Ballygarry House

Tralee,
Co Kerry.
Ballygarry House enquiries
www.ballygarryhouse.com

• Luxurious family-owned country house hotel.
• Excellent staff and service.
• Superior standard hotel spa.

I felt that there was something special about Nadur Spa. While many hotels struggle to integrate a fully professional spa facility within their existing properties, there are not many I can think of who do it as well as Ballygarry House. Everything about Nadur Spa was perfect, the design, ambiance, treatments, therapists and finally the really relaxing relaxation room.

Nadur Spa at Ballygarry House

This was my first visit to the renowned country house hotel which has been in the McGillicuddy family for generations, Nadur Spa; however, is a new addition. Amazingly it does not feel new at all; rather it blends seamlessly with the hotel which is set amidst six acres of mature landscaped gardens. Access to the spa area is easy, both from inside and outside the hotel, and the design and décor strike you immediately. Mooted colours so often used in contemporary spas are lifted by delightful pink glass, and the relaxation room contains the most comfortable cocoon-like beds I have ever experienced. But it is the relaxed and warm attitude of the therapists coupled with super Uspa treatments that mark this spa out. I loved my Coffee and Sea Kelp Contour Wrap, and will aim to return to Nadur to experience other Uspa treatments.

Hotel Accommodation

As well as enjoying this special spa, I also made myself very comfortable in my room at Ballygarry House. Everything was there to make my stay perfect, free broadband access, large bathroom with separate bath and shower, big comfortable bed, plenty of space and again very tasteful décor. That evening while we enjoyed an excellent dinner from their classic menu that night, a complete turndown service had replaced all towels and toiletries, drawn curtains, left chocolate and more bottles of water. This is such a welcome surprise nowadays, as so many modern hotels provide a very limited, if at all, turndown service for their guests.

Dining at Ballygarry House

But back to the dinner – we had some excellent fish, there was monkfish, organic salmon, sea-bass, lobster, crab and jumbo prawns. A fish-lovers heaven! I opted for the sea-bass and the accompanying asparagus was wonderfully al-dente, just as it should be. Service at dinner was excellent. My guest’s menu choice was the monkfish with a cream of pepper sauce, and again the portions were generous, the champ potatoes were lovely and by the time we had finished, we had no room for dessert!

The gardens at Ballygarry House

Another aspect of the dinner experience that we noted was the landscaped gardens just outside, providing a backdrop of nature’s summer colours.
Because of the gardens, the customer care, and the tastefully appointed house itself, this is a perfect wedding venue. But even if the purpose of the stay is a short business or leisure trip, the atmosphere is warm and comfortable. I loved the fresh flower arrangements, the cosy seating areas, the friendliness of the bar and the soft lighting throughout the hotel. They do it very well at Ballygarry House, it has that family touch that signals it out from many of the larger hotel chains that have little or no personality and feel distinctly cold, particularly for those who are travelling alone. This hotel is more a home from home hotel – that is if you were lucky enough to have a home like Ballygarry House, especially with that wonderful spa! We loved it, highly recommend it, and will certainly return.