The Killarney Royal Hotel

College Street,
Killarney,
Co.Kerry
The Killarney Royal enquiries
www.killarneyroyal.ie

• A very stylish and homely hotel.
• Warm service and tasteful ambiance.
• Absolutely delicious food.

From the moment I arrived, the atmosphere at The Killarney Royal Hotel was warm and hospitable. I was at home, with all the comforts on the wish-list – lovely spacious room, large marble bathroom, flowers, views, antiques, quality bed linen, and complimentary broadband and very friendly attentive staff. As I settled in to do a little work on the laptop I was brought a pot of loose-leaf tea, warm scones with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Ah yes, this was home as it should be!

Hotel Accommodation

One of the secrets of this hotel’s success is the fact that it is small; twenty-nine rooms in total. There is an intimate ambiance and a serene calm efficiency in the air. Even when I locked myself out of my room, that little problem was dealt with quickly and quietly, without any fuss whatsoever. You have the feeling that whatever happens, the lovely staff at this hotel can deal with it effortlessly. I believe that most of the staff has been with this hotel for years, and this shows. In an age where so many new hotels are having difficulty building up a service team, such guest care really stands out.

Dining at the Killarney Royal Hotel

I was looking forward to dinner, as I had heard from a chef friend of mine that this hotel had a great reputation for food. When said chef joined me for dinner, we both agreed that indeed the reputation was justly deserved. The menus contain so many dishes that I personally like, that I found choosing a difficulty. In the end it was the pan-friend Dover sole that won the day. This was preceded by slightly spicy crab cakes with a mango salsa. The other starter was a warm duck salad and was followed by crab and salmon crusted cod in a saffron cream. Portions were generous and taste and temperature were perfect; however we both decided that the accompanying vegetables were the real star of the meal! All too often a few dried up carrots and an equally dehydrated piece of cauliflower is the best that some kitchens can offer, even when the meat or fish is very thoughtfully and tastefully prepared. But this vegetable offering contained fresh asparagus; al-dente sugar snaps; crunchy carrot batons; potato croquettes and oven fried onion and potato pieces. They were seasoned well and perfectly cooked. I could not find room for dessert, but we did in the end share a chocolate mousse. There is an informative wine list and very good house wine choices offering excellent value. Indeed, the kitchen team at The Killarney Royal Hotel have honed their craft to delicious perfection.

Breakfast was enjoyed while relaxing with the morning papers, and again service was classic and kind. I enjoyed a great bowl of porridge with fresh fruit on top and some excellent brown bread! There were pancakes and full cooked breakfasts and cereals on offer as well.

I felt that this hotel was a real oasis in the bustling town of Killarney, Ireland’s tourism capital. Many of my fellow guests appeared to be from the US, and they all seemed to be relishing in the warm luxury of this special little hotel. I am not at all surprised; it is a real gem in hospitality terms.

Long may this style of management and service continue; in our big, new, globalised hotel world, Ireland needs hotels like this. The Killarney Royal Hotel does not need to do anything different, over the years it has perfected a warm, stylish and intimate essence of Irish hospitality.
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