Want to live like royalty? Ashford Castle in Co Mayo is the closest you’ll get
The carpets here, he tells me, were remade just as the originals were.
He details how the wood panelling on the castle walls was treated, every window replaced. Everywhere.
The roof had been repaired. A conservatory had been built, a spa and pool created from scratch within it.
Every bedroom had been refurbished, all like ours, with satin walls unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Such is Beatrice Tollman’s attention to detail and quest for perfection.
Beatrice is the president and founder of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, the new owners of Ashford Castle, with luxury properties in London, South Africa and America.
In fact, the only thing that hasn’t changed about the castle since its takeover nearly two years ago is the staff.
Everywhere we go we meet people who have been here 40 years. And that’s a true test of a hotel.
One relative newcomer, Niamh the wonderful sommelier, commutes from Cork (yes, Cork to Mayo) — that’s how prestigious and worthwhile a job at Ashford is.
I’ve stayed in castles and country houses before. But nothing, nowhere, is like Ashford.
This is a proper castle, straight out of a fairy story — right down to the suit of armour standing sentinel in the hallway.
It was built in 1228, yet nothing here is cold or austere.
It’s intimate and cosy — and we weren’t the only ones to reach the same conclusion.
Condé Nast Traveller voted the hotel its number two most romantic place in the world to propose.
It beat Victoria Falls, Central Park and the George V Hotel in Paris.
The travel bible wrote:
“The five-star property offers endless opportunities for proposing, including lake cruises and horseback riding.
"The rooms are equally romantic, particularly the staterooms located in the oldest part of the castle, dating back to the 13th century.
“Original fireplaces, claw-foot bathtubs, and sherry decanters help set the mood.”
And the awards just keep coming.
Since the Red Carnation group reopened Ashford Castle, it’s been named the world’s number one hotel by Virtuoso, a luxury travel network, and was ranked 12th on the 2016 Condé Nast Gold List (the only Irish property in the top 100).
This is not just a destination for romantics.
It won the Andrew Harper travel company’s Readers Choice for top family resort — and after a stay there with my mother and my 10-year-old, I can only agree.
My daughter had a dream day, topped off with a bed in a real life castle — and an Ashford Castle teddy and personalised princess story book tucked up beside her.
That was after an afternoon exploring and roaming the castle grounds and its gardens and tunnels.
There was a trip to the hotel cinema — I kid you not — with its plush red velvet seats and endless supply of “help-yourself” sweets and popcorn.
The film? Why The Quiet Man of course — what else would you expect when Cong is just down the road? (Naturally, the stars of the movie stayed at the hotel during filming, where else would a Hollywood star like John Wayne sleep?)
Before the movie, the 10 year old had a dessert to beat all others: a DIY ice cream sundae — an enormous dish of ice cream with every topping imaginable to choose from.
Dinner was something very special. Glorious, sumptuous — no words do justice to the George V dining room. Quite simply, it’s fit for a king.
The staff were among the best I’ve ever encountered and the food some of the best I’ve tasted — my starter was the “Fivemilestown” goats cheese panna cotta infused with garden herbs followed by wild halibut and hibernico ham.
Back in our room, even the turn down service had an added touch, a candle flickering in the bathroom.
The next morning, after a stunning breakfast (you have to try Mrs Tollman’s brown bread — the recipe features in her cookery book, on sale in the souvenir shop at the castle), we met Garvan and Cronin, two enormous but very gentle wolfhounds, on their daily morning walk through the castle. Again, my daughter was entranced.
All that and still we had barely touched on all the castle had to offer.
The new spa is something very special, the new billiard room and cigar terrace equally show stopping.
For those who prefer the great outdoors, there are many, many options on this 350-acre site on the shores of Lough Corrib — from clay pigeon shooting to archery to a school of falconry.
The wall of fame showcases the celebrities who have passed through the doors of the castle.
Something tells me they need to make room for many more VIP pictures — how could the A-listers stay away.
Ashford Castle has a special St Patrick’s Day package on March 18 and 19, including two dinners, plus bed and breakfast stay for two adults.
It also features a Quiet Man Tour in Cong, followed by a screening of The Quiet Man movie in the castle’s private cinema.
There’s also a boat cruise on Lough Corrib, with a stop off at Inchagoill Island before departing the castle.
Priced from €1,350 for a two-night stay, based on two adults sharing in a Corrib Room.
www.ashfordcastle.com ; 094 9546003
