The Heritage Killenard

I just went to the hotel to have a bit to eat as it is just up the road
the service was a bit slow as there was hardly anyone there

I just visited this hotel for a bite to eat on the way from Tipperary to Dublin. The reception area and the grounds of the hotel were beautiful. The menu was concise enough, which I like, too much choice can result in poorer quality food. Especially for a lunch time menu in a hotel.
The service was extremely slow. We waited 15 minutes for someone to come & take our order & after 15 minutes I went to the bar to try to order. Instead of ordering at the bar, someone who appeared to be the bar manager walked me back to my table to take my order there.
It was 40 minutes from the time we arrived at the hotel to the time our food order arrived & to be honest my food was a little bit more lukewarm than hot suggesting that it had been sitting in the kitchen for a little while. I honestly didn’t complain at the time because I was extremely hungry, but the food itself was tasty. I had a pulled pork burger & chips. Was a little disappointed that the «burger» was in fact an open-​faced sandwich with just one bun, however the accompaniments were delicious — some from of apple sauce/​purée & a little coleslaw which appeared to be made in house.
I would go back but I wasn’t blown away on the day.

I’m in love with everything about this place. The lounge is lovely for a drink and a bite. The staff is attentive and friendly. The food is great.
But the Spa… It is heavenly! I will always reserve a day for this spa whenever I visit Ireland. The lovely soaking pool with waterfall, steam, sauna & relaxation rooms, the delightful spa lunch-​salmon nicoise salad– in the quaint private lounge…
Now that I’ve blabbed the secret I hope it won’t be overcrowded next time…

Great Hotel and a great spot to grab some food from the Bar Menu. The staff are always friendly even when busy. The burgers are great here but the Beef and Guinness Pie is a personal favorite. Also a great place for a pint of Guinness for any tourists.
The thatch pub is friendly pub with a ‘local’ flavour. Beside the thatch is Sol Oriens Italian restaurant serving reasonable food in reasonable surroundings.

We arrived late in the evening and left early. Thus we didn’t really get to take advantage of many of the services or amenities. However, the service we did receive was above and beyond. Also the breakfast was a great way to get the day started.
To elaborate a bit, we arrived at the hotel late in the evening around 8 or 9 pm without our luggage, it wasn’t expected to arrive for another 12 hours, and after a LONG day of traveling from the USA, 3 flights and a 30 min drive from Dublin. Our party was exhausted and in desperate need of a shower. The front desk not only offered to get us the necessary toiletries that we were missing, but they had house keeping stay late so that we could get all of our clothing washed and dried.
The bathroom, a welcome sight, included a huge claw foot tub that I took advantage of. The rooms were clean and in great condition. It wasn’t especially fancy or full of character like some of the other places in Ireland, but there wasn’t anything missing. The turn down service that included chocolate and a fresh bottle of water was a nice touch.

This is in no way a 5 star hotel as they profess it to be BUT it has a lot going for it. The rooms are well equipped and very nice, well-​kept and one thing the Heritage excels itself at is its staff. Pleasant and accommodating — nothing seems to be an issue. The bar food is average (didn’t eat in any of the restaurants) but breakfast — especially when delivered to the room — is sparse. There’s a pool and spa, although don’t ever expect to have the pool all to yourself — it gets quite busy. All in all, it’s a good hotel, but more suited to a large wedding or golfing trips for retirees.

First to review… ok!
well. let me just point out a few things…
1. I’m from USA
2. I don’t golf
3. I didn’t use their spa/​club amenities.
But the condo we stayed in was beautiful. 2 bedroom suite. 2 stories with living room, office/​den, and kitchen, 2 bed and baths. The surrounding area was beautiful. The service in the lobby was very prompt and friendly. The food at the bar and the service there was great too.
Amenities are minimal since the condo we stayed in are the self service kind… where you provide most of your own stuff. It’s a full kitchen, with small fridge, dishwasher, washing machine (no dryer). Dishes, silverware, cookware, small bottle of dish soap and dish towels included. It comes with the basics like a set of towels/​person and bed linens set. But it does not come with soap/​shampoo like some hotels may have. There is no maid service. If you want that it, it’s an additional charge. If you need extra towels or toiletries, those are also an additional charge. Just keep these in mind. Some of my travel companions weren’t expecting this.
For USA travelers, there is one 2 prong outlet in the downstairs bathroom. The rest in the condo are 3 prong Irish outlets.
We found it very difficult to find, driving there ourselves. Addresses and street names and what not are difficult to navigate and work with in Ireland, and even with gps, it was awkward. It’s not the most convenient location. But it was very interesting and an adventure for us :)
So out of country visitors, and maybe even for local Irish visitors, keep that mind and map it out as best you can in detail for the smaller country roads before you head out, even if it sounds straight forward.