Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa

Tralee,
Co Kerry.
Ballygarry House enquiries
www.ballygarryhouse.com
Weddings at Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa, Tralee, Kerry

• Luxurious family-owned country house hotel.
• Excellent staff and service.
• Super Nadur Spa.

I have always felt that there is something special about Ballygarry House Hotel and Nadur Spa. I first visited three years ago, and while the hotel has been in the McGillicuddy family for generations, Nadur Spa was a relatively new addition at that time. It was the best Spa I had visited in quite a while, and my experience added to my positive impression of this lovely hotel. My most recent visit proved again that Ballygarry House is a real gem among Kerry’s impressive hotel collection.

NADUR SPA AT BALLYGARRY HOUSE

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 is lovely, the design, ambiance, treatments, therapists and finally the really relaxing relaxation room.
Nadur Spa blends seamlessly with the rest of 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. The sauna is surrounded by glass and overlooks the outdoor hot tub, and friendly therapists are on hand to offer a cool glass of water or fruit juice at every turn! 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. 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 the first visit, and this time I enjoyed a really relaxing and rejuvenating facial, again using the organic Uspa products from Australia.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

We had a spacious room on the ground floor level with easy access to the Spa without going across the Reception area – this means you can visit in your robe, which is much more relaxing! We opened our windows to let the bright sunshine in, and enjoyed relaxing in the lounge area reading the Sunday papers! Our bathroom had a separate bath and shower and again plenty of room, and the bedroom also had a desk area and free broadband access. We had an iron, tea and coffee making facilities, super comfortable beds, and a turn-down service which is so welcome and not always done for you in many hotels now-a-days. They replaced towels, drew the curtains and left water and chocolates – all while we enjoyed dinner.

DINING AT BALLYGARRY HOUSE HOTEL & SPA

When we arrived at the hotel, the popular Sunday Lunch was enjoying strong local support, and it is clear that the hotel has a very good reputation for food.
Dinner that night in Brooks Restaurant offered a great choice of locally sourced fish and meat. We had some excellent fish dishes, there was monkfish, organic salmon, sea-bass, lobster, crab and jumbo prawns. A fish-lovers heaven! Last time I opted for the sea-bass and the accompanying asparagus was wonderfully al-dente, just as it should be. This time I enjoyed a lovely dish of Roasted Monkfish with a Fennell Cream Sauce and Lemon Mash. My friend opted for the Honey Roasted Silverhill Duck, which was moist and full of flavour and served on a bed of Wok Fried Vegetables.
Other dishes on the menu included Rack of Lamb; Sirloin Steak and Crumbed Chicken. Starters offered Wok Fried Mussels; Caesar Salad; Spring Roll and Warm Thai Beef but we went for the delicious Tempura of Tiger Prawns and the Crab & Leek Tartlet.
The wine-list was thoughtfully put together covering most regions, varieties and price ranges, and we opted for a Pinot Noir from Hunter’s in Marlborough which complimented both the Duck and Monkfish with its fresh fruity spicy flavours.

THE GARDEN AT BALLYGARRY HOUSE

We had breakfast the next morning in Brooks Restaurant sitting by the glass doors leading to the lovely landscaped gardens just outside which provided a backdrop of nature’s summer colours. We can see how this hotel is popular with weddings as the photographic opportunities are excellent. 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 the first time and again on our subsequent visit. We would highly recommend it, and will certainly return again.
Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa