HAMLET COURT HOTEL

ENFIELD
COUNTY MEATH
Hamlet Court Hotel enquiries
www.thehamlet.ie
Weddings at the Hamlet Court Hotel

• Excellent Sabayon Restaurant
• It’s an exceptionally friendly family run hotel.
• One of Ireland’s favourite wedding hotels.

We were enjoying a fine breakfast, remarking how the freshly baked scones were so warm and crumbly, when I heard the lady at the next table say to her partner “this place was a great find, wasn’t it?”

Yes, I thought, that sums up the Hamlet Court Hotel pretty well – a great find indeed.
We knew it was a really popular wedding hotel and had won awards. We were very impressed with dining experience. We visited first three years ago, and recently returned for another stay.

HOTEL LOCATION

It is situated in a quiet hamlet village in County Meath – hence the name Hamlet Court – and yet is very easily reached from Dublin on the N4. Yet it is also on the border with Kildare, so it is a good location for people coming from different directions. We drove from Dublin and arrived sooner than we expected.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF HAMLET COURT

When we arrived at the hotel the first time we saw this lovely olde world pub with lots of colourful hanging baskets full of flowers, and then drove around to the ample parking at the back. If you enter the hotel from the parking area, there is a bit of a walk through to the reception, and the bedrooms are built around the car park. Although this seemed odd at first, when we learnt that the original pub which was built in 1858 is the subject of a preservation order, there would be no better option when it came to building the hotel. It all marries seamlessly together now, although the 30 bedrooms were not completed until the end of 2003.

ACCOMMODATION AT HAMLET COURT HOTEL

Our bedroom was lovely and had all the little extras that make for a comfortable stay. With internet access, bowls of fruit, bottled water, power shower and full size bath, robes and slippers – not to mention the chocolates – this was more like a luxury resort than a simple country hotel. I liked the fact that not only was the room of a very high standard, but like most of the 30 bedrooms, we were on the ground floor and had a window that opened onto the car-park and main hotel entrance.

STAFF AND SERVICE AT HAMLET COURT

What really impressed us during the twice we visited, was the friendliness of the staff and the standard of the service we encountered.
Every single person working there was noticeably friendly, courteous and helpful and without exception seemed really happy to be working there. The key must be owner John O’Neill. I have never seen such a hands-on proprietor – one minute he was behind the desk sorting out LAN cable for the laptop, next thing he was proudly bringing out dishes to the dining room. He chatted away to each table and obviously had many regular diners from all over the locality as well as residents.

SABAYON RESTAURANT

Now this is the real jewel in Hamlet Court’s crown. While renowned as a fabulous wedding hotel where the food and service is second-to-none, the Sabayon Restaurant is of such a standard that it counts a quality restaurant in its own right.

This boutique hotel could be considered a restaurant with rooms, as the restaurant attracts diners from near and far. We started with scallops and seafood chowder – both were generous portions and really tasty. We then went on to Surf’n’Turf and Duckj – the latter was deemed to be the most succulent and tender and tasty duck ever! We finished off our bottle of Merlot with some cheeses. It was a fabulous meal, it is no wonder that Sabayon is the most popular restaurant in the area.

Chef Mark King is indeed a talented professional in that he can deliver clever imaginative dishes with style and aplomb, and also ensure that the large weddings that the hotel is popular for also receive top food service and standard.
Another surprise was the classy wine list. This was a very intelligent collection with some pretty special vintages; all were very well priced too.

And so to the weddings. I expect it is down to that care and attention to detail that makes sure the wedding day goes without a hitch.

They have a custom built bridal suite, two conference suites which can be configured as required and a special wheelchair-friendly bedroom.

They genuinely seem to care about their guests in the Hamlet Court Hotel, and that really is something special.