Where the wilds of Connemara meet eight centuries of Irish grandeur

We stayed in The Lodge Hotel, on the grounds of Ashford Castle, for two nights, in a lovely room at the front of the hotel, with the best view. I have stayed there a few times and in Ashford Castle too, and each stay is better than the last. It was Brian’s first time and we cannot wait to return again. I want to start by praising every single member of staff in both hotels. They were the friendliest hotel staff we have ever met, they made us feel so welcome. They were all so professional, helpful, caring and explained everything we ordered from the menu. They were all so relaxed and happy. It makes such a difference to a guests stay. We had an excellent dinner there both nights, with wine and cocktails and drinks after, downstairs in the bar. Breakfast was equally as good. They catered for whatever we asked for and always asked about allergies before taking any order. We had afternoon tea in The Connaught room, in Ashford Castle, with beautiful champagne. Everything was so tasty and perfect. I cannot praise everything in both hotels and the leisure centre enough. The leisure centre is beautiful, it has a jacuzzi, a lot of loungers and garden type furniture to sit on to relax. There was a young chap constantly scanning and cleaning the centre. It was spotless. We helped walk the estate dogs, three Irish Wolfhounds, a rare red and white red setter and the friendliest labrador, Ruby, through the woods, before breakfast. It was a wonderful experience. We had photographs taken with the dogs and got to pet them. I also got to fed the estate pet Robin from my hand. We walked the excellent grounds a lot and they are very well lit up at night. We were driven to and from Ashford Castle in their electric vehicles. They have poly tunnels and grow a lot of produce used in their restaurants. A Perfect stay in every way. 😁

Had a lovely few days with my family. The archery was great fun and the scenery is spectacular. The dog walk is really lovely and the pool and gym area is immaculate The breakfast is really lovely and the staff very attentive for the most part. I was a little disappointed when I asked for a prosecco at dinner and got served lanson champagne that cost 35 euro for a glass. I initially blamed myself as I didn't think the hotel served prosecco but it was pretty frustrating to see on the menu later. Unfortunately there wasn't a bike suitable for my son which scuppered our plans a bit

There's a few things about the Lodge that I absolutely loved however there's a number of things I was really disappointed with our room being one of them. I understand there are rooms set aside for customers that check in with dogs but what I don't understand is the cleanliness of the room being compromised because of this. The bathroom sink had brown marks around the plughole... I can't stand a dirty bathroom sink. The tiles and grouting need to be scrubbed. The non slip mat for the shower is all stained and in my opinion could not be used and needs replacing. The USB chargers beside the bed are not working. There was a big iron burn on our quilt cover and the bed itself was really uncomfortable. On the plus side the staff are unbelievably friendly and welcoming and couldn't do enough for you. They are fun, engaging and interested when you chat to them. The breakfast was gorgeous and afterwards the surrounding walks are stunning. Overall we had a lovely time I just feel for the price we paid the small touches in a room need to be worked on.

My husband and I were really looking forward to staying at the Lodge as it is newer than the Castle. The rooms appeared to have much more modern amenities. We stayed in room 165 the Bingham suite which overlooked the lake. The room itself is in a separate building with only one other room. The only way to the room is up two flights of stairs. Luckily someone from the front desk brought up all of our luggage. The view on from our balcony was quite lovely. To reach the balcony, you need to climb through a door up a couple of steps. There are a couple of chairs & a small table to sit outside. In the suite, there was a couch and two chairs. All three items appear to be antiques from the turn of last century. We attempted to sit on the couch, but was unable due to no cushion padding. The chairs were both equally uncomfortable, but at least you can sit in the chairs briefly. When we arrived, there was a tiny piece of chocolate left for us that we had to share. There was no Nespresso or coffee maker only a pot for hot water. The desk was so old and had numerous stains. The bathtub was outside of the bathroom. The bathroom had a horrible smell to it. We ran hot water and spritz some cologne down the drain, which seemed to help. I could understand if we were in the castle, but the lodge is newer. As for the tub outside of the bathroom, it is in much need of a replacement. Perhaps a complete overall of this room is needed. I do not know what the other Lakeview suites look like but this room, has the appearance of a brothel. The pictures on the walls were so grotesque that I refused to even acknowledge them. This room was not inexpensive. Granted the Castle prices are more but I am truly sorry that we didn’t stay in the Castle section. Upon arrival, the breakfast was explained to us as an experience. I stated that we wanted to go walking with the dogs at the castle, but we were told that we would not be able to because we need to experience the breakfast. I also inquired if we could go to the castle prior to dinner and drink at the bar. I was told they would have to check with the Castle if this was possible. The next day I stopped by the front desk to ask if we could go to the Castle for cocktails because no one had called me. I was told yes, but you could not go more than 30 minutes prior to your dinner reservations and we were not to go any sooner than that because we were not allowed. The staff at the lodge definitely has a dislike for the employees of the Castle. One afternoon I walked to the spa. I asked about their juice and they said I could have a glass. I was then told that I could not be trusted to take the glass back to my room. I was truly offended. It was a tiny glass. I was made to feel like a thief. I was given a tour of the spa, which is not really a spa basically, just a pool. Again, so disappointed. We did dine at Wild‘s restaurant which I will have a separate review. As for the so-called breakfast experience, it was OK. The breakfast did not last two hours and we would’ve been able to go walking with the dogs. Again and again so disappointed. The breakfast food was good, but it was not an experience and was not the best we ever had. We did go to the falconry school for a hawk walk, which was excellent. We also dined at George V’s at the Castle & we were treated wonderfully. The Lodge staff even discouraged us from taking the boat tour. Our driver from the Lodge to the Castle had attitude problems he seemed to have a problem with driving us over to the Castle. He never even opened the door for me & I was dressed up with heels. When we arrived at the Castle for our dinner and cocktails, we were greeted with open arms. We were personally taken to the lounge for our cocktails and were told who our server would be. Everyone at the castle was very warm and very friendly. I asked if I could take pictures and I was told most certainly. I will have a separate review of our cocktails and dinner experience at the castle. Once dinner was over we inquired for a ride back to the lodge. This time our driver was from the Castle. He was very friendly and talked to us the entire way back to the lodge. Also, our driver told us to wait while he opened the car door. Overall, I cannot recommend staying at the lodge at Ashford Castle. If we were to go back to this area, I would consider staying in Ashford Castle.