Weekend break: Ballygarry House Hotel, Tralee

The Ballygarry House Hotel in Tralee has been named Wedding Venue of the Year. Marjorie Brennan spends a night at the award-winning hotel.

There’s something about Kerry. My heart may belong to Waterford, my mind to Cork but when it comes to my soul, nothing nourishes it more than a trip to the Kingdom.

While I’ve sampled the fine hotels of Killarney, the delights of the Dingle peninsula and the beauty of Ballinskelligs, however, the north Kerry region has remained unexplored territory for me.

So I was looking forward to checking out Ballygarry House Hotel, near Tralee, of which I had heard excellent reports.

Just a few days before we were due to visit, the hotel was awarded Wedding Venue of the Year at the annual Keelings Gold Medal Awards, recognised as an industry benchmark for the best hotels in the country.

As the standards of prospective brides and grooms are about as high as you can get when it comes to food, service and hospitality, I took this to be a good sign ahead of our arrival.

Travelling south, the hotel is situated just outside Tralee, just before you come to the town proper.

It lies in the shadow of the Slieve Mish mountains, next to Ballyseedy Woods and blends seamlessly into its surroundings.

We received a warm welcome from the highly professional staff when we arrived to check in.

Our room was spacious, comfortable and tastefully decorated.

The bathroom was gleaming and absolutely spotless, not something that can be taken for granted in a lot of hotels, and robes and slippers were also provided.

The coffee machine — and plate of homemade biscuits — was a nice touch, not that I was able to indulge as it was straight off to the Nadúr spa for me.

The relaxation room did exactly what it said on the tin, it is a lovely calm space with views of the mountains, and cushioned canopied pods which were so comfy that one patron was gently snoring.

There was a great selection of up-to-date magazines — no three-year-old copies of Hello! here — an indulgence for someone who doesn’t get much time to read them anymore.

There is also a thermal suite and outdoor hot-tub which is available to all guests, and even in early October there were a good few takers of an al fresco dip.

While I could have spent hours in the relaxation room, I had to leave its cocoon-like embrace for my treatment, a honey and Irish whiskey salted body scrub, followed by a back massage.

I was lucky to be in the capable hands of Rita, whose gentle, reassuring manner was belied by her firm hands, much needed for my shoulders, which were tight and knotted after hours of crouching over a laptop.

She informed me that the honey used in the treatment, which left my skin feeling silkily soft, is from bees kept locally by the spa manager.

That’s what I call making the most of local produce. I left the treatment area feeling lighter, looser, and ready for dinner.

It was great to see local produce also well-represented in the hotel’s food offering.

There are two dining options for guests — the more formal Brooks restaurant and the Brasserie, which was very popular the night we were there.

However, we decided to make the most of our night away and went for the a la carte option at Brooks.

From the Clonakilty black pudding amuse bouche (which went down very well with my Corkonian companion) to the perfectly made Irish coffee, it was a pleasure from start to finish.

Our main courses of North Kerry lamb and sea bass from the Iveragh peninsula were delicious.

The lamb was perfectly cooked and cut like butter, while my fish was fresh and light, with the accompanying samphire and capers adding a piquant touch.

When I had to leave my confit of duck leg starter to take a phone call, it was whisked away almost immediately and brought back when I returned to the table.

This keen eye for detail and customer service was obvious throughout the hotel, so it didn’t surprise me that it ranks so highly for weddings. Indeed there was one taking place the day we visited.

However, for those who are seeking peace and quiet and don’t relish the thought of being kept awake by the thumping bass of a wedding band and over-refreshed guests noisily fumbling for their room keys, weddings are catered for in a separate part of the hotel specifically tailored for nuptial celebrations.

After our meal we retired to the hotel bar for a digestif.

Owen Mac’s bar keeps up the hotel’s cosy country house theme, with dark wood panelling and smoked glass and plenty of corners to hide away in.

There was an accomplished pianist playing and it all added up to a lovely laid-back atmosphere. We decided to keep it Kerry and ordered a Dingle gin and tonic each, which really hit the spot.

Breakfast the next morning was by order, so you knew the food hadn’t been sweating under hot lights all morning.

There was also a light buffet of cereal, fruit, yoghurts etc. My smoked salmon and scrambled eggs was tasty and filling and the full Irish also got the thumbs-up from the Corkonian.

Service was very busy, with the wedding guests occupying many of the tables, but it was obviously a well-oiled operation.

We were seated quickly, our food served promptly and our coffee topped up without asking. Hospitality and service was outstanding throughout our stay, exceeding that of some five-star establishments I’ve stayed in.

As we left, I spotted a couple settling down to read the papers in one of the many little lounges scattered around the hotel, and I really wished we didn’t have to go.

While there are bikes available to explore the nearby woods, the staff advised us of the optimum route to get to beautiful Banna Strand just a few miles outside Tralee.

The blast of salty sea air capped off a relaxing and rejuvenating night away.

Next time, I’ll stay for longer.