Bellinter House is a gorgeous spot for afternoon tea on a special occasion or even just a nice…read morelunch out if you're after a change of scenery and something a little different to your ordinary cafe. Dining areas located in the front drawing room and in main living room area directly past the reception desk. It is usually quite busy here so sometimes it can be good to book ahead. I've been here twice for afternoon tea, and have called ahead to avail of a vegan and gluten free afternoon tea cake tier at no extra charge, something I really appreciate from the chefs in Bellinter. Staff are mostly very friendly and helpful and the seating areas are roomy with beautiful views onto the grounds and River Blackwater if you happen to get a spot near a window. The decor is absolutely stunning within the premises. There is also a spa on location, and you can avail of spa treatments even if you do not happen to be staying at the location. I would recommend Bellinter House as I think it is a beautiful spot in a fabulous reclusive setting.

I stayed in an area of the main house and it was very fancy. I attended for a wedding and it was…read morequite expensive. It did seem like the sauna/ pools were included in the booking but we were all charged an extra 25€ which was a bit annoying though it at least wifi was included and functional. I will agree with reviews where room temp was not incredibly adjustable, though weather was fairly mild during my stay so temp was okay, while I heard other guests indicating their rooms were quite hot. The room I had was very fancy/ nice. There seemed to be a variety of spa activities to choose from, though I only used the sauna/ pools. There were a lot of fancy baths to be ordered to the rooms, which all seemed to have their own tubs. They had someone come to carry my heavy luggage up the stairs which was much appreciated. The restaurant had all good food, particularly for lunch and dinner. Breakfast was simple but good. The grounds were absolutely stunning, service was generally well done all around. This would be a great retreat for either a romantic or relaxing weekend.

First of all food was very good and serving staff very friendly and helpfull…read more But. The rooms in the main house certainly not up to standard. I appreciate rustic but things should work. For example, sockets loose in the wall, only one socket of double socket working, bedside lights can only be turned on/off from one side of the bed. Both room and en-suite very small as en-suite has been partition off from the room leaving no space in either, toilet so close to the wash hand basin that one has to sit sideways.

Ok so I was shooting a wedding so my experience might have been slightly different! I found the…read moreplace to be charming and very pleasant. The staff were so lovely and accommodating and the food was very tasty as I had the soup and sea bass at dinner time. It's a lovely spot for a wedding, even more so in the summer I'd say :)

We had a lovely time at this relaxing edge of town hotel. We got a great welcome, check in was a…read morebreeze. Our ground floor room didn't have much of a view but it was cosy. It had an in - room kettle tea/coffee biscuits, a tv that was a bit of a challenge to get to work and it was so quiet. So the tv is tuned to open at a menu featuring N'flix and it took a minute to realise I had to click along several boxes to reach the tv icon so it's no longer simple just to put on the tv. Our deal included dinner. We had a one course main so opted to pay €7.5 up charge for 10oz sirloins. The food was delicious and the portions generous. Each main included chips, but we held one back as we knew we simply wouldn't eat that much food and we really dislike food waste. While they had English mustard they didn't have the finest - Colman's. Breakfast was pretty good particularly if you are sausage bacon and egg inclined. Most of my breakfast was made from scratch and tasty. There's no fresh fruit, no cold meats, no fish (I realise this is my first visit and the owners will know what works at breakfast and I've been in higher star hotels that don't offer fish) and the mini croissants and mini chocolate croissants do really need re thought and upgraded. I'm aware too that myopic politicians in the country are deliberately punishing small hotels, outside the capital, by taxing hospitality to give the multi national hotel operators a punch in the nose for mercenary price gouging much of which is disgraceful. All the staff were genuinely friendly and the hotel environment was delightful. Hope to return.

I described this hotel as 'fur coat no knickers' to my friends at the wedding I was at. It's…read morebeautiful from the outside, really pretty interior, and the woman at check in was exceptionally helpful and gave me early check in. But that was where my enjoyment ended. Couldn't get away from the place quick enough. Walked into the carvery at 12.26pm and 6-8 staff stood at the other end of the room. Carvery doesn't open till 12.30pm and I'm not sure how it works - do I seat myself? Do I get seated? No idea. And if I hadn't shouted down the restaurant at the staff, I'd still be standing there none the wiser. I'd been reassured by the woman at the front desk that their carvery was 'the best,' the meat was delicious and juicy, but beyond that it was rough going. Breakfast wasn't much better - and again, no one was particularly helpful about how the system worked. Lots of staff, just not very helpful. Room was absolutely freezing (in May!). There was a bright light from a corridor across the alleyway beaming into the room all night, and the walls were paper thin so it was loud all night, the room phone kept making an audible dial tone so I had to disconnect it. For the price, I wasn't thrilled at all.

We looked at this place as a potential wedding venue…read more The setting was perfect, the main house was spectacular, the grounds were awe-inspiring. So, why didn't we use the venue? We found the staff not overly accommodating and not willing to be helpful.... we felt it was an odd way to conduct business in a climate where most businesses were struggling and certainly all others in the service industry were climbing over each other to secure business. Still, worth popping in for a coffee if you are passing. there was a HUGE dog that lived by the rental cottages - gorgeous, totally worth going to see him if you are there!

With minimal mobile phone reception, this off-main-road country house could be a haven for someone…read morelooking to escape into the countryside for a nice wander around the grounds, through their rustic on-site shop and a cool drink in the beer garden. Unfortunately, I was looking for Sky Sports and a nice meal after a mass in Rathkenny. The staff were very helpful in trying to locate Sky Sports on the terrestrial television, but to no avail. No phone reception was the final kick for me, I thought, then, after a 25 minute wait for service after ordering, I was served a sub-standard cesar salad with unwashed lettuce, rubbery cheese, cold, hard bacon and what tasted like mayonnaise as dressing. However, I must have been alone in my bad-day as the other 7 who were with me enjoyed their meal, albeit that the spicy lamb pie was a little too spicy for those who ordered it and the pastry topping was an over-cooked puff pastry hat for the pie and the chips were over-seasoned and as-if from frozen. The salmon got the thumbs up. The stand-out element of food for Tankardstown has to be the sea-food chowder. "The best I have ever tasted" so, sea-food lovers, Tankardstown house is the place for you. The area is picturesque and the toilets are of high quality with the lovely touch of molton brown and candles. I think if they put a little bit more effort into the food, strip it back and get the basics right (and maybe get a phone-reception booster, oh, and Sky Sports..!! just me?) then this definitely has the potential to be a 5-star venue.

Dunboyne Castle and Hotel isn't really a castle but a mansion house or manner home once home to the…read moreLord of Dunboyne. It is set on 21 acres of lovely lawns and gardens and it really is a peaceful oasis! It is beautifully restored, every detail within the Castle has been carefully considered, from its dazzling soaring interior to sumptuous soft furnishings and original modern artwork. There are 145 spacious rooms at a four star standard. The bar is a really nice place to sit back, relax in the surroundings and feel all posh like and the terrace is a lovely place to take advantage of the 5euro scone or carrot cake and coffee offer and sit out and enjoy the beautiful gardens! It really is a very nice, tranquil hotel! Of course when I was there there was a debs going on so all that peace was ruined so just check to see what functions are on when you want to book!

6pm Booked a table for 2 with my wife in the hotels ivy restaurant on Saturday 19th June for…read more6.30pm all okay we assumed so we went to get a drink at the downstairs bar, 5 minutes later I was then informed we could not have a table till after 9pm as they were fully booked. We checked in later around 7.30pm to see if true and discovered the restaurant was half empty. Very bemused so went to a restaurant in Dunboyne village instead. What is going on at this hotel that I regularly visit? Not again though.

The service here was spectacular! Everyone we encountered was so nice and pleasant. The rooms were…read morecomfortable, and it was nice to have the hotel bar. Our breakfast was included as well which is a huge perk. We stayed here before visiting Emerald Park as this was recommended on their website. It is within good distance to the park, but is an expensive cab ride if you aren't driving yourself there!

Got a deal on one of the sites for a a two nights stay in the hotel. The hotel itself is lovely-…read morethe atmosphere is friendly and warm, the food in the restaurant was excellent too, really enjoyed the drinks at the bar also. Room was quite big and really nice, but the bed was a disaster. It was a four poster bed ( which I was very excited about, looked great in the pictures, but soon the excitement turned into a disappointment) and it creaked A LOT and the mattress was extremely uncomfortable. Was very hard to get a good nights sleep! Breakfast on the morning was excellent! All in all a pleasant enough experience, but the beds need some care!

Loved this unique hotel inside and out. The staff at the front desk were always helpful and…read morewelcoming. Everything was very clean, too. Being able to just walk out to the pier and lighthouse was SO nice! Breakfast was good and the server didn't give me grief when I asked for some ice

We generally liked this hotel. The staff was always very friendly. The location was good and…read morewalking distance to the train station. Things we didn't like: there is a pub down stairs that stays open very late in the evening. You can hear the club music all through the room. One night we were kept awake until 2:00AM because of the noise. It just so happened that on this same night, the boiler went out so we had no heat and no hot water to take a shower. I would possibly consider staying here again in the future if I could get a room away from the pub.

We came here for a wedding and it was incredible. Each room has a unique feel to it and with over…read more100 people at the event it felt very comfortable. We stayed upstairs in room 11 and it was really pleasant. Newly remodeled and clean. Highly recommend checking this place out for an event or just to stay and admire the castle!

When one of my best friends told me he was going to get married in a castle in Ireland, I was…read moreimmediately pumped for the trip. And Bellingham Castle was the chosen venue and boy it exceeded all expectations. I even got to stay here for one night and they had such a pleasant hospitality. We ended up getting the "Kevin" room, which had a balcony view of the garden and patches of greenery that stretched as far as the eye could see. The place was really peaceful and my New York State of mind was completely gone, although temporarily. I really felt like a little kid when I went on to explore the different rooms in the castle. The furnishings and designs are things you would expect to see in films. My favorite rooms were probably the Bottlery (wine room) and The Buttery (the kitchen). Their castle dog, Ri, was super adorable and roamed around as if he owns the place. Some castles can feel intimidating but this place felt very intimate and homey. If only I could live there forever....