Ashford Castle

Cong
County Mayo.
Ashford Castle Co. Mayo
Ashford Castle Enquiries

• Deservedly rated one of the world’s top resort hotels.
• Magically unspoilt location.
• Outstanding food and service.

I sat by the window looking out at Lough Corrib from my luxurious bedroom and thought, this is as good at as it gets! I was not in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean coast, but I was in the west of Ireland in the historic Ashford Castle. Dating back to 1228 and a luxury hotel for seventy years, it was in fact my first stay at Ashford, and it proved to be one of the greats from all my years of visiting hotels. The serenity, the grounds, the birds, the fish in the lake, this was like being in landscape painting by one of the masters! The staff were friendly and attentive, the setting was historic, the food was modern classic and we were left with only one query: why had it taken us so long to visit?

ACCOMMODATION AT ASHFORD CASTLE

Our room had the most amazing view of the lake and several of the three hundred and sixty five islands in there. The 12th century turret, birds fishing on the waters, the gliding swan and the acres of surrounding woodland made a timeless vista that was uniquely serene. Inside we were enveloped in warmth and luxury with every comfort that we wanted from the large bathroom with separate bath and shower, luxury toiletries and robes, comfortable sitting area, discrete television cabinet, broadband, plenty of bottled water and a really tempting room-service menu! It was great to see that the rooms had retained their historic identity while incorporating every modern comfort and convenience that today’s discerning guest is looking for. Throughout the whole of the castle we came across crystal chandeliers, warm rich panelling, fine period antiques and masterpiece paintings.

DINING AT GEORGE V RESTAURANT

Dinner at George V dining room at Ashford Castle was certainly a culinary highlight for us. We enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail in The Prince of Wales Lounge where Martin, the wonderful Maitre d’ discussed the menus with us. They have an excellent Table d’Hote menu with suggested wines by the glass for each dish. Alternatively a bottle of any of the recommendations, or something from the separate extensive wine list can be chosen. I do love a glass of wine specific to whatever each of us is eating, particularly when there are a number of people choosing completely different dishes. We were shown to our window-side table with a bird’s eye view of the lovely dining room and spent the next couple of hours enjoying some of the best food and service we have experienced in a long while! There were nine starters from which we chose the Roast Loin of Venison with chilled mousse of salsify and truffles which was superb and the succulent plate of Char Grilled Scallops on creamy couscous with a carrot and ginger sauce. We went for the recommended Saint-Veran, Joseph Drouhin with the scallops and a super rich and spicy Lurton ELABAR Toro with the Venison. We were both so bowled over with this big aromatic wine that we stuck with it for our main courses of Roast Silver Hill Duckling and Roast Leg of lamb served from the carving trolley; followed by a plate of delicious ripe Irish farmhouse cheeses. The locally sourced food totally suited this historic castle ambiance, and we dined like royalty!

Breakfast the next morning was also served in George V, but as befits the first repast of the day, the atmosphere was quite different yet equally satisfying. A large buffet offered a great array of meats, cheeses, fruits, pastries and hot food, while an extensive menu included fish dishes, pancakes and speciality egg dishes all made to order. Service once again was superb.

While the castle and grounds are stunning, the service that guests enjoy at Ashford is what really marks this hotel out as a firm favourite with generations of families from around the world. When we stayed the hotel was very busy and with excellent value packages now available for such a standard of hospitality, it is certain to remain popular for many generations to come.
Ashford Castle, County Mayo