Stayed here for our honeymoon and had a wonderful experience the entire time. Everything was within…read morewalking distance, from the pubs, to the convenient stores, and right next to the Birr Castle! The staff were very friendly and professional while meeting our service needs. We highly recommend the smoked salmon with scrambled eggs for breakfast as they make it just right. Thank you Caroline and the rest of the B&B staff for making our stay a special one!

We arrived in Dublin and spent two fantastic days there using AirBNB then the problems started as…read morewe attempted to drive a rental from the airport, manual transmission, with my left....on the frigin left...into bumper to bumper traffic!!!! We had the day from hell and after driving for 8 hours got screwed by a tenant on VRBO at 10:00 at night. No lights, one lane roads with traffic going both directions...the worst. This hotel was exactly the remedy...ESPECIALLY at 11:00 at night after trying to get in touch with the VRBO guy forever. We were greeted with held doors and the most friendly manager at the desk. He was entertaining, friendly, welcoming and warm. In the states u have single rooms or double rooms, so when we didn't see double we put "Triple", having my wife and two kids, the manager said "You put 3 people but you have 4" so I was amazed when he went as far as to give us two rooms for the same price, and went above and beyond to help us. The place is spotless and classy as any place I've ever stayed. Words can't describe how grateful I am to the manager, employees, and "The Avalon Hotel" on a whole. Thank God for these people and this establishment. And now I can rest....

Great little hotel just outside of Kilkenny, in the quiet town of Castlecomer. We loved it - the…read morelittle bar/pub/restaurant is perfect and the rooms are comfortable and air-conditioned for those warm Irish summer days! The staff was great, and the location is easy to find with plenty of parking. Super reasonable rooms too, for around 250 Euro a night.

There's just something about this place keeps drawing me back. The staff are lovely, the rooms…read morespacious and the hotel well kept. Food is hotel food if you know what I mean but the breakfast is above the ordinary. Add to that the spa and leisure centre and it's location in Birr close to Birr Castle, the bog sculptures etc. and there ye have it. I like it ...nuff said

We stayed here for a wedding. The reception took place here as well. The food was incredibly…read moregood. You wanted for nothing. Anything you wanted or needed was at your fingertips. The staff was very warm and receptive and extremely helpful. I recommend this hotel to anyone who wants great service, good food, and a comfortable place to lay their head down after their travels.

Great experience outstanding landscape and views at Castle Durrow Ireland definitely a place…read morenot to miss if you are in Ireland.

I was here for a wedding and boy do they know how to do weddings here in Castle Durrow…read more The drinks reception was out the back, in the garden and you really couldn't ask for a more perfect setting, The room the reception itself was in was wonderful. The staff were excellent. The food was amazing. Everything really appeared to go like clock work. After dinner everyone went outside to chat and mingle the night away. The heatwave we were experiencing made it feel like the Mediterranean. After the reception room closed, we made our way to the hotel bar. Greeted by a very affable bartender, he was able to give a history of a few of the pelts and stuffed animals displayed in the room. He was a good laugh too. It's only fabulous, Castle Durrow. A great day and night was had by all.

First to review... ok!…read more well.. let me just point out a few things... 1. I'm from USA 2. I don't golf 3. I didn't use their spa/club amenities. But the condo we stayed in was beautiful. 2 bedroom suite. 2 stories with living room, office/den, and kitchen, 2 bed and baths. The surrounding area was beautiful. The service in the lobby was very prompt and friendly. The food at the bar and the service there was great too. Amenities are minimal since the condo we stayed in are the self service kind... where you provide most of your own stuff. It's a full kitchen, with small fridge, dishwasher, washing machine (no dryer). Dishes, silverware, cookware, small bottle of dish soap and dish towels included. It comes with the basics like a set of towels/person and bed linens set. But it does not come with soap/shampoo like some hotels may have. There is no maid service. If you want that it, it's an additional charge. If you need extra towels or toiletries, those are also an additional charge. Just keep these in mind. Some of my travel companions weren't expecting this. For USA travelers, there is one 2 prong outlet in the downstairs bathroom. The rest in the condo are 3 prong Irish outlets. We found it very difficult to find, driving there ourselves. Addresses and street names and what not are difficult to navigate and work with in Ireland, and even with gps, it was awkward. It's not the most convenient location. But it was very interesting and an adventure for us :) So out of country visitors, and maybe even for local Irish visitors, keep that mind and map it out as best you can in detail for the smaller country roads before you head out, even if it sounds straight forward.

I'm in love with everything about this place. The lounge is lovely for a drink and a bite. The…read morestaff is attentive and friendly. The food is great. But the Spa....It is heavenly! I will always reserve a day for this spa whenever I visit Ireland. The lovely soaking pool with waterfall, steam, sauna & relaxation rooms, the delightful spa lunch-salmon nicoise salad- in the quaint private lounge.... Now that I've blabbed the secret I hope it won't be overcrowded next time...

Wow. Where do I start? My wife and I decided to seriously indulge ourselves so we went with a two…read morenight package (via Relais et Chateaux) in Ballyfin Demesne, a grandiose 18th century house on 600 acres in the leafy Laois countryside. We arrived at the main electronic gates (you need to dial reception for entry) and made our way along the winding 3km road to the main house. It was a bit disconcerting to have all of the staff lined up outside the hotel to greet us, but it certainly made us feel very welcome. Our luggage was taken, my car driven off to be hidden away out of sight and we were given a short introduction about what we could expect from our stay. Our deluxe room was incredible. It was very well presented, looking very much like what it would have looked like two hundred years ago (I'm sure) and the mini bar was filled with complimentary (non alcoholic) drinks and nuts. The quality of the products (soaps, shower gels etc) were of the highest order. We relaxed for a while then went down for a guided tour of the house hosted by the extremely pleasant & imitable Lionel. The house has been lovingly restored to its former glory in the finest detail by its owners. I could talk for hours about what a beautiful hotel it is. The main points to note are that: yes you do pay a lot to stay/eat there, but it is worth it for the relaxation, the excellent food, the incredibly friendly, attentive (and not in any way overbearing) staff. There are many activities on offer (we took a spin in one of the golf buggies and explored the estate and all of its follies, grottoes and forests), including clay pigeon shooting, fishing, archery etc...I enjoyed not having to worry about running up huge bills, as most teas, soft drinks, newspapers and a pre dinner champagne etc were complimentary. The team were accommodating in every way - they had no issue with us bringing a bottle of our own wine (for nostalgic reasons - our wedding wine) and just charged corkage. The food, including the breakfasts, was incredible. I recommend to anyone looking to seriously indulge themselves in truly opulent surroundings to treat themselves to a night in Ballyfin. I would personally prefer the Cliff House for a foodie break, but for the whole end to end package it is hard to beat the luxury on offer at Ballyfin.

I cannot wait to come back! This is the most luxurious and beautiful hotel I have ever been too! We…read morestayed here for my husband's birthday. The attention to detail by the staff was phenomenal! From the pictures on the wall, flowers, decorations, I could go on.... Staff very helpful & always there to offer you, tea, water or coffee. Golf carts great way to get around!

A lovely warm welcoming guest house in Durrow. I was attending a wedding in castle Durrow and the…read moreAshbrook Arms was a handy 5 min walk across the road. We went down for two nights on the Sunday just in time for Sunday lunch! With a calamari starter and beef dinner along with Eton mess for dessert, I was stuffed. All for €25. Lovely! The staff are delightful. I'm pretty sure it's family run. It feels that way anyway. Our room was large and clean and the bed was really comfortable. With complementary bottles of water. Breakfast was standard Irish. Full Irish breakfast, choice of juices, cereal and scrambled/boiled eggs. I'd recommend this place if you're in the area. Really lovely pleasant guest house!

We stayed here 1 night (100 euro) for a wedding at Castle Durrow & it was perfect. I believe this…read moreplace is family owned & operated and the hostess certainly makes everyone feel welcome, greeting us by name at breakfast. Our stay included the traditional Irish breakfast, which was just as tasty as all the food we've had in Ireland. It's a quick walk to Castle Durrow and Bob's Bar is right across the street, both recommended. Our room was spacious and very clean with complimentary bottles of water, overlooking the courtyard out back. Perfect place to stay!

Had a very nice stay here. We were greeted on arrival by Maeve, I believe she is the owner, who…read morechecked us in very promptly even though we were quite early. She couldn't have been nicer, she gave us directions to some local places of interest and asked us several times if everything was OK. The room was clean and tidy and the beds were very comfortable. We booked a twin room and got a room with a single and a double so there was plenty of space. There is ample car parking outside and the town centre is within a stones throw. Breakfast was beautiful and the dining room was stunning. Very cosy with big glass windows overlooking the river. Perfect stay and I would definitely go back.