Fota Island Resort

Grumpy staff, warm wine... no where near 3 star let alone 5 star. Wildlife park only redeeming feature but you dont need to stay in hotel.to visit this

Well worth the money really enjoyed the weekend there with the kids

Absolutely everything was perfet! Staff, room, bed, spa.... I wouldn't have anything to add. Maybe just a small shuttle to city center in case we need something last minute.

My mom and I booked a table for 19.30 in the Amber Room at The Fota Island Resort to celebrate my 30th birthday, and mentioned the occasion when booking by phone. We arrived at 19.25. It took until 19.50 to receive even a jug of tap water, and at no point during the entire meal were we brought a drinks menu — despite being there over two hours. That water was never refilled for the rest of the night. Starters took 30 minutes to arrive, and within the first few spoonfuls of my seafood chowder I found a fly in it. I've attached a photo. I lost my appetite immediately and had to sit with it in front of me for a long time, as no member of staff checked on our table. Our mains arrived before our starter plates had even been cleared, and neither of us was given fresh cutlery. My lamb was tough, but by that point I'd been waiting so long I ate it anyway rather than send it back and wait again. My mom's burger was absolutely terrible — it arrived with two bun tops, no sauce, and nothing to it. I've attached a photo of that too. No one checked on us again for the rest of the night. Dessert, when it finally came, was mediocre and not worth the price, and we weren't even offered a tea or coffee to go with it. No candle, no acknowledgment of the birthday from staff at all — despite it being mentioned at the time of booking — the only "happy birthday" I got was from my own mom. There was no background music at any point, and the room was lit with harsh white lighting that made an already flat, unwelcoming atmosphere worse. A supervisor did eventually come over — briefly — to say the chowder would be taken off the bill, and that was the only gesture made in over two hours. Even getting the bill itself took a long time, with no one checking in to close out the meal. Despite all of this, the bill still came to over €100. My mom was visibly upset that we didn't get to celebrate the occasion properly. I've also felt stomach discomfort since the meal. Fota Resort markets itself as a 5-star hotel and charges accordingly. This was not a 5-star experience by any measure — it was a birthday booking flagged in advance, met with a fly in the food and over two hours of near-total service failure. Photos attached

An amazing luxurious resort. Beautiful spacious and extremely comfortable room. The spa treatment and swimming pool was wonderful. I felt totally pampered. Fabulous food, wonderful and attentive staff...