Carton House is a beautiful property with vast grounds for golf, falconry, and hiking. My room was…read morespacious and the bed was very comfortable for a night's rest. The Rose 31 shampoos, conditioners, and lotions in the room were lovely. Breakfast was included with the room rate, and there was an ample selection of warm and cold traditional breakfast items, including my favorites black and white pudding, potato farls, creamy scrambled eggs, poached eggs, local cheese, local jam, honey comb, and assorted espresso drinks and teas. If judging by the room, breakfast, and the grounds alone, I would provide a 5-star rating.
However, I found the climate control to be inconsistent throughout the hotel (1 star off). Air conditioning was mostly available in individual rooms, but lacking in main hallways and public bathrooms. The woman's bathroom on the ground floor felt like a sauna.
The staff was pleasant, but service seemed forced, and at times awkward (1 star off). For example, when I arrived, the greeter asked me where I am from. I said California, and then he said nothing. It seemed like he had been trained to ask guests that question, but had no idea how to follow up to carry on a conversation.
There are a couple restaurants on-site. I had dinner at the Carriage House, which is where the hotel breakfast is served and open to the public as a restaurant for dinner. The striploin with fries was good, but the pan-seared cod was not. I also did not like the shrimp cocktail (way too much dressing) or chai crème brûlée (no chai flavor, just a very heavy custard). The sourdough bread was delicious (we ordered several baskets!) Dinner on-site was convenient, but hit-or-miss.
Lastly, the hotel has many doors that close off hallways. They are fire doors and must be closed. I understand this is an old property and the architectural design may not have been updated, but it made the hotel feel closed off and uninviting. Well, if the main hallways are not hot like a sauna, maybe it would not be a fire hazard in the first place.
