Ballynahinch Castle Hotel

We've stayed here many times in the past and so knew what to expect. Room as always super comfortable. Staff for most part accommodating although one when I asked him to clean our table in the bar proceeded to wipe the crumbs in my direction in a churlish manner. Poor for this establishment. Dinner in dining room was terrible. Tiny portions even the term fine dining can't justify. Who wants to eat a starter the size of a pea? Why not do a venison stew or a few more robust mains and leave it at that. It was very disappointing. Much theatre but poor script as in the food. Dinner in the bar was more satisfying. At least it had personality. The grounds are gorgeous as always.

This beautiful Castle is somewhere we stayed a while ago. Visiting Ireland last week, we visited with 2 travelling companions, to have morning coffee and wander in the grounds, intending to get a brochure to stay again. It was 11ish. we sat by a beautiful log fire and asked for a coffee. We were told the bar was closed until 12.30 and unlikely. The receptionist checked and came back with "no, breakfast is still being served. I said "well they will be serving coffee" couldn't we just have a tray sent out. Again, no ! I asked to speak to a manager who was very close by and may even have heard. I said "is there really no-one who could put the kettle on for a coffee" She replied that even if we were guests, we would not be able to have a coffee, it was their policy !! So, 2 members of staff standing in front of a potential booking for 4 people (as I had already said we wanted a brochure for a future booking, and neither was prepared to procure a cup of coffee. (Really) ?? I have never, ever, been to a hotel of any standing, anywhere in the world and been refused. I remain puzzled. Needless to say we didn't take a brochure as we will not be rebooking, nor did we walk, as we needed to find somewhere more accommodating for a drink .. Doubly embarrassing as we had been singing the praises of this lovely, previously warm, and friendly place :0( This said, during our stay, everywhere else, be it a pub, restaurant, B ad B or even a shop, everyone else we encountered there, was totally helpful and quite charming.

An old building, but everything worked like it was new. It’s out in the middle of Connemara, so you’re away from everything. They have beautiful grounds that you can walk. We had dinner at the main restaurant and the pub, and both were really good. The room was very spacious and really nice bathroom. It served as a great location to explore other parts of Connemara. My favorite part was sitting by the fire with a pint and some whiskey.

Ballynahinch Castle has been on my bucket list for over a decade. We spent three amazing days here and I hope to never forget it. We loved the trails and garden. The hotel, grounds, rooms and views were all beautiful. We dined in both restaurants and loved them. Evening music in both were fantastic and the staff were helpful and friendly. We took a guided fly fishing lesson. I’ll say that while our guide was great, I could have skipped this part as I don’t think fly fishing is my “thing” and the private lessons were not worth the expensive price per couple. We were there in early September while the area was experiencing beautiful, but the hottest weather of the year (high 70s). The only issue we had was that it was difficult to cool our room. There was a small, portable oscillating fan you could use, but you had to keep the windows closed and lights off to keep the midges out. That meant that we couldn’t open the windows until we when to bed, so the room was still stuffy and hot. The hotel uses heavy duvets with no top flat sheets, but top sheets are available upon request. My only feedback is that I felt like the sheets were very scratchy for a hotel of this caliber. Softer sheets would have made sleeping more comfortable. Also, a lightweight cotton blanket (not the wool throw blankets at the foot of the bed) would be good for hot sleepers.

On arrival at the castle, you are greeted with the smell of an open fire and a very warm welcome. The rooms are what you would expect in a 5* Hotel. The dining room overlooking looking the river is elegant and spotlessly clean. When it comes to food, fine dining is taken to the next level. All dishes without exception are created like works of art and cooked to perfection. Well done to all of the Chefs and staff...what an amazing experience

Very romantic, attentive staff and fantastic food! Flawless execution at every turn. The prix fixe menu in the main dining room is worth every penny if you like interesting food with exceptional presentation. They have extensive hiking trails and the rooms in the main building overlooking the river are beautiful.

My husband and I stayed at Ballynahinch at the end of our trip through Ireland and it was my favorite part. There was nothing we did not like about our stay. The grounds are beautiful, the staff is so friendly, the food is delicious. We had reservations at the Owenmore restaurant but my husband fell ill and was unable to make dinner. I was a little frazzled and showed up too early for my reservation. The staff was so kind and offered me a cocktail while I waited and took great care of me during dinner. They even offered to send food up to my husband. Breakfast was probably my favorite part. I still dream about breakfast. The service was outstanding and the food was delicious. I would go back just for breakfast. Although sitting in front of the fire with a book and a cup of tea was also wonderful. Everything was wonderful! I hope I get to go back one day.

Come for the experience of staying at this storied property with amazing grounds and beautiful rooms. We stayed in the older section of the castle and found the rooms to be wonderful and up to snuff. We found the breakfast and fancier price-fixed dinner to be a far better experience than the pub and ranji (sp?) room offerings. These areas need a serious renovation and menu modernization to wow the guests and aspiring guests of Ballynahinch.

Our second time here… so stunning. The only reason this dropped to 4 star vs 5 star was the rude front desk reception and some flippant pub staff. The grounds, breakfast, Saturday night entertainment, activities manager are all amazing. For a repeat visit to a five star castle, we expected warmth, and not to be treated like everything was a hassle. When we arrived after a long international flight and a 4 hour drive we decided to eat lunch in the pub. The whole back room was empty, and the gentleman seating us said he’d have to seat us all separate … Only when we went to the back and saw that all the tables were empty did a server come over and push them all together and said it was no problem. There just seemed to be an undertone of superiority or that everything was a hassle from some staff. Our friends had their room cleaned, and the door left unlocked all day… It was just brushed off. When the receptionist made an error keying in the same couples credit card, she made sure to use a voice that was loud enough for everyone in the lobby to hear that their card had been declined. After calling Canada and verifying there was no balance on the credit card and there were no issues, it was verified the next morning that it was a keying error. All of this was brought to the management in a survey when we departed, but the response even for management is lacking. A Five star hotel doesn’t need to treat guests poorly. We had wonderful experiences at top notch places like Adare Manor and Ballyseede hotel….a service adjustment is definitely needed. The breakfasts here, and the grounds really made the trip for us. I’m not sure if we would recommend this again if management doesn’t take the customer service seriously. Without adjustments or more training, it won’t measure up to other phenomenal properties in Ireland. Shout out to the servers at breakfast, the breakfast host, and the activities manager!