Ballyfin Demesne

As a very frequent flyer, someone traveling over 250 days a year and accumulating over 9,000,000 miles on American Airlines, I have been almost everywhere I’ve ever wanted to go. Ireland was something I had not experienced yet. A friend suggested Bally Finn, and when I googled it, I saw this magnificent Country home that I could just move in. All I would need would be the money! My three days there or one of the best three days I’ve ever had on holiday. The decor, the ambience, the delicious food catered to your every whim, the extremely attentive staff who are very informative, accommodating, And friendly. And let’s not forget Claire Russell who walks around and make sure that everyone there is taken care of and doesn’t need anything and everything is right the way you want it or need it. I can’t recommend any place any higher than I would be. I experienced the horse and buggy ride, the picnic in the picnic house, the historic tour of the homeand many roaring fires in the afternoons. The spa is great and I had a day of beauty. The pool couldn’t be any more tranquil and a lovely sauna as well. I can’t wait for my next trip back!

From the moment you glide through the estate gates and progress towards the house you know you are somewhere special . The welcome is attentive but also relaxed and friendly and once you have a complimentary glass of champagne you have entered another world . We only had one night in Ballyfin but it was wonderful and will definitely be back . We walked , rowed , relaxed and delighted in this splendid house hotel which is at once a home and a stately home . All our meals were wonderful . We enjoyed the tasting menu . Magnificent room with a bath that has a view of the beautiful fountain . Peter the General Manager , Diarmuid who gave us the house tour , Bernadette and all the staff made us feel extremely welcome .

My friend and I stayed at Ballyfin House on Friday 13th of September. As we drove up to the beautiful entrance, we were greeted by Diarmid and Bernadette. Bernadette greeted us with a beautiful smile and guided us in to the main building, She provided us with warm hand towels to clean our hands and a fabulous glass of champagne. She was so professional and so pleasant to both of us we were so impressed. We then met john, who provided up with a wonderful tour of ballyfin house, We later spoke to Anna who was wonderful with all dietary needs we had required for our evening meal. Our server was a pretty girl called Lauren, She was very precise and pleasant and had a beautiful way about her. The turn down staff done a beautiful job on our room (The Little Library) with fresh lavender on our lovely fluffy pillows. We also had the pleasure of meeting Mr Peter White the hotel manager, who was very welcoming to ballyfin hotel. Our breakfast had so much variety and again the staff were so accommodating Overall this was a 5 star experience, Ballyfin is a beautiful quiet and very peaceful place to stay. The bedroom was 5 stars, The Staff were 5 stars and the luxury and comfort was most definitely 5 stars. We without a doubt will be returning again. Thank u to all the staff of Ballyfin

Stayed at Ballyfin again recently - we go at least twice per year. Its just a wonderful experience from start to finish. Luxury and elegance and amazing, friendly staff, I couldn't complement it enough. We brought our son this time (11) with some additional needs and the staff were so nice to us and him. Really excellent, highly recommended.

This is a beautiful estate with 600+ acres of ground and lakes with just 22 rooms. The hotel is a restored residence which turned into a school and the owners have gone to great lengths to find every available artefact in the original mansion and decorate the hotel with great taste and warmth. The grounds are extensive and dotted with many ruins and some great architectural features especially the running water body. Residents get a golf cart to explore the estate on their own. The service is top notch and the food is gourmet level tasty and very well presented. The rooms are large and the views terrific from all sides of the building. It's a super good property but the very small number of rooms makes you miss the buzz of fellow guests and it gets very very quiet. You can truly enjoy the property if you go in a group of 3-4 couples. That said there are great touches like how a senior member of the staff was at hand to bid us farewell for an early departure and we had a great packed breakfast from them. If you like luxury and enjoy solitude for a few days (I think the ideal stay would be around 4 nights) this is the best that you could get. Yes it's very pricey but they do their best to give you a great experience.

An outstanding dining experience in a remarkable property. Private tour of the house was so interesting and the attention to detail in retrieving historical items was mind boggling and a huge tribute to the original owners. If one has the opportunity to visit and experience this amazing property, do so.

A truly extraordinary place. The setting is amazing - it's incredibly beautiful & peaceful. The food is wonderful - we also did an Irish whiskey tasting in the cellar, which was great fun. We had the experience of a liftetime with the falconry. Claire & her staff at Ballyfin are exceptional - they made us feel right at home. My wife & I had a fantastic experience & we look forward to going back again.

Our family had the most incredible stay at Ballyfin last week. There are truly no words to describe how amazing this hotel is. It felt like a fairy tale.... and perhaps a bit like living at Downtown Abby or as guests of royalty. Every detail of the experience is designed to make you feel as though you are a personal guest at the estate, rather than at a hotel. With only 20 rooms and over 100 staff that tend to the estate and provide guest service, the level of service is unparalleled. The care and restoration of this historic estate is breathtaking. Never before have I seen such incredible decorative arts. The antiques alone are like living in a museum. It was clearly a labor of love for the entire restoration team. I can't imagine any other hotel being able to do what this hotel has been able to achieve. The fact that they have been able to restore the original floors, resurrect the conservatory, locate original portraits of the Coote family, find so much of the Coote family china -- it's all simply amazing. We had truly wonderful service from everyone we met. However, a few names deserve particular mention. Liam gave us a wonderful tour of the estate on the day we arrived. He was engaging, knowledgeable and articulate. Not only did he provide a detail history of the estate and the Coote family, but he pointed out so many unique architectural details and decorative wonders. At cocktails and dinner, Lauren and Anna provided exemplary service. Not only were they engaging, they remembered our unique dietary preferences from night to night. They had a masterful knowledge of each dish and made our dinners feel like celebrations each night we were there. Finally, the general manager, Peter was wonderful. He was welcoming and engaging and made sure everything ran seamlessly. There were so many little details that make this experience unique. From the free golf carts to explore the walled gardens, to the rows of rain boots ready for explorers, to the after dinner chocolates and the delightful gifts left on our pillows each night... every detail was carefully considered. You have spoiled us for life. I hope that we are able to come back one day - but, in the meantime, thank you for the incredible memories. It was most definitely the highlight of our entire trip to Ireland.

This was the most incredible hotel experience of my life. The service is top notch. There is fine attention to detail. The staff is kind and attentive. The rooms and common areas are quiet, peaceful and lavish yet comfortable. The architecture, art and interior decor are unbelievably beautiful. The food is excellent. You can spend an entire day outdoors exploring the property alone. This experience is well worth the cost. The only con is that this experience may ruin all future hotel experiences. I will return to Ireland just to stay at this property. Highly recommend!