Explorer25208470255
June 28, 2024
We had a lovely two night stay for my birthday, and we would certainly go back, and we would recommend the hotel to others. So why not five stars? Well, we just want to offer some constructive feedback to the hotel, with the best possible intentions. 1. The lobby bar is somewhat spartan and lacking in ambiance. The young staff are eager to please, but forgot our wine order, didn’t bring any condiments until asked, and omitted the promised blue cheese dressing from my order of chicken wings. Why was it necessary to ask for the wine list? OK, not major problems, but disappointing on the first evening of what we hoped would be a five-star experience. 2. The spa is excellent, with a brilliant indoor/outdoor pool and lovely thermal suite. 3. Breakfast buffet very good, lots to choose from and very friendly staff. Mary gave us great directions to Cavan Garden Centre. 4. The basement bar is nice but why is there a large TV permanently tuned to football or Sky Sports? Not a great environment for pre-dinner apéros, but we had a pleasant chat with the barman on the evening when there was no live football. 5. Maxwell’s restaurant is a very typical hotel dining experience. Sparsely furnished, no nice tablecloths or even a candle or table lamp. Food is OK, but lacking a bit of flair. It’s not a “restaurant”. Feels a bit like a conveyor belt, with staff who are young and eager, but who aren’t really invested in the whole experience. 6. Our patio room was lovely, bed very comfortable and bathroom very nice. So overall, we had a nice stay. However, it didn’t quite feel like the luxury country house hotel experience we were hoping for. Fairly efficient, but lacking that certain something that would have made our stay seem “special”. But to be fair, it’s good value, so now we know what to expect, we will go back, particularly to enjoy the spa.