Liss Ard Estate

It's not easy planning a driving tour of Ireland for 14, when you know a good location, a great meal and secure parking is required. The Liss Ard Estate was a great find and from our welcome on arrival to that on our departure we were made to feel most welcome. We all had excellent rooms in the main house and had plenty of time to wander around the large estate before getting ready for dinner. Lovely large lounges to relax in with an honesty bar and then a great dinner with very good wines. Oh and another great Full Irish the next morning!

We stayed for one night in Liss Ard and had such a wonderful time. We were so well looked after. I particularly liked how we felt like we were only two of very few guests as the estate is so vast, makes you feel part of something special. I had a pregnancy massage and it was one of the best massages i had ever had. My husband used the Sauna which on arrival wasn't ready for him, however the staff took this off our bill which we thought was a really generous gesture. The food was incredible, so seasonal and delicious. The staff were all superb. I will be recommending Liss Ard Estate to everyone, and look forward to returning some day.

I know the situation for hospitality maybe difficult for some establishments at the moment and having stayed here before, I'm disappointed to say; standards and the level of service have fallen off a cliff. The hotel is clean and the grounds are lovely, and in a beautiful setting, but the food offering has changed tremendously, and having food items missing on a small menu is not an option at this standard and price level. However, the main issue is personnel and management; there seems to be discoordination and an absence of professionalism across the board. The price does not match the experience. To have changed in such a short amount of time, does not bode well, for what should be a hidden gem.

Wonderful surroundings, ambiance and gardens. Michael the owner a true gent - even looked after our dos to facilitate a kayak trip. Sauna and swim in the private lake a memorable highlight.

Nice but disorganised hotel. Nobody seems to be really in control. Restaurant management pretty chaotic. Seems a lot of the management is left to nice, junior, trainee types. Where's the owner/GM? Some nice features - location, grounds, and bar staff great.

After a less than auspicious start (finding ourselves the Lake House instead of main building and having to walk up to the Manor through the rain!) our stay ended up being perfect. They explained the reason (a film crew had overstayed!) but moved us to Room 1 as it had become available. And it was fabulous! Thank you, Anna, and we hope you got your key back!! The dinner was delicious and the staff brilliant. Friendly and attentive without being fussy and overbearing. We had stayed before and will definitely stay again. It is fantastic (with the fluffiest and lighest pillows and duvets!!) PS: The Lake House itself is gorgeous and would be PERFECT during the summer with the beautiful 10 minute walk through the stunning gardens to the Manor for dinner, just not what we booked! After all, it was October and raining!

Do book the Lake House and listen to records while viewing the lake scene. Don't miss hiking the lush grounds with surprises as one explores. If you experience rain look out for the waterfalls at the rear of the house.

If you are even remotely close to Liss Ard Estate, I strongly encourage you to make your stay there. It was wonderful.

The suite was beautiful, but for all of the space, the bathroom was tiny and poorly laid out. The service was generally quite good, but the hotel appeared to be understaffed as it was often difficult to find an employee. We also made a massage appointment in the evening (standing at the reception desk, in person) for the next morning that it turns out was not actually made, so that was quite disappointing. Every single thing about the dining and restaurant (except for the service) would be considered below average at a large chain hotel, never mind a Relais & Chateaux property. Putting the dining room in a sparsely decorated basement with no views is a choice - just not a good one. The dinner menu was poorly constructed (a small plates/sharing concept is generally not what guests of a Relais & Chateaux hotel are looking for) and had limited choices (chicken as the only protein, in Ireland??). Breakfast came off as stingy and cheap - the 3 nights prior to our visit we stayed at a similar country manor house at a much lower rate that had a vastly more generous breakfast with much higher quality products. Not offering a buffet, where it seems to be standard practice at similar properties is a strange decision. Offering a choice of tea OR coffee OR juice, with guests being charged additional for a second one of these is nickel and diming people who are already paying +€250/night. We spoke to at least 4 other guests during our stay who had identical views of the dining experience and who all said they would not be returning. And I see now that this is a consistent in the reviews of the property (which I did not read prior to staying). While I have enjoyed my stays at other Relais & Chateaux properties in the past, if this is what now represents Relais & Chateaux, I will not be staying at any in the future.