. A setting had been made prior to our arrival so the room was already smoldering when my wife and I arrived. There didn't appear to be any remedy outside of opening the adjacent windows. It was so cold outside that it snowed so our choice for room temperature came down to A) Surface Temperature of the Sun or B) Absolute Zero of space. Majestic, indeed! My REAL gripe sits with the hotel's connected restaurant and bar/club. The hotel stays open until 11 PM and the bar/club remains bouncing until 2 AM. The walls of the rooms must be paper thin because my wife and I heard E V E R Y T H I N G! The bass was vibrating the room furniture! We had an early leave time the next morning and after 1 AM, I threw in my towel and confronted the front desk staff on the noise level. They appeared confused, as if they found it odd that I was disturbed by the decibel range. One staff member even said to me "well, it is a bar..." The two staff members explained to me that all of the rooms situated on that side of the hotel would be experiencing the penetrating sounds of the bar. There was nothing they could do. That was not acceptable for me. I stood before them in my pajamas and wasn't leaving. Eventually, we were moved to another room on the other side of the hotel, which we found completely silent. How in the Hell anyone slept on the other side of the hotel near the bar is beyond me. It was much, MUCH too loud, especially for anyone looking for a relaxing, quiet getaway, tourist OR local. This is a fun hotel, for sure but make sure to request a room AWAY from the restaurant and bar and make sure to get detailed directions from the hotel's staff before making your venture. Who knows where you'll end up!

Ah the Springfield. I grew up in nearby Lucan. I've seen the Springfield at its best and worst and…read moreI can certainly vouch that it is on the best side of things at the moment. I celebrated my confirmation here in 1999 and what has not changed since then is the quality of the homely food that you always get in the Springfield. The owners pride themselves on good quality food and top of the market customer service. Great for: Sunday dinners and family get together's. I threw my sister her babyshower here. They gave us a private boardroom and let us decorate as we saw fit. They made sure there was plenty of tea, coffee and water available and provided sandwiches and biscuits too. They were happy for us to bring in our own cake and sparkling Rosé (pink themed for a little girl) and they provided corkage and glasses all within a really reasonable price for renting the room. They also helped us with the cake cutting and distribution. As a neat-freak, when I was tidying up a little at the end, worried I went overboard on decorations, the staff came in and told me not to worry at all and assured me that was why you rent a room - so you don't have to do the cleaning up! I like the Springfield because there is plenty of parking and it is all very close to the hotel as it is right out the front. Unfortunately, I do feel like this is a bit of a drawback for the wedding crowd. When there was less car-parking at the Springfield, there was much more green space and my sister and I had always dreamed how we would get married there and take photos in the green space. They had a little wooden structure that was like a carriage, alas it is long gone! Having said that, it seems the Springfield is still popular for weddings. Living nearby, I've never stayed at the Springfield so I cannot comment on the rooms.

I stayed here on a tour while vacationing in Dublin. The hotel is clean, comfortable, and the staff…read moreis very accommodating. I had an issue with a power adapter (my fault; not the hotel) and the front desk person Nicole was a great help, trying every avenue to assist me. Great hotel; would recommend.

Check in by Yelp and you will get breakfast and dinner along with your hotel for 52 Euro!…read more Charming hotel with friendly staff. Quiet for being so close to the highway. Would be great for commuting into the city. Just a quick bus ride to city center. Something to think about if you are staying for business or do not want to stay in the city. There is not much near this hotel and you will have to go into Lucan if you want any kind of "scene," which there is little of in Lucan. Oh, and a little to quiet at times. As I was walking up the stairs from breakfast alone, the pictures on the wall while interesting brought memories and visions of Jack Nicholson in "The Shinning." Probably was quite the hotel in its hey day, though. The food was lovely and there were LARGE portions! Cheers!

Spent last night at a club Christmas party in this hotel. The meal was standard Christmas party…read morefair and to be honest nothing to write home about. However, the entertainment more than made up for it. The band were excellent giving us renditions of all the cheesy performers we know and love complete with change of costumes. We were treated to Tom Jones, Joe Dolan, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, and the finale was Elvis. I was dying of a hangover and have to take my hats off to the lead singer who belted out the numbers. There is something comforting watching people enjoying themselves, tettering on ridiculously high heels, protecting their dignity as they reefed their mini dresses down over their arses.. Would I recommend it for a Christmas party...... most definately, suits all ages, special offers on rooms for the night and the ballroom has had an overhaul so is now very pretty with fancy schmancy chandeliers and swaggy curtains. One drawback was the bar didn't accept laser but reception were giving cash on laser so panic averted.

Overview: a comfortable, classy hotel that offers much for golfers and non-golfers…read more Arrival: Arrived by taxi from Dublin. Attentive porters and doormen. Check-in: Efficient check-in experience. Room: Excellent, quiet, spacious room with a king bed and all the typical necessities of a good hotel room. The TV was a bit small, but apart from the TV size, everything was top-notch. Bed: Good king bed with quality linens Bathroom: fantastic bathroom with beautiful double vanity sink, large soaking tub, heated towel rack, and more. Only complaint about the bathroom- poor lighting (needs more broad lighting and less shadow causing focused lighting). Sleep quality: fantastic Grounds: Fantastic grounds with great trails for walking and jogging. Staff: Great staff, friendly and attentive. Conference facilities: Attended a two-day professional conference, and the facilities were decent but highly inconsistent temperatures in the meeting areas. Wi-Fi test: tested the Wi-Fi, and it's good. Using nperf, 60 Mb down, 93 Mb upload.

Spectacular grounds and some of the best food I have ever eaten. The rooms are large and the beds…read moreare beyond comfortable. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. I'm sad to be leaving!