This Review of Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, is in the form of a YouTube Video. Ashford Castle is one of TravelSort Clients' favorite luxury castle stays, thanks to its beautiful lakeside location by Lough Corrib, extensive grounds, and activities that include boat cruises, fishing, falconry, tennis, horseback riding, golf, cycling, kayaking and more. Plus, as you'll see in the video, the castle even has its own private cinema, with two screenings daily.
Virtuoso Benefits at Ashford Castle for TravelSort Clients include:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Full Irish breakfast included in rates daily served in restaurant
- $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Here's my Ashford Castle YouTube Video:
The Verdict
We loved our stay at Ashford Castle, especially the magnificent fountain and lake views from our room. We would have liked to have spent another couple nights there, to be able to enjoy more of the activities on offer. Falconry was a particular highlight, thanks to our excellent falconer and Andes, his Peruvian Harris Hawk. We also enjoyed wandering into a private screening of The Sound of Music, which we had all to ourselves. Service was always friendly and usually of a very high standard.
If I had to nitpick, food was a bit uneven. The breakfast buffet offered great choice, and we enjoyed a delicious off-the-menu salmon eggs benedict with avocado, as well as some of the best almond croissants I've tried, but pancakes were mediocre, as were Afternoon Tea pastries. My lamb main at the George V Dining Room was good, but my son's burger was tough, and frankly shouldn't even be on the menu given that Irish law apparently prohibits restaurants from serving any meat that is not completely cooked. The apricot souffle was by far the best part of the meal, and service in the George V dining room wasn't up to scratch given the restaurant's aspirations–they should visit Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin to see how to execute fine dining properly.
Recommended Posts
The Merrion Hotel Review, Dublin
Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review, 2 Michelin Stars
If you enjoyed this, join 200,000+ readers: follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube and TravelSort on Instagram for travel inspiration.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book 5-Star Hotels with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits