Hotel review: The Heritage offers great value for a luxury getaway

Tom Breathnach says The Heritage in County Laois may have dropped a star from its rating but it still offers terrific value for a spa or golfing break

The Heritage in Co Laois is one of the most luxurious four-star getaways in the country.

Still fresh from a pre-lockdown €3 million makeover, The Heritage in Killenard has tweaked its name, dropped a star rating and rebranded to position itself as one of the most luxurious four-star getaways in the country.

Set amid a poetic swathe of County Laois countryside, the hotel, with its 18-hole parklands course and expansive ESPA spa aims to woo both the wellness and golfing set while its newly revamped ballroom is eyeing a greater slice of the wedding market cake. 

Location-wise, The Heritage hotel sits within handy teeing distance of the M7, just an hour from Dublin and two hours from Cork.

Check-in 

The lobby

But it’s inside that the hotel starts to wow. 

The lobby, a massive four-story atrium of white marble and plush purple staircases resembles a Venetian palazzo with a Vegas twist. 

It’s daring, impressive, and very different for a typical Irish offering. 

That’s all followed by a check-in at reception which is warm, personable, and without any faux-formal pomp which I find so out of place in Irish hotels.

Suite talk 

The deluxe room's hues of chocolate and mahogany create a palette of warmth while touches like period wall prints lend the air of a stately country pile.

I stayed in one of the hotel’s superior rooms which offered scenic westward views across the greenways to the Slieve Bloom mountains. Interiors here see a tamer touch versus the flashy lobby. 

Classically furnished, hues of chocolate and mahogany create a palette of warmth while touches like period wall prints lend the air of a stately country pile. 

Perks include Nespresso and Netflix as standard and the generous ensuite with walk-in shower and claw-tub is stocked with ESPA products. 

In all, it’s a very inviting room and a setting you’d be more than game to enjoy a mini-bar date if staying in.

At your service 

The 98-room Heritage justly aspires to be a destination hotel in its own right, bolstered by its golf portfolio (Seve Ballesteros designed the course here) as well as being home to one of Ireland’s largest spas. 

I enjoyed a 30-minute massage as part of the hotel’s Great Escape package before schmoozing my way around their full range of wellness amenities from an ice-fountain and rustic sauna to Turkish baths. 

It made for a pleasant haven where to while away an hour (or two).

Board and bia 

Key to the Heritage’s revamp is its gorgeously revamped dining spaces which are an ambient nod to the now ubiquitous art deco design. 

Afternoon tea (€32) served in the Galleria restaurant was a particular highlight; my own gluten free variants were fresh, imaginative and void of any trace of coeliac FOMO. 

For dinner, I availed of the dining deal in their new Blake’s Restaurant, which included tasty slow-roasted pork belly, followed by a standard aubergine and chick-pea coconut curry, and a punchy Malibu pannacotta. 

I skipped breakfast the next morning due to an early flight but my sister ordered a gluten-free full Irish to her room, which was reportedly delicious.

Safe stay 

Blake's restaurant and cocktail bar has been revamped and gives an ambient nod to art deco design.

The Heritage have put a range of Covid-19 safety measures in place from guests now being able to pre-book their breakfast, dinner and swim times to limit contacts and spa guests can fill out their consultation forms digitally. 

"Stay safe” seals are placed on bedroom doors to reassure guests they’ve been freshly sanitised and while the days of breakfast buffet are indeed toast, each dining table at The Heritage now cleverly features afternoon-tea stands which are stacked with tiers of juices and continental breakfast (with the option to order hot breakfast also).

Room for improvement 

Despite its size, I found the lack of natural light in the spa’s relaxation room a little claustrophobic, while the spa lounge area overlooks a landscaped garden area that felt corporate and uninspiring. 

Dining-wise, as is often the case with dining deals, the dish portions were a little meagre in size for my taste. 

Also, in such polished art deco surroundings like Blake’s restaurant, I always feel some classy jazz or big band music would add pizazz to the ambiance, rather than the trend of acoustic pop playlists which seems so rampant in Ireland’s hotels right now. 

No more unplugged versions of Katy Perry’s 'Firework', please.

Examiner rating

Despite character flaws and that sterile exterior hitting the romance bunker, the Heritage offers a fine luxury escape and current B&B rates from €89 surely rank it as one of Ireland’s best value getaways. 

Consider it for a convenient golfing or spa hideaway with the option to explore some of the hidden natural wonders and heritage highlights in the whole Slieve Bloom region. 

Would I stay again? For that value, 100%.

Go local 

Emo Court House (6kms): 

Wander one of the country’s most gorgeous estates before enjoying tearoom treats from the CaToCa café (emocourt.ie). 

Kildare Village (18kms): 

Avail of those autumn sales with a visit to Ireland’s closest thing to a New England outlets trip (kildarevillage.com — closed at time of publication). 

Ballykilcavan Brewing Company (20kms): 

Enjoy a farm and craft brewing tour on this 13th generation family holding (ballykilcavan.com).

Child friendly — yes;  wheelchair accessible — yes; pet friendly — no.

Tom stayed as a guest of the hotel. For more, see theheritage.com.