My Birthday Weekend Away - March 2022

After a few years of quiet and uneventful birthdays at home, I decided it was time to get out into the world to celebrate my birthday this year! I am so glad that we did. I had the most wonderful time with my family in the stunning heritage Village of Adare in County Limerick in the West of Ireland.

Our weekend involved staying and playing at the family-friendly Woodlands Hotel as well as a few trips over to Adare Manor which is next door to the Woodlands. We also fit in a game of mini-golf and a walk around the village. So it was the perfect mix of fun and relaxation.

The Fitzgerald's Woodlands Hotel

We have had the pleasure of staying at the Woodlands Hotel for a few years in a row now (PR stay). Every time we return, we are welcomed with an amazingly upbeat, fun energy from the Fitzgerald family and Woodlands staff.

During the past two years over lockdowns, the Fitzgerald family have done so much to expand and improve the hotel including a wonderful outdoor dining facility that is sheltered, an expanded car park, new lobby, updated guest rooms and much more.

Every time we return there are new things to see and do! And they are still planning new, exciting things to add to the hotel and grounds. We are already looking forward to coming back again to see what they decide to do next year.

If you missed my previous Woodlands reviews, you can find them here:

• Woodlands Family Suite Review

• Our weekend away to Bunratty & Adare (standard family room review)

• Highlights from the Woodlands Hotel, Adare (YouTube video)

Our Stay at the Woodlands Hotel

Our stay was superb as always! From arrival to departure, every aspect of the stay is excellent. The ladies at check-in were friendly, polite and helpful, as always. The wait staff, pool staff, gardener, managers and owners are all welcoming, accommodating and have a smile on their faces. It's that old fashion Irish hospitality that radiates through the hotel, making the stay truly magical.

The Room

Our family room was super comfortable as always. This year it has been renovated and is very stylish indeed! They are also very spacious rooms, which is hard to get for a family of 5. The mattresses have always stood out for me, from our first visit. I sleep so well at the Woodlands because the mattresses are super comfy, and it is a nice quiet hotel too.

The Woodlands does little things that make a big difference really well, such as having five towels, for five people, enough water and toilet roll, robes and slippers for the adults and other amenities fully stocked. It also makes the stay more comfortable.

The Food

Happily, the hotel was in full swing again this year, with their restaurants open and weddings on too. We had our breakfasts and dinners at Timmy Mac's Bistro. The breakfast was a mix of served buffet and table service. Everything was delicious and freshly cooked.

For dinner, there is a nice variety of options on the menu as well as daily specials. The kid's menu is also very good and there are nice healthy, proper dinners for the kids which is a big plus for us. This is our first yummy dinner at Timmy Mac's...

We had lunch at The Treehouse which is the Woodland's hotel's outdoor dining option. They have a fun and trendy tent complete with a full bar and large flat screen tvs for watching the matches. There are also pods for individual families to book and have table service. The variety of food is great - from burgers, pizzas to salads and their very own ice cream bar. The pizza oven is a new addition this year and is quite delicious.

We also enjoyed a pre-dinner drink on my birthday at The Treehouse, there is a fun atmosphere there. And I hear they will be hosting live music there too so check out the Woodlands website for more details on that.

The Pet Farm

A highlight for the kids, and let's be honest, me too, is visiting the Woodlands Pet Farm. It is one of many things for families to do at the Woodlands hotel including kids club, swimming pool, fairy trail, ice cream, kiddie menus, football pitch and lots to explore outdoors.

At The Pet Farm, we made friends with the two donkeys, who remembered us and ran over to visit us again the next day. Little Miss is already talking about seeing them again next year, along with her bunny and goat friends too.

We also had a great chat with the hotel's organic gardener, Caoimhin, who is full of so many great ideas, we can't wait to see which ones come to life! The organic garden is open for guests to wander around and talk to Caoimhin. It is part of the fairy trail and makes for some tasty salads, veggies and fruits when they are in season.

I really can't recommend the Woodlands Hotel enough - it's a great hotel to stay in with tasty food, lots to do for families and just down the road is Adare Village and Adare Manor to explore as well.

Exploring Adare

With all of the trips to Adare, I've yet to go onto the grounds of Adare Manor. So for my birthday, we had a lovely birthday lunch at the Adare Manor Carriage House. It was delicious, and the service was excellent. We were able to explore around the grounds a bit too, they are impeccably kept and it feels like you are stepping back in time.

We also enjoyed a Falconry Experience at Adare Manor with Adare Country Pursuits. I have a review of the experience which you can read here - Falconry at Adare Manor.

No trip to Adare is complete without a wander around the village which is so quaint with thatched cottages, cafes and boutiques. To follow along with the adventure we had, check out my Adare Instagram Highlight on Instagram.

All of this beauty and enjoyment is only a short drive from the Woodlands Hotel which makes it a really wonderful place to stay and explore Adare. It's about 15min drive from Limerick city where we did the mini-golf. It's not far from Lough Gur and stone circle at Grance which are really educational and spiritual places to visit.

Have you visited Adare before? Would you like to? Let me know in the comments.