Reviews & Comments

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Ireland. We had the most fantastic time and Ballyseede Castle was the highlight of the trip. What a wonderfully unique find! Since we were taking the "rare" trip to Ireland, we were willing to splurge for the experience of staying a few nights in a castle. I was surprised at the value. It is actually comparable to most hotel rates. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the friendly desk clerk who asked about our trip and told us a little history of the castle. She then asked us to leave our bags as someone would bring them to the room and she walked us to our room. I thought it very polite and refreshing that she placed the key in the door for us, asked if there was anything else she could do and let us enter the room ourselves. I have had the unpleasant experience in other hotels, as I am sure many have, when the staff walks you into the room and waits for a tip before handing over the key. Our room was gorgeous with a fantastic view of the grounds. We were given a very large room with a four poster bed and a flat screen TV. It had a warm, cozy feeling. The bathroom, also very large, provided a hairdryer, robes and slippers. I made myself some tea that was provided and immediately began to relax. Our bags arrived to the room within minutes and after unpacking, we went for a walk on the grounds. We were lucky and had great weather the entire time there. We had the opportunity to eat dinner and breakfast in the dinning room and, again, the service and the food were superb. I did try to be good, but it is impossible when the food is that good. I have to be honest, I did gain a few pounds thanks to Ballyseede. The whole experience was a wonderfully relaxing one. I don't know how else to explain it, but the hotel staff has a way of being there when you need something, but otherwise they stay in the background and let you enjoy your vacation without interruptions. We just got back and already want to return to this beautiful peaceful place. If you want your vacation to be the experience of the place you are staying, instead of just a room for the night when you are on vacation, you must stay here.

My family and I had the very good fortune to spend a wonderful few days in the regal setting of Ballyseede Castle recently. On arrival we were warmly welcomed and felt immediately at home. Having driven quite a distance to our destination we were pleased to have our luggage taken to our rooms while we took a leisurely walk in the well appointed grounds. Our accomodation was first class and we loved the size and luxury of our rooms. What impressed us most was the privacy and intimate setting of Ballyseede, something which contributed greatly to our family gathering. The quality of both food and service was first class - particular mention to the imagination of the Chef. Our one regret was that we hadn't the opportunity to spend a longer time in this idyllic setting - we will remedy this on our next visit! Many thanks for a wonderful experience

On arrival we were greeted by owner, a very friendly woman, dispite the fact that a wedding was going on. She brought us to our gorgeous room, which had lovely views-huge bay windows etc. as part of the deal we got one free evening meal.......amazing. the atrmosphere, the setting, the service, the food was all perfect. possibly the best meal i've ever had-no exaggeration.we also went to the bar-which had a lovely cosy atmosphere. we also had breakfast every morning, which again, was perfect. breakfast was a la carte. again, service, atmosphere all excellent. the location is not ideal for travellers without their own transport, the grounds of the hotel are ideal for wedding pics etc. would recommend for any age, wanting a change from modern, impersonal hotels.

My wife and I decide at the last minute to take a break in the country. Support the economy and all that. We contacted Ballyseede Castle directly and spoke with Marnie, who turned out to be the owner. She gave us a great deal of two nights bed and breakfast and we had a wonderful meal in the restaurant. It was the best part of our stay. The Castle, was amazing, different to what I expected was beautifully furnished and they have two amazing dogs, Arthur the wolf hound and einstein a terrier who loves to gather stones. There are three wonderful donkeys who loved biscuits. On arrival the hotel was busy, not expected but we were told that there was a murder mystery evening on. Marnie arranged to get us tickets to the event ans we joined a table, it was great fun, I've hear about them but this was fantastic. The following day we did the ring of Kerry and following another fantastic meal in the restaurant we sank a few pints in the quaint library bar. It was a great two days. The staff couldn't have been better, friendly helpful and not at all stuffy. We'll be back I'm sure

We only stayed the 2 nigths and I was anxious for our German Exchange student to get a taste of the real Ireland. Anyone can stay in a modern straight outa the shop hotel with all the mod cons, but I wanted my sons exchange partner to experience something of the real Ireland. He had done the Dublin experience, and now it was the Dingle Peninula and Authenic Irish. So my two teens(16 and 18) and our German (15) stayed over for B&B. Staff very friendly both in the reception, bar and dining room and overall very pleased with the overall package. DIdnt stay for dinner, as the teens would have prefered bar food(whih was also available in the Bar too), but next time will savour this experience for me and my wife to enjoy

This was an excellant choice to stay. The staff was friendly and a smile on all their faces. Arthur the dog was a sweet addition along with Albert the rock fetching dog. They kept us entertained while outside. The dinner there was to die for and the rooms clean and fresh. This was one of the easiest places to find!!

We almost didn't stay here because of a few pretty bad reviews. I don't know what they were expecting but we absolutely loved Ballyseede. Staff was on the job when we arrived and made us mid afternoon sandwiches since we hadn't eaten all day. Decided to stay in pub and have pub grub and it was excellent. Our rooms, there were four of us, were downstairs and were large and well appointed and spotless. If you are staying over a weekend night ask if there is a wedding reception or other affair going on. We stayed a Friday night and there was a wedding which put the main floor off limits from 4-6 PM. We went to the pub at 6:30 and the wedding joined us about 10PM. We were asked to join the reception and had a ball but if you want quiet on a weekend, check first. Highly recommended small castle.

Ballyseede was the highlight of our trip to Ireland. I loved it even more than the considerably more expensive Clontarf Castle. We arrived a little early and completely exhausted from travelling all day. The staff immediately accomodated us and actually moved some things around so we could get settled in a room right away. As a result we ended up with the French room. It was enormous compared to the B&B rooms we'd been staying at, the bed was amazingly comfortable and the shower had such great water pressure that I was finally able to work out the three days of built up conditioner from my hair from drizzing B&B showers. There were even bathrobes for us to use after our showers/baths. Speaking of - the bathtub...OMG - heavenly!!!! I could actually stretch out completely - absolutely wonderful! The exterior and interior were both beautiful and the gardens, while small, are immaculately maintained. There is an amazing fireplace in the library/bar that you have got to check out. Additionally, this was the best food that we'd eaten in all of Ireland. We sampled their bar food at lunch and then ate the five course meal at dinner time. We raved about our food there the entire time and still talk about how we miss Ballyseede. From what I've read on the reviews about the staff lacking a certain 'welcoming' quality, I will have to concede that I do agree with this. At one point, we were trying to get our laundry done (a service offered there) where my husband was curtly informed (upon inquiring as to when it would be done) that they were not a laundress. That aside though, this was definitely my favorite stay in all of Ireland!! We will definitely be going back!