Kildare already has the Newbridge Museum, the National Stud and the Japanese Gardens. Now there is a new attraction that represents all that was crazy about hotel developments in Ireland over the last 10 years.

The Moyvalley Hotel is like a white elephant in the middle of nowhere. It's large, sprawling, empty and soulless. With purpose built apartments opposite the main entrance you feel upon arrival that you're driving into a complex somehere in Spain (apart from the rain) that bypassed planning applications. Whilst the staff do their best to lift the weight of the concrete structure off your shoulders, they don't manage it. This is because they lack one of the main qualities you need from the people that you're entrusting your experience to - confidence. At no point did we feel reassured or relaxed by the staff. They didn't know, for example, the price of individual dishes in the main restaurant, anything about the wines on offer, the details of our reservation (hence we were moved 3 times within 20 minutes of arriving), or in the case of the bar manager - how to lay a knife and fork.

The quality of the build and furnishings are exceptional and no expense has been spared. But this in iteslf only exacerbated the thought that it was us, the taxpayer, that was going to be paying for all of high tech mood lighting, beautiful stone garden furniture and artwork.

Our room rate was EUR 150 for one night's B&B which we felt was a good rate when booking. This was especially so when we read the reviews in the Georgina Campbell guide and here on Trip Advisor. However, our first thoughts when entering the empty hangar of a reception and then traipsing down a corridor that would have made an airport business hotel in Eindhoven seem atmospheric was that EUR 75 was too much. After being put into two rooms that made us want drive 200 miles home immediately, we were kindly moved to a set of attractive terraced cottages. Both the inside and exterior were designed to be reminiscent of the 1950s (with modern equipment though) and many people will love this. I didn't as it reminded me of married quarters in an army barracks - but I appreciated the designer's efforts anyway.

When eating we then had a choice of the restaurant or bar. We chose the bar because the restaurant was virtually empty and we were craving for some type of atmosphere. In fact, we made the right choice as the food was well done bar fare.

If you see my other reviews it is unlike me to be critical of a hotel but if asked whether I would recommend Moyvalley I would have to say no. Not because it is terrible but because you never once felt that the people that built the hotel or ran it, were doing it for love or the fact that they were good at it. I would rather a friend's money went to the types of places and hosts that have made Ireland famous for its welcome but are now seeing their livelihood disappear because of exactly this type of white elephant development. In fact a government report said that there is a surplus of 15,000+ hotel rooms in Ireland at the moment. I know of 54 that could go immediately!