We were on our way to Ashford Castle. The hotel had been on my list for a long time, and even as a child I had been attracted by the photo in the Leading Hotels of the World brochure. Recently, however, the prices had skyrocketed, so a voucher for three nights in a stately room at Harper's came just at the right time. The room was quite expensive at the regular price.

At least a few nights were even cheaper than the rack rate of �4,795.00, which at least included breakfast. Funnily enough, the Stateroom is also cheaper than the suites, as they are supposedly so exclusively furnished.
The navigation system did its job once again and led us to some side entrance, past the lodge (a four-star hotel on the grounds) to the second checkpoint, or rather entrance. They wondered how we had gotten there without being checked, but the route through the lounge explained it. They told us that there was a much more prestigious entrance.
From the outside, Ashford Castle is undoubtedly interesting. You reach the actual hotel via a bridge with two gatehouses.





There is also a bus parking lot, but we don't really need it at all.

From the front, the castle looks nice.





It's even more impressive from behind.

Ashford Castle is also quite interesting inside. First, you enter a small foyer,

behind which is the reception with the concierge desk.


After that, you enter a larger hall with a gallery.





On the gallery





Back downstairs

Here they serve afternoon tea




In front of the main restaurant

Salon, in the evening they have live music


The bar


There is also a cinema with 2 movies per day



Another staircase



Our room was on the fourth floor, here some impressions

Stunning hotel!!

Indeed, over all it is.

As you can see in the overview, the suites are priced below the staterooms. At check-in, we were told we had a suite. Was there a downgrade? I don't think so, as our suite was very different from the photos of the normal suites and was located directly in the tower of the main building. However, photos of the suite cannot be found on the website. I must say, though, that I really appreciate having a separate bedroom and living room and prefer this to one room. Even if it is sometimes unavoidable or simply much too expensive, I don't really like combined living and sleeping areas.
Our suite was on the 4th floor (or 2nd after their counting), which is decorated in green (showed some parts in the previous post). The path has stairs, so it's not really suitable for people with walking difficulties, even though the people in the room next to us needed walking sticks.


The entrance to our suite.

The map shows an overview of the rooms in the area. Ours was the only duplex suite.

Upon entering, you first stood in a hallway with a skylight, a small closet, stairs leading upstairs, and access to a bathroom and the living room.






When I looked into the first bathroom, I wasn't very impressed at first. Some of the staterooms don't even have proper showers; you have to shower in the bathtub. So, social housing standards for �4,795 a night. That's why I asked specifically in advance. But then I also noticed that there was no toilet.


A few steps further on, it became clear that there was a second bathroom with a shower and toilet.




While the shower was nice and large, the toilet was squeezed into the corner and was very cramped. It would be difficult for taller people to use. I kept wondering whether the two bathrooms could have been connected, but that's probably not possible. Perhaps then they could have done without one of the sinks, as you don't really need four.
Let's go into the living room. Like the rest of the suite, the walls were covered in green velvet, and there was a gas fireplace.






The view was impressive, no question about it.


I can't say that I would decorate my own home in this style, but it suited the castle. And to be honest, in a castle like this, you want a room that's a little more unusual.

The stairs to the bedroom were a bit narrow.



The bedroom itself was tapered due to its location at the top of the tower.





Behind a door at the right was a dressing room,



at the left a bathroom.


The view.

All that green is a bit overwhelming!

Yes, it's very green. As I said, I definitely don't want that at home.

Let's talk about the service. It can be described in one word: American. In fact, 80 to 90% of the guests seem to be American, and the staff is fully geared towards them. You feel like you're in America, and the staff uses the same phrases that are used in the US. I wasn't used to that in Dublin.
I'll say a few words about the service here and there. Overall, it was good, but sometimes overly enthusiastic and almost intrusive.
Room service was a good example. I had restaurant reservations for 8 p.m. and a �do not disturb� sign on my door. In real top hotels, there is no need for a sign; turndown service is scheduled for after 8 p.m. Here, they follow a set routine. If you are still having breakfast at 10:30 a.m., you get a note in your room saying:

Let's be honest, you don't write a stupid note, you check again at 12. One morning, we were �intercepted� as we were leaving the room and asked if we wanted to start with the service. I agreed and �paid dearly.� When we came back from breakfast, they were still in full swing, which I hate. You can't change your clothes, which costs you a lot of time. These are just small examples....

The gardens at Ashford Castle on the lake are, as expected, beautiful.















There is also a walled garden.




You can take a boat trip across the lake and visit an island. The weather was a bit unsettled and we had other things to do, so a trip at 2 p.m. would have taken up almost the whole day. The trips are also relatively expensive (�25 or �35) when you consider the size of the boat, which is packed full.

There is also a spa area with a pool. It's not very big, but it's really nicely done. You have to register for this, as there are only a few loungers. I did it once on the spur of the moment, but I didn't really have much time.

Two weeks before the trip, I was thinking about where I wanted to eat in Ashford. I was shocked to see online that only one of the three restaurants in the castle was available. So I sent an email with my preferences and received confirmation by return. In fact, the restaurants were rather empty; they probably just block reservations for out-of-hotel guests.
The choice for the first evening fell on the dungeon in the basement of the main house. The furnishings fit well into a castle.



The menu was appealing.

We started with a mocktail.

It continued with decent bread.

Cod Cake - Chilli - Lemongrass - Coriander - Lime - Carrot

Tasty and quite a manageable portion.
Soup of the day was a pumpkin soup.

This was accompanied by �our famous Guinness bread.�

Well, we all know that in America practically everything is �famous,� �award-winning� (even if it's just a self-awarded prize) and otherwise really great. I have to say that this bread was the best we had on our entire trip. Very fluffy and tasty�I would recommend everyone try it.
Roast Hake - Citrus Velout� - Broad Beans - Peas - Killary Fjord Mussles - Courgette

Also very tasty.
Goatsbridge Seatrout - Josper Grilled Potato - Salsa Verde - Tomato - Sea Herbs

We were then given two dessert menus: the regular menu and the children's menu. We were told that the children's desserts were very popular with adults.


Warm Chocolat Fondant - Pistachio Cr�me Anglaise

Solid, but quite sweet.
Banana Split

Yes, we actually ordered a dessert from the children's menu, a banana split. Very popular in our childhood, but hard to find these days. Unfortunately, it was way too sweet, almost inedible. You'd better hope your kids' baby teeth are coming out soon.
Petit Fours

The bill

The bill was steep, even though we had non-alcoholic wine (I have it in my cellar, the bottle costs �10.90), so almost four times the price, which is a hefty markup. Otherwise, the food was good, so we couldn't complain. Ashford Castle is just a money pit, you know that going in. Given the focus on Americans, I'm surprised that they only charge a 15% service charge. They could easily have charged 20% or even more to let them feel even more at home.

Now let's talk about breakfast. Breakfast was served in the George V Dining Room.



When we arrived, I was a little shocked at first. There was a line in front of the restaurant, but everyone was in a good mood. That's normal. At the same time, there were lots of waiters walking around chatting with people and doing other things, but no one was assigning tables. Was everyone satisfied? Well, not quite everyone. One person's anger was slowly building, and the longer we waited, the worse it got. Then a waiter came...
The usual small talk began immediately, with everyone expressing their delight. �How are you?� �Did you have a beautiful night?� And all that stuff. Well, not a good idea when you've left Offerendum standing there like an idiot beforehand. So the answer was: �Not good, after the experience here,� which of course led to a stunned look. I then added, in a friendly manner, that the whole thing felt �like a cheap 3-star airport hotel.� People were rather speechless. I then explained in a friendly manner that it was absolutely unacceptable to leave people standing around outside the door. Well, maybe a little unfriendly and unnecessary in hindsight, but I'm not in the mood for this feigned good humor and buzz.
In any case, I didn't wait in the morning anymore after that.
Breakfast consisted of items that had to be ordered.

The items we ordered were of good quality, especially the pancakes were excellent.







There was also a buffet. The food was good, and the children's buffet was very nicely presented. The selection was rather limited, especially when it came to cheese.








A word about the service during breakfast: the staff were very attentive and constantly asked if we needed anything. However, this can become a problem. When I am eating my omelet and am asked three or four times (no exaggeration!) if I need anything, it soon becomes annoying. It is well-intentioned, but too much. There's also this urge to make small talk. What did you do yesterday? What are your plans for today? Many people (almost exclusively Americans) at the tables around me were enthusiastically chatting away. But I'm not really in the mood for that, and you can tell from my answers (friendly, but short). But they keep probing. Not really top notch.

Please do not take offence but I would have varied the hotels I stayed in for a trip like this. Surrounded by rich Americans cocooned in contrived luxury is fine for a day or two but I would get very bored/frustrated quickly.
There are so many great smaller hotels/guest houses available where you will get to meet all kinds of travellers and 'normal' people.
(I say this as an Irish resident and one who worked in Dromoland Castle some time ago. Its all a bit of an act from the castle and decorations to how the employees act).