Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate

My daughter and I shared afternoon tea for Mother’s Day on the 15th. From our initial entrance into the hotel it was just a lovely friendly warm welcoming experience. We dined in The River room and it was just exceptional. The staff were so friendly and accommodating. The afternoon tea was just 5 star. We will definitely return.

I attended the Glenn Abby for lunch with my sister and her children the minute I entered the premises I felt watched and uneasy the staff were very rude when I received my food I also received the bill 10 mins later they couldn’t get us gone quick enough there was other couples with children so I didn’t understand why we were getting singled out I’ll never attend it again absolutely ridiculous Good was good thought

My wife & I booked this weekend away a few months back. We'd been once before and enjoyed the hotel. Great this time, too. Perhaps the only annoying thing was the slight griping of other customers about things that seemed trivial. I'm afraid such nice places sometimes attract those with a sense of entitlement! The bar was a wee bit rowdy on the Friday night, too, when we were trying to get something to eat. But I guess the Ireland-Wales rugby wad on. What did we expect! Thanks for a nice weekend.

Where do I even begin? The sheer disappointment of our stay is honestly overwhelming. We had been so looking forward to staying here, but unfortunately we have been left bitterly disappointed, and the whole experience has left a very bad taste in our mouths. We checked in on Sunday, 15th March, for a two-night stay. We had Sunday lunch booked in Palmers, which was average at best. The desserts in particular were very disappointing, and even the waiter appeared to notice this. However, the worst part of our stay was the room. We were checked into Room 202. While the room itself was pleasant enough, the bed was completely unacceptable. We both had a terrible night’s sleep — little to no sleep at all — and woke up with sore backs. On closer inspection, it was obvious that the mattress was old, worn out, and not fit for purpose. There was also a stained, disgusting top sheet and mattress topper, which appeared to be covering up the poor condition of the mattress itself. I have attached photos for reference. As you can imagine, we were extremely upset and frustrated. Before breakfast, I went to reception to make a complaint and asked to speak to a manager. I heard nothing back, so I had to call reception again around midday and ask for a manager to come to the room to inspect the bed. Donal came to the room, sincerely apologised, and confirmed himself that the bed was not acceptable. We were then offered an upgraded room, which we did view. However, given the price we paid and the fact that we had already lost an entire night’s sleep, we really wanted to leave early and return home to a decent bed. I asked about cancelling the second night, but was told that because the room had already been booked for the second night, we would not be entitled to any refund due to hotel policy. We therefore felt our hands were tied and had no real choice but to accept the new room. I also queried a refund for the first night, given that we got virtually no sleep and the bed was clearly not fit for use. The offer made was a paltry €71, or 25% off the first night, which is frankly nowhere near adequate given the circumstances. So now we are left staying in a hotel after a dreadful first night, exhausted from lack of sleep, and with no meaningful resolution. Sleep is the most basic expectation of any hotel stay, regardless of star rating, but I expected far, far better from Glenlo Abbey, particularly as it is marketed as a 5-star establishment. Based on our experience, it absolutely does not meet that standard, and I do not believe it deserves such a rating. We will certainly never return, and I fully intend to raise this matter with the Irish Country Houses & Restaurants / Blue Book and Fáilte Ireland regarding how this property continues to hold itself out as a 5-star hotel when basic standards like a serviceable bed are not being met.

Mother’s Day lunch in palmers. James, Salvador and Giorgio provided great service. Food was excellent.