Castlemartyr Resort

We stayed in 2 of the lodges in the Walled Garden (also referred to as the Orchard Lodges). The welcome from Gerry and his team was 5 star, throughout our stay they were warm, engaging and generous with their time. For the 3 double bedrooms lodges at circa €1000 a night per lodge I had tempered expectations for the standard of the lodges. And this was appropriate. The beds are very comfortable and bed linen is crisp, but the lodges themself are run down (broken dish washer, water marks, damp smells, university accommodation standard leather couches) and the grounds outside unloved. It seems that some of the lodges are in private ownership, and we got the impression from the reception staff that we were something of a second class citizen up in the lodges; this was reflected in the fact that there is no ability to obtain room service (even when we offered to collect ourself from the hotel) in the lodges. All in all the lodges were fine (and importantly clean) but the quality is more 3 star than 5 star (oddly one of our lodges, 21, was significantly fresher than the other, 8). A word of warning, the lodges are roasting even in April (we did employ the fans left in the bedrooms). The spa treatments we had across the group were all excellent and the staff also brilliant. The fabric of the spa itself however needs some investment. There were various elements of the hydro treatment rooms which were out of order and signs of damp, wants of decoration etc. visible throughout. The food and staff in the brasserie along with the cocktails and staff in Knights Bar were all 5 star. We had booked the Hunting Hog for dinner on Saturday evening at 5pm via the hotel and this had been confirmed and reconfirmed by myself by email pre arrival. I was called on Saturday early afternoon to explain that the area had been booked for a large 30th birthday party at 7pm that evening and our table would be required. In the pub the service we received from our female waitress was excellent and the food very enjoyable. It was, because of the unexpectedly short timeframe, all a bit rushed and even in that period the bar did run out of aperol. In summary, the staff we encountered were delightful and offered true hospitality. The hotel itself (including the lodges), need investment before the cracks deepen.

This visit was my second at Castlemartyr. The grounds are stunning with local Irish art on display both indoors and outdoors. We had 2 run of hotel rooms and 1 suite. The suite was grand and well worth the price. The amenities are lush and varied. Golf, horse back riding, walking, etc. The Jameson's Distillery is about a 10 minute drive. The very well-known Ballymaloe Hotel and Cooking School is nearby. Cork is 20 minutes away. I wish that the staff were a bit more outgoing and open to suggesting activities. Otherwise, they were great and helped us during our stay.

Wonderful weekend break. Beautiful hotel, friendly staff, comfy bed. We loved spending time in the swimming pool and exploring the grounds. The staff were so helpful. The breakfast was absolutely delicious. Five stars. I would highly recommend

Golf course is a disgrace. I have never seen such badly maintained greens, we could not believe they charged full green fees and showed indifference when we complained. Stay in the hotel for any reason but not golf. A real green keeper would be ashamed of this cou.

I had a facial and leg massage with Caroline and it tops any other experience She was superb and professional and gifted Just feel great Highly recommend Caroline The whole ambiance is great A piece of paradise Again highly recommend this spa Caroline is a huge asset