Monday, July 24, 2017

Our Family Stay At Killashee Hotel, Co. Kildare ♥

Early this week we set off on a much needed family break to the beautiful Killashee Hotel, Co. Kildare. Ever since our holiday to Jersey back at the beginning of June I've been longing for us to get away again and since I've been dying to see more of the sights around Ireland, I was delighted when Killashee Hotel offered us the chance to visit.

Jacek and I have previously visited Killashee Hotel last year and it was such a lovely place that left a lasting impression on us, so we were delighted at the prospect of returning, this time with our boys in tow.

The hotel was just as we remembered - welcoming, stunning, charming, with beautiful grounds to stroll through and large, spacious bedrooms to relax in. Killashee is very family-friendly and we were glad to see other guests there with children too - safety in numbers and all that!

Our room was large enough to fit the four of us - Beau in a travel cot, Tyler on a camp bed (which Beau thought was a trampoline!) and Jacek and I in a four poster bed. The bathroom in our room was absolutely massive, possibly the biggest bathroom I have ever seen and with a shower and separate bath, it was a perfect space for the boys and us to use.

Another lovely touch to our room was the welcome plate we received from the hotel with chocolate, strawberries and a little cake. The boys devoured the chocolate and strawberries!

We had a long drive from Cork to Kildare and the only thing really keeping Tyler sane was the prospect of enjoying a play in the playground once we reached the hotel, so after checking out our room and dropping our bags we went out to the grounds for a walk.

Our first stop was the butterfly garden, which is a beautiful spot to sit and relax in, with a lovely view of the fields in one direction and of beautiful Killashee Hotel itself in the other.

We spotted lots of lovely butterflies there enjoying all the purple flowers and this butterfly in particular had a stunning pattern on it's wings - I don't think I've ever seen this type of butterfly before.

Killashee Hotel boasts a lovely little fairy trail and Tyler enjoyed spotting the fairy doors and houses along the way. However, once we reached the playground, we were disappointed to see it under construction and we had a very upset little boy for the rest of our outdoor time that afternoon.

Even roly polys on the grass with his baby brother couldn't cheer him up. Tyler is the type of child who loves his visits to the playground. I have been informed that the playground at Killashee will be reopened on August 8th, so it will be available for use to families who visit after this time.

Tyler did love sitting in the summer house though and pretending it was his house. He took great fondness to the yellow chair in there. It's decorated really nicely in there with lovely tiles and a patchwork of wallpaper on the walls, making it a great place to enjoy, especially in the summer months.

After the disappointment with the playground, we decided to take the boys to the indoor playroom, which we remembered from our previous visit. However, when we got there Tyler was left disappointed once again as there were no toys up there bar a dolls house and a lorry - which Beau swiftly took off with. It's such a shame as I remembered the room being great from our last visit and it's such a great space for the kids to play in too, but Tyler became bored after five minutes and the only thing to cheer him up was the promise of cake.

I have been told that the reason for the lack of toys in the indoor playroom was that they were downstairs in the camp room - the kids camp running in July and August.

We decided to take the boys for afternoon tea and were delighted to find out it was being served in the conservatory as this is such a gorgeous, bright space looking out to the grounds. Our afternoon tea arrived quickly - with ice-cream and cookies also being served to the boys. You can also read about our afternoon tea experience last year here.

I enjoyed a glass of prosecco with my afternoon tea and the whole thing was really delicious - I especially loved the apple and rhubarb battenburg, so yummy!

After our afternoon tea I headed to the Villa Spa to experience the new Elemis Biotec Firm-a-lift Facial treatment. The spa was just as welcoming and relaxing as last time I had visited and the lady doing my facial was so friendly and she immediately put me at ease. The facial was amazing! It's actually done using a mixture of hand and machine movements across the face, which help the skin to absorb the product. The facial also helps lift the contour lines - great for my chin area and I could see a visible difference in my skin after my treatment. I'm now wanting to visit the spa on a regular basis, the relaxation was just what I needed. The Elemis Biotec Facials are €115 for 55 minutes and, in my opinion, are worth every penny.

In the spa I also got to experience the relaxation room after my treatment and was given some refreshing sorbet and water to enjoy whilst I was there. This time around I didn't get to visit the hydro-pool as I had stupidly left my swimming costume at home, but the place was just as calming and relaxing as I had remembered it to be.

We arrived at the Bistro restaurant for dinner at 7 and I was panicking a bit as Beau is usually in bed at this time and we don't really take the boys out to eat all that much, so I was worried that they wouldn't sit down and eat! However, the people serving us took our orders quickly, brought a colouring page and crayons for the kids and our food arrived very quickly.

The boys had a trio of melon for starters, which they both devoured. The also had chicken goujons and chips for main which they also enjoyed. Jacek had the ribs for starter and the bass for main, both of which he really enjoyed and I had the vegetable soup and the Bistro burger, both of which were very tasty and left me feeling full. We had to abandon our plans of having dessert as the boys started acting up, but we were impressed with the food in the Bistro and the service was great.

We all had a very comfy nights sleep in the room - the four poster bed was amazing! I was surprised with how quickly the boys settled considering we were all in the one room, but they were absolutely fine - thankfully!

Breakfast was served in Turners Restaurant and there was a wide selection of food available - a buffet as well as a menu you could order from. We opted for the buffet as we wanted to feed the boys quickly. They were able to tuck into fruit and have sausages and croissants afterwards too. I loved that there was such a variety available for breakfast, and I think it's great that Killashee offer this.

Killashee Hotel offers a kids club between half nine and twelve in July and August, we didn't bring Tyler to it though as he went for a morning nap when Beau did - he must have found the room very comfy!

The hotel also has a swimming pool, which is located in the leisure club on the hotel grounds.

Killashee Hotel is a gorgeous place to stay as a family. We really enjoyed the grounds, the afternoon tea was delicious (and surprisingly manageable with two small children!), the room was spacious enough to accommodate us all, the food was lovely and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

It was a shame about the playground and the indoor playroom, but hopefully these will be finished/upgraded soon.

Killashee Hotel also offers a 10% discount for shops within Kildare Village and two for the price of one visits to many attractions situated near the hotel, including the National Stud and Japanese Gardens - which we visited before we went home (I'll share our experience there in another blog post). So whether it's a spot of shopping or family days out you're looking to enjoy, Killashee Hotel really does offer the perfect place to stay within the Kildare area.

*We were guests of the hotel and our stay and meals were complimentary. We paid for the afternoon tea ourselves. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.
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21 comments

  1. I didn't know they had a playground. It must be new because I didn't see it there when we visited two years ago.
    I actually went for afternoon tea back in February with my friend for my 30th. It was absolutely delicious.
    We've been to Japanese gardens two weekends ago. Kids had a ball. I wouldn't go again though. There are a lot of more other places you need to see that the kids will enjoy more. But I can't wait to read your view on it. Xx

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  2. We were just there a few months back and totally enjoyed our stay. No little kids with us but it was great for young children and I saw many enjoying the grounds. Would stay again in a minute.

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  3. Wow, what a gorgeous hotel. All your photos are incredible. And that food? Yum!

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  4. Gorgeous photos the place looks stunning and I love the look of the afternoon tea

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  5. I have always wanted to visit Ireland and your pictures have made me want to go even more! This is definitely on my bucket list.

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  6. Love the welcome plate, so thoughtful! Looks like a lovely place to stay, Anya would love the butterflies!

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  7. Ireland is on my bucket list. Killashee Hotel and the surrounding grounds are gorgeous, so are your children. I've not seen a butterfly with those false eyes on it's wings, that is incredible.

    Gisele Gamble
    http://catsdogsandpolliwogs.com

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  8. wow what a beautiful looking stay you had. stunning pictures x

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  9. What a beautiful place to stay with the family. I love all of the great decor. Ireland is a place I hope to visit one day.

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  10. Wowzers this place looks incredible. The bathroom is right up my street. Love how it's decorated. And that afternoon tea is my idea of heaven on a plate due to the macaroons x

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  11. It's a beautiful place and it's definitely worth checking out especially if you want a quiet but fun weekend with the kids. I'm sure my daughter will be delighted with the afternoon tea.

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  12. Awesome! I am looking forward to visit this place. This is such a nice place to unwind.

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  13. Beautiful hotel. You would really want to stay on these type of hotels- they just feel so homey. Great pictures!

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  14. What a beautiful hotel! Your pictures looks so amazing! I've always wanted to visit Ireland!

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  15. OMG It's like a castle! I would LOVE to take my family on a mini vacation and stay at the Killashee Hotel! It would be like a fairy tale!

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  16. What a fabulous place to stay! I love the four poster bed and the old world charm! It is always special when a hotel leaves a special welcome!

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  17. What a stunning place, the grounds are beautiful

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  18. Beautiful photos! I love butterflies ;) This hotel looks so lovely, I would love to visit Ireland!

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  19. I need to go here with my family the pictures are beautiful.

    Taslyn| www.hiddenbeau-t.co.uk

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  20. Wow! Your pictures pulls me to go there. Oh i wish i can visit ireland someday.

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  21. Wow such a lovely hotel! The decor is amazing and the grounds are beautiful. I hope to visit Ireland someday.

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