CHARLEVILLE PARK HOTEL
NORTH CO. CORK
Charleville Park Hotel, Cork enquiries
www.charlevilleparkhotel.com

• First to final impressions were all good.
• Very tastefully designed and appointed.
• Exceptionally friendly and helpful staff and great food.

I liked this hotel as soon as I came upon it, located just outside the bustling town of Charleville on the Limerick Road. It actually sits almost on the border between Cork, Tipperary and Limerick. It was just over a year old when I visited and yet had an established atmosphere of comfort and confidence that put me at my ease immediately. I loved the colour schemes throughout, it was modern yet classical and warm reds, lovely lilacs and soft greys all contributed to a very pleasant ambiance.
I was greeted with a warm smile and offered a welcome drink on arrival, so my check-in was pleasant and painless!

ACCOMMODATION AT CHARLEVILLE PARK HOTEL

My bedroom on the third floor was very spacious with contemporary furnishings and included both a double and single bed. I had two large windows looking out at the front and side of the hotel where my car was parked. There is complimentary WiFi internet access at the desk, flat screen television, bottled water, hairdryer, and hotel information. I had another table with comfortable chairs, tea and coffee making facilities, an iron and ironing board and a lovely large bathroom with separate bath and large power-shower. The lighting in the room was excellent also, with a good desk light and modern bedside lights as well as the central light. All in all, it was a very comfortable room and I settled in immediately.

DINING AT CHARLEVILLE PARK HOTEL

The Greenfinch Restaurant is on the ground floor of the hotel and opens out to the front car-park. Obviously this is a stand-alone restaurant in that many people will come to the Charleville Park Hotel just to dine at The Greenfinch Restaurant. This did not surprise me, the food and service was very good indeed. The menu was quite short but well balanced with a choice of five starters, six main courses and five desserts. The soup sounded different – it was Thai Vegetable, and I was tempted by the Pan Fried Wood Pigeon on a Cous Cous Timbale with a Port Wine Jus, but decided on the warm Chicken Satay salad served with a Peanut Dressing. I chose well, the dish was beautifully presented with the dressing in a little jug on the side of the plate. I polished it all off. Dining alone is a solitary affair, as you can’t taste more than one dish at each course, so sometimes difficult choices have to be made! Mains that tempted me were the Char-grilled Steak with Fondant Potato and the Salmon with Artichokes, but I opted finally for the Seared Sea Bass on a Dill & Chardonnay Risotto with a Prawn Butter. Now this was an excellent dish - while the fish was perfectly cooked complete with crispy skin, the Risotto was just divine (and risotto is very difficult to cook properly) and the knob of prawn butter melted into the whole dish beautifully. I had to pause for a short while to sip the beautiful Carmenere from Chile’s Carta Vieja before I chose a zippy Lemon Tart from the dessert menu. Service throughout the meal was just right and the staff were both friendly and chatty and thoroughly professional. Were I to move to Charleville, I would indeed become a regular at the Greenfinch Restaurant.

LEISURE AT CHARLEVILLE PARK HOTEL

The new state-of-the-art Leisure Club was just about to open when I stayed, so I did not have the opportunity to experience it but I do know that as well as a 25-metre Swimming Pool it also includes extensive Gym facilities with over 40 work stations. They were also putting in a Jacuzzi, steam room and children’s pool to complete the facility.

There are good reasons to return to this hotel, not only for the Leisure Club, but also because it is the perfect stopping-off place when travelling between Cork and Limerick or indeed to Galway – a route I often take and until now found nowhere to break the journey. I noticed that Ed’s Bar was serving some tempting sounding food throughout the day, so even if I was not staying overnight again, I would certainly drop in for lunch. If the food at The Greenfinch Restaurant is anything to go by, it will certainly not disappoint. In a part of Ireland rich in natural beauty and linking several major cities, the Charleville Park Hotel is a very welcome addition.