Hotel review: Is this West Cork guesthouse the best value luxury escape you’ve never heard of?

This secluded sanctuary is a hidden treasure set within a national treasure

The facade of Mossie's, Adrigole, Co Cork

Mossie’s

Our rating: 9.5/10

Location

A hidden treasure set within a natural treasure, Mossie’s offers a secluded sanctuary just off the main Glengarriff to Castletown road on West Cork’s gorgeous Beara Peninsula. 

It lies mere minutes from the scenic Healy Pass, Glengarriff is 15 minutes away with the Dursey cable car, at the tip of the peninsula, 50 minutes southwest.

• 9/10

Style & design

Mossie's sitting room

Perhaps the name — an homage to the property’s original farmhouse owner Mossie Power — gives a rustic preconception of what this property may offer. 

However. Mossie’s (which just recently dropped the B&B from its branding) is truly not what you may expect. 

Managed by a charming couple, Vanessa Charron (from Quebec) and Matti Schulz (from Germany), the property is better framed as a boutique guesthouse with a calming, laid-back luxury. 

Extensively renovated 20 years ago, the property is now embellished with the likes of a sunroom and Italianate-style balcony, giving Mossie’s an almost villa vibe on a summery day.

A number of beautifully appointed spaces welcome guests and feature locally sourced antiques, gallery walls, and pockets of freshly picked posies. 

There’s a boldly white-washed common room with original fireplace and a rustic long table, dressed with an oversized vase of beech branches. 

An inviting sitting room, with forest green sofas, and a darker library den to perhaps enjoy a game of chess or a nightcap, add extra linger appeal.

Every nook of the seven acres of gardens and native tree plantations is maintained to Ballymaloe levels of aesthetic wholesomeness; all adding to the sanctuary feel at Mossie’s.

• 9.5/10

Service

Vanessa and Matti are amicable and attentive hosts. 

It’s worth noting that Mossie’s is also available for exclusive hire for groups up to 12 people, with in-house catering available for group stays.

It looks like a glorious option for small wedding parties.

• 9/10

Guest rooms

Hanno's Workshop.

Mossie’s offers five stylish rooms, elegantly themed, from the wonderfully dainty Victorian Room to the most lavish, the Ulusker room, which features that fine balcony noted above plus an elegant en suite with claw-footed tub. 

The sound of LyricFM makes a nice sensory welcome, gently pulsing through the Robert’s speakers in each room; always such a lovely, if seldom delivered touch.

I stayed in the property’s second accommodation offering, Hanno’s Workshop. Again, names are deceptive here. 

This is a magically designed self-catering hideaway which feels like walking into a luxury Tribeca loft apartment, with hints of Vanishing Ireland nostalgia. 

From exposed brick walls to chandeliers, it is a boutique-meets-industrial space that makes for a wonderful couples’ escape.

• 9.5/10

In-room perks

Hanno’s Workshop is stocked with welcome staples, which include coffee pods and fresh eggs, and all guests are offered tea and coffee upon arrival. 

Mossie’s guest rooms feature homemade bath salts, pillow spray, Christy towels, robes, and Irish products by The Handmade Soap Company.

• 9/10

On the menu

Dinner isn’t served at Mossie’s but guests can pre-book (or order spontaneously) a very appetising grazing platter featuring a mix of Irish cheeses, locally sourced charcuterie, antipasti, and homemade spreads for €48 for two.

Breakfast is served in the inviting sunroom with views overlooking Bantry Bay in the distance. 

It’s an appetising experience with table settings impressively staged with fresh croissants, an elegant menu, a carafe of OJ and fresh flowers. 

It’s clear Vanessa has a flair for the finer details, and reveals herself as a French-Canadian Martha Stewart the more details I take in.

I’m served a gorgeous starter of chia pudding garnished with mint and pomegranate seeds. 

Cooked-to-order options include the likes of a full West Cork breakfast and peanut butter toast. 

I opt for scrambled eggs with hot smoked salmon topped with a wedge of lemon and sprig of dill. Breakfast is also available to self-catering guests for a very decent €18pp.

• 9/10

Activities & amenities

Mossie’s have flipped an old stone outhouse (a former pigsty, in fact) into a beautiful garden sauna which overlooks a manmade plunge pool met by a tranquil cascade. 

It’s an elevated sauna experience, with birch leaves, Finnish aromatherapy oils, a cold shower, and a fine deck with smart Adirondack chairs. 

It’s a lovely addition to a property which seems pretty much on the money with everything, including rates.

• 9/10

Checking in

The bill? B&B for two from €155.

Room to improve? Minimal. I’d sporadic sound issues with the projector speakers at Hanno’s Workshop. An EV charger would be great.

Accessibility? Hanno’s Workshop is wheelchair accessible (as is the main house for breakfast)

Family-friendly? Only for exclusive rental or in Hanno’s Workshop.

Dog-friendly? In Hanno’s Workshop with a charge of €35.

EV chargers? No

• Mossie’s
• Adrigole, Beara, Co. Cork
• Mossies.ie
• The Hotel Examiner was a guest of Mossie’s