The Lodge at Ashford Castle

My partner is recovering from a serious illness so I booked a suite to ensure we would have a nice large comfortable and relaxing room in case he was not up to going out and about - I even explained this when making the booking. I'm lost for words on the room we were provided with - it was like something you might expect to see in a 'bordello', red shiny patent plastic couch that squeaked and made noises when you sat on it, a matching red shiny headboard, mirrored furniture, horrendous images of famous pop stars and actors with over-exaugurated red lips!! How on earth are you supposed to relax in an atmosphere like that. The room did not resemble any rooms that are on the website. We asked to be moved but there were no other suites available, the alternate room offered was tiny and we even asked could we be moved to Ashford Hotel itself but they were booked out. But it was not just the accommodation, on arriving at the Lodge the entrance had holes in the wooden floor - beware of your footwear choice if visiting, the 'art' behind the reception desk could do with a good dusting and the 'welcome' was not very welcoming. Both mornings we ordered breakfast to the room, the first morning there was no butter and even though I rang down for some to be delivered, it never arrived, the second morning there were no eggs although they had been ordered. For this 'breakfast experience' we were charged room tray rates or 12.50 per day. On checking out, 10.00 per day had been added to our bill for 'discretionary tips', even though we had tipped individuals ourselves during the stay. There was even a 'charity donation' added to our bill. The only saving event of our stay was our dinner in Wilde's Restaurant, the food was lovely and the Manager was superb and very professional. To summarise, very very very disappointed, not worth the money and most definitely not a 5 star hotel.

The hawk walk and riding were great. The room was only acceptable, the check in process was a night mare and the food was overpriced - would not rush to go Back !

Booked De Luxe Twin Bedroom. Clearly stated that two female friends requiring de lux twin bedroom as not booking as a couple. Having already ( on line) asked, the beds should have been between 3’ to 4’ wide for each single. So de lux twin bedroom booked. On arrival my female friend and I were shown to a small double bedroom, not a de lux twin bed bedroom. This was to be rectified while we went for meal at Cullens Cottage on the Ashford estate. On return, no acknowledgment and no apology and no change of room to what we had booked. Instead the original bedroom with the small double bed was what we were given, and the small double bed was split into two narrow singles with single douvet in double douvet covers on each narrow singles. Area around these were limited and definitely not a delux twin bedroom. The shower with over head water dispensing wider than the shower area wet the bathroom floor extensively. There was nowhere to hang dry clothes in the bathroom for use after a shower. There was no extractor fan so the bathroom was steamed and mirror obscured by this. Shower dripped a lot. The bedroom had a sash window that limited just the bottom part to open about 6” and as the opening was at the bottom, was insufficient for a well ventilated bedroom and bathroom. Breakfast basic for the expectation at this establishment and a male member of staff was loudly telling his colleagues all his egotistic history in full hearing of dining room during breakfast. For such a high standard location, and beautiful grounds, this de lux twin bedroom experience with complimentary breakfast at The Lodge At Ashford Castle is definitely one to give a miss 😢

The grounds are heavenly. Absolutely gorgeous. The lodge is within biking/walking distance of the castle (just need to pay attn to drivers). They have bikes to borrow so that you can cover more ground. The staff are very accommodating. You can tell that they are trying hard to make sure you have a nice experience. When we went over to the castle, there were some undertones that there's a difference between how lodge vs castle guests are treated, but we didn't really care and it didn't affect the experience much except that you have to have a reservation at a restaurant to get inside the castle if you are not staying there. Many of the same activities are available at both the lodge and the castle (e.g., hawk walk), and the concierge is fantastic about helping you book what you want. The room was fine. Minor issue was that there was no outlet in the bathroom (cannot style/blow dry your hair in there) but the view made up for small inconveniences like that one.

We recently stayed at Ashford Lodge Hotel and came away feeling very disappointed. The room rates are extremely high for what is actually on offer. The décor is certainly unusual, but not in a way that feels luxurious or comfortable—it felt dated and lacked the warmth you'd expect at this price point. Cleanliness throughout the hotel also left a lot to be desired. 6 months worth of cobwebs on the airconditioning unit in room 123 a party of 6 we also stayed in room 160 and room 102 and floors in general throughout are not maintained. For a property charging premium rates, the overall standard of housekeeping was below expectations. Breakfast was, unfortunately, the biggest letdown. The quality of the food was very poor, and overall it was one of the most disappointing hotel breakfasts we've experienced. The staff were friendly and courteous, which was the one consistently positive aspect of our stay. However, it feels as though the hotel is relying heavily on its association with Ashford Castle, which is located on the same estate. While the pricing certainly reflects the prestige of the Ashford name, the standard of the lodge itself does not. Even something as basic as the drinking water was disappointing. The tap water had a noticeable chemical taste and would benefit from being filtered before being served to guests. Overall, this is not somewhere I would recommend to anyone expecting a luxury experience. The prices suggest five-star accommodation, but the reality falls well short. You're paying for the location and the Ashford name rather than the quality of the hotel itself.