Cashel Palace Hotel
Fresh from its four year restoration programme by the Magnier family, I was eager to see if Cashel Palace would live up to the hype. I had high expectations and thankfully was not disappointed. Located in the heart of Cashel, a well kept Irish Heritage town , the hotel has views towards one of Ireland’s iconic tourist attractions, the Rock of Cashel.
Cashel Palace Hotel
On arrival, a proper Irish welcome awaits and while this might be a regal manor dating back to 1732, there’s not a hint of stuffiness in sight. Check in was easy and didn’t require standing behind any reception desk, always a bonus. The hotel offers 42 individually designed bedrooms and suites. We were staying in a classic room which although small was decorated in fresh tones and had everything you need for a comfortable stay. Be warned however, the classic rooms are located on the arrival avenue and on the ground floor privacy can be an issue. If you are looking for views and privacy, book a room in the main house. The bathroom was small but perfectly formed with walk in shower and reusable Lanvin amenities.
Exploring the hotel is a delight and every room is furnished with exacting attention to detail. A warm and welcoming reception lounge awaits complete with roaring fires and a nod to the owner’s equestrian heritage. The resident’s bar is an intimate affair with views to the gardens and the Guinness Bar, which is open to the public, is a convivial space with the names of previous famous guests scribed on the walls. We were even lucky enough to sit on the terrace and have an obligatory Guinness looking out over the gardens. This was also the only chance I had to see the spa, which from the outside looked delightful.
Dinner can be taken in the elegant Bishop’s Buttery, sampling Executive Chef Stephen Hayes’s exquisite Irish cooking or the more casual Mikey Ryan’s. We ate at the latter where my husband was in his element surrounded by photos of legendary stars of the sport of kings, past and present, coupled with the most delicious fillet steak and good wine.
Breakfast served in the Queen Anne Room is a delight with an array of options including of course a full Irish breakfast which I can most definitely recommend.
It’s a shame we were only staying one night as I could easily have moved in for a week. The hotel’s interiors really wowed but as always it is the staff that makes the difference and I couldn’t fault the people that we came into contact with. I was sad not to stay longer but hopefully will be back in the future to book the Equine Experience, after all this is the home of horse racing royalty.
Update:
Since this review was written I have been back to Cashel Palace twice. Once for lunch at Bishop’s Buttery which I can highly recommend and again to review the Racing Royalty experience which you can read here. I genuinely love the hospitality on offer here and will return whenever I can.
Most def not a millennial. Too old to drink s*** wine. Penchant for luxury travel. Sharing my fav things in life; past, present and future.