My
suspicions are always aroused when I read uniformly gushing comments on a hotel’s
guest review page. Reality invariably belies hyperbole, and my cynical belief
that these comments are carefully cherry-picked is more often than not confirmed.
Prior to my visit to Castlemartyr Resort, ensconced in the countryside of Co.
Cork, I was thus highly dubious; the hotel’s guest review page is positively eulogistic.
How can a country hotel in Ireland be the avowed ‘favourite hotel in the world’ of so many guests? The
answer became apparent during my stay.
Attentive service is a given
in any luxury hotel worthy of its label, but the team at Castlemartyr is
unfailingly attentive, and at times intimate, without ever being intrusive or sycophantic.
Upon arrival we were greeted by Dermot at reception in the manner of long lost
relatives, who whisked us straight into an impressive Georgian ballroom (the main
lounge) for some drinks whilst our room was being made ready (we had arrived at
the crack of dawn, on a Ryanair flight on which most of the passengers seemed
inebriated – probably the most practical way to blot out the whole dismal
exercise of getting from Stansted to Cork at six in the morning). On another
occasion, as my sister and I were in the lobby, asking for recommendations for
woodland walking routes, we were proffered bottles of sun cream (something it
had not occurred to us to pack, it being Ireland, in April, for heaven’s sake!)
by the friendly receptionist. Nearly all the staff appeared to be accomplished
conversationalists, to the extent that we wondered whether that forms part of their employment criteria. Upon my
expression of interest in one of the hotel’s magnificent Rococo ceilings, the
waiter (Gunther) delivered a fascinating discourse on the contrast between
early and late Baroque styles.
The hotel itself is a study
in artful architectural amalgamation. The main part of the hotel is a Georgian
mansion, which is adjoined by an evocatively dilapidated thirteenth century
castle on one side, and a sympathetically proportioned contemporary wing on the
other, housing guest rooms and the superb spa, pool and fitness centre. Despite
their juxtaposing epochs, the three buildings blend beautifully, and are set,
majestically, in front of a sprawling Irish meadow with grazing horses and
delightful little Kerry bog ponies, flanked by a large meandering river. The
hotel management might have been shooting a brochure photo when I arrived – a
jogger was setting out across the parkland, a couple were returning from a bike
ride (the hotel have a number of bikes for guests to use, free of charge), and some
children were petting the ponies by the swan lake.
Thoughtfully, the reception
desk is off to side of the pillared hallway, so you still get the sense of
walking into a private country house. Check-in complete, we were shown to our
ground floor suite. I was quite taken aback by the size – the room was truly gigantic,
without even taking into account the separate hallway, capacious dressing room
and outdoor hedged courtyard. As you’d expect from a luxury countryside hotel,
the room had all the mod cons – safe, minibar, elegant tea and coffee set, and
good signage, including very clear instructions on how to use the touch screen
control panel embedded in the bedside table (sparing me the usual embarrassing
baffled Operator call for help closing the electric curtains). The piece de
resistance, however, was the bathroom. It was the size, first, that made us
gasp (there were separate offshoot for the loo and shower from the main,
hexagonal, marble clad room, and then the little details that sprang out – the
provision of two hairdryers in the separate, facing sinks, the neck pillow in
the bath, and the heated floor in the toilet.
If you’re staying for just
one night you’ve got a tough decision to make because there’s so much to do at
the hotel. The surrounding wooded parkland offers cycling, walking, and golf,
and if the weather puts a wet blanket on outdoor activities, there’s plenty to
do inside. The aforementioned spa offers a very comprehensive menu (from which
I sampled the deep tissue manage and Anne Semonin Miracle Eyes treatment - both
sublime), and the spa complex also houses a swimming pool, steam room and
sauna, plus a gym and studio offering fitness classes.
If that all sounds too
energetic, the hotel houses a wonderful pair of restaurants – the more formal
Bell Tower, and the more casual Knights Bar. The food in both is superb.
Breakfast was a sizeable buffet, including a pleasing variety of local produce
– yogurt from the dairy farm down the road, and homemade muesli (a secret hotel
formula). Dinner was faultless; the particular highlight for me was the doughnut
perched on poached pineapple and pepper sorbet, which was a mouthwatering work
of art.
All told, Castlemartyr
excels across the board. My misgivings about the impossibly radiant reviews were
utterly confounded. Those who describe this as their favourite hotel in the
world have impeccable taste.
Castlemartyr Resort
Castlemartyr Resort
Rooms
at Castlemartyr Resort start from £95 per person per night, based on two adults
sharing a deluxe room. Quote
Law and More on booking and you will receive a welcome drink on arrival and 15%
discount on spa treatments.
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