As you know, we enjoyed a glorious 8-day fun-filled road trip. We started in West Cork, then drove to Cork City & carried on to Waterford. I’ve been loving creating blog posts & videos of our adventure because I am reliving it all again. Sadly, today’s post marks the last chapter of our road trip. It was last but certainly not least, our stay at the Garden Lodges at Waterford Castle Hotel Resort.
The Island Resort
Waterford Castle is situated on a 310-acre private island. It was the family home to the Fitzgeralds for 800 years. Now, it’s a luxurious holiday destination.
The Castle has 19 beautiful rooms & suites. They offer packages for weddings where the bride & groom may take over the castle making Waterford Castle private for wedding guests only. Its intimate setting would be a stunning backdrop to celebrate any occasion.
In contrast to the period Castle, the island resort offers 45 contemporary Garden Lodges. Each Lodge has 3 bedrooms, 3 and a half baths, laundry, kitchen, living & dining rooms. The Lodges are a short drive or walk from the castle. They have plenty of outdoor green space to enjoy a picnic & for the kids to play. There is a playground next to the Lodges which was very popular with the kiddies.
Waterford Castle itself doesn’t have family rooms so families stay at the Lodges. There is a fun and upbeat community of guests around the playground or when passing by each other on of the trails around the island. The trails run through woods, along the coast, out to a lighthouse and past the castle & golf course. There are deer and a fairy house to spot along the way.
Waterford Castle Resort is also home to an 18-hole par 72 championship golf course. The courses utilize the natural landscape of the island and covers 200 acres. There are practice facilities, a driving range, short game area & much more. There is a clubhouse for dining & a pro shop for renting or buying golf equipment. They were kind enough to loan my boys clubs & balls to try out the putting range. They had a wonderful time as you will see in my video below!
Dining at Waterford Castle Resort
The Munster Room at Waterford Castle is a stunning space with 18th-century decor. The restaurant is award-winning fine dining. The castle also offers afternoon tea and delicious drinks in The Fitzgerald Bar.
We had dinner one evening at the King’s Channel Clubhouse which is situated next to the golf course and is a short walk or drive from the Lodges. The food was excellent & beautifully presented. Service was also excellent. The Clubhouse has a small shop where we were able to buy some butter & other items we wanted for our stay in the Garden Lodge. We all really enjoyed our meal & experience at the Clubhouse.
The Clubhouse also serves breakfast. We had scones & Irish breakfasts there on our last morning. Everything was beautifully prepared, very tasty & presented on a stylish plate. It was a fun experience to have breakfast while watching golfers warming up out the window.
Location
Waterford Castle Hotel Resort is accessible by a short ferry crossing. The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ushering guests to & from the beautiful island. The ferry is back & over across the river every 10 minutes so there’s never a long wait to cross.
Once you cross the river, there is a selection of shops & restaurants nearby. Waterford City is about 4 km down the road. It’s very easy to get in & out of the city making Waterford Castle Resort a lovely place to stay to explore Waterford City while also having an escape on a private island! The best of both worlds.
Our Experience
We loved our two-night stay at Waterford Castle Hotel Resort. Our Garden Lodge was clean, well-appointed and spacious. Having a refrigerator was super convenient. Also having three bedrooms was wonderful. We could put the kids to bed & enjoy watching a show with a glass of wine in the sitting room. Having a playground next door was another big bonus. The zip line was the firm favorite among the kiddies. And he boys made new friends while playing soccer.
The meals we had at the King’s Channel Clubhouse was delicious. Service throughout the resort was excellent. While we didn’t stay in the Castle it was fun to check in to our Lodge there & to have a look around the grounds. Our stay has me on island stays now, I might have a look for a private island for rent next time!!
Join me for a look around Waterford Castle Island Resort in my video…
If the video doesn’t load, you can watch it directly on YouTube here.
They have so many wonderful plans for Waterford Castle Resort in the pipeline to offer even more fun for moms, dads & kids alike. I’m excited to see what’s in store. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, dining & exploring the beautiful island.
Our Travels
We started our 8-day road trip at Top of the Rock, Drimoleague, in a luxury pod – glamping at its best. From there we headed along the coast to enjoy adjoining rooms at the Radisson Blu which is located east of Cork City. We enjoyed a great day out at Fota Wildlife Park & the scenic town of Cobh.
From there we headed to the Clayton Hotel in the heart of Cork City. After exploring Cork City we finished our trip at Waterford Castle Resort. The kiddies each had a Keep ‘Em Quiet pack of toys & snacks to occupy them during the drives & downtime in the rooms.
I have a compilation video coming up next week which will feature the full week’s travels in little clips including some of the favourite places we ate & went! For more, visit my travel with kids posts. Follow Cuddle Fairy on social media to keep up to date with the upcoming road trip posts. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. xx
We were very kindly guests at the Waterford Castle Hotel Resort, all opinions as always are my own.
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