The Lodge At Ashford Castle

I was very lucky last weekend to get the chance to visit the notorious Ashford Castle, as well as stay in The Lodge at Ashford Castle for two nights.

I was there for work which meant I didn’t get the opportunity to do one of the many activities that they offer there such as boat rides on Lough Corrib, Falconry, Archery, and much more. But, I did get to enjoy the Lodge in all it’s entirety and explore the castle!

The Lodge has 24  guest bedrooms and 26 unique suites, many of which are off the courtyard around the back. The Lodge is fully equip with a bar, restaurant, function room and even a spa but if you feel the need to experience the castle for any of these they have a driver who can bring you from the Lodge. It has absolutely everything needed for the perfect wedding – which is probably why it is such a popular destination for them!

My room was so spacious and the bed was like an absolute dream – but these are the things to be expected when one goes away, right? The things I did really love about the hotel room were the small handmade chocolate & fudge treat for you, locally handmade soap as well as handmade shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the shower. It’s the little things like them being locally sourced that show they go the extra mile which I loved.

Ashford Castle is a medieval castle that looks like something straight out of an old film and sits on 365 acres of land. It’s huge, and it’s amazing! It was built in 1228 and it hasn’t stopped wow-ing people ever since. The castle is where you go when you want to get steeped in history where the Lodge is a more modern, clean cut hotel with modern art and quirky furniture around every corner. I love exploring the old style feel of the building, but the prints and patterns aren’t really for me – so to be able to stay in the Lodge where they have a more modern approach was absolutely perfect.

A few things to note are:

• You would almost definitely need a car of some description to both get here and get around. It’s a big area and the nearest large town is probably Castlebar which is 40 minutes away. It’s charm lies in it being out of the way, but it can be a pain if you need to buy something.
• For me, I found the Lodge bar food quite expensive. The bar bites are quite small – and a slider is €10! So if this isn’t for you I would consider looking around for lunch. That being said, there breakfast is absolutely gorgeous, and if I had the pleasure to eat dinner there I’m sure it would have been the same.
• Try book a table to eat in ‘The Dungeon’ in Ashford Castle. It’s a cosy room with not too many tables where you can have dinner. The whole experience is just great and the staff are amazing!
• If you stumble upon Garvin and Cronin the two Irish Wolf Hounds give them a rub from me! Two absolutely gorgeous animals.

Have you ever stayed in a castle before? Or got lucky enough to get to experience somewhere because of work? Let me know 🙂