Hotel review: The Fastnet Hotel in West Cork is the best getaway you’ve never heard of

This guesthouse par excellence has a delicious French flavour

The Fastnet feels more like a boutique guesthouse than an amenity rich hotel.

Location

Set on spectacular Mizen, The Fastnet is nestled along the Colla coastal road, just beyond the peninsula’s main hub of Schull. Views from the property are unsurprisingly dramatic with uninterrupted vistas over the Long Island channel with the likes of Sherkin Island and Oileán Chléire dotting along the seascape while — hence the name — the iconic Fastnet Lighthouse punctuates the horizon beyond. During my brief stay, the skies deliver silvery sunsets, golden sunrises, slews of rain and howling gales — all of which offer an atmosphere as ambient as the next. Beyond the property, you’re only 25 minutes from the likes of Mizen Head while being just five minutes from Schull’s fine offerings from Hackett’s pub to the New Haven restaurant.

9/10

Design spec

Opened just two years ago, The Fastnet is the dream venture of its live-in owners Hélène Lynch (via Provence) and her husband Edward (via Cavan). Their impressive home has been remodelled from an original 1960s bungalow and features Bannonesque glass extensions framed with local Schull stone. Inside, the gentle pulse of Glenn Miller, fragrance of organic infusers — and those views — welcome me, along with an impressive art and antique collection and cloud-like comfort thanks to some stunning Ligne Roset furniture. There’s a homely, rather than hotel-y, feel to the property, which creates a sense of intimacy rather than intrusion and there are ample spots in this sanctuary to comfortably accommodate the maximum of six guests.

8.5/10

Guest Rooms

The Fastnet offers three rooms, two in the house as well as the Goat Island Studio on the property’s garden. I stayed in the latter which was a modern, airy unit overlooking the ocean with Fastnet blinking in the distance. Along with its centrepiece king bed, the room features a kitchenette and a panoramic lounge area with sofa and swing chair, where you can recline with the supplied binoculars or the latest
issues of Vogue. Touches from the lavender sachets to maritime objets d’arts bring a Provençal air to the West Cork look.

8.5/10

In-room perks

A welcome box of gluten-free cookies greets me as I enter the room while the kitchen is nicely stocked with Pukka tea and coffee by Senseo. My room’s ensuite wet room also has a built-in steam room and a bijou box of essential oils to enhance the experience is a very nice touch.

9/10

Service and facilities

Hotel is a little bit of a misnomer for The Fastnet as it feels more like a boutique guesthouse than an amenity rich hotel. As hosts, Hélène and Edward are excellent, Hélène having learned her cooking craft from the likes of classes at the Michelin Star Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire and she can adapt, with aplomb, to all guests’ dietary needs from gluten-free to vegan.

8/10

On the menu

Dinner at The Fastnet is available based on house numbers with three courses for €79. Mine began with a bountiful starter of fresh local crab with garden herbs and the rare novelty nowadays of wild smoked salmon. It’s followed by a luxurious main of seared scallops (served French-style with the roe) while dessert, fittingly, was a fabulously fluffy, orange- infused soufflé served with an optional glug of Grand Marnier. Sublime.

Breakfast is The Fastnet’s signature occasion and you’ll soon appreciate there’s nothing petit about this déjeuner. Come morning, my sea-view table for two appears more like its own buffet with fresh fruit, smoked salmon, and yoghurts flanked by a host of freshly baked cakes from a blueberry, almond and lemon cake (an Ottolenghi recipe) to a superb organic apple tart (an Hélène recipe). Remarkably, they’re also all prepared gluten-free too to meet my requests. Hot options are still to come. I ordered the day’s fresh fish, cod, served with deliciously sautéed fennel and herb potatoes. It’s the most impressive breakfast I’ve ever been served, fresh, flavourful, and feast-like.

10/10

Value for money

B&B rates at The Fastnet start from €390 per night which places it very much in the premium category. By my reckoning, however, and compared with five star experiences I’ve enjoyed in Ireland, The Fastnet’s breakfast alone surely has a value of north of €100. The luxurious surroundings, Hélène’s on point hospitality, plus the sheer je ne sais quoi which pulses from the very special property, gilds this getaway all the more.

10/10

• Thom was a guest of Fastnet Hotel.