We were arriving in Kenmare for 2 nights, after an average stay in hotel Pembroke (Kilkenny), and a top-of-the-class B&B Rockfield in Avoca. That is why the title, when we were a wee bit disappointed to find less fashionable rooms here. But the hostess Margaret & her husband Fergus, made it a super stay for us at the end of it all. We did arrive in the middle of May '10, when due to ash cloud uncertainty, other guests had cancelled their reservations at the house. As we were with a baby, we got an upper floor room, with an extra single bed. The house itself is very nice, covered in wood everywhere. It is also within walking distance of the town centre. But while driving, I found the approach to be a bit steep for me, & I burned some tire rubber at the first time (not expect the steep but short ascent). The room, though not spectacularly decorated was very warm & cozy, if you have seen some pictures. Although there was a bit of problem in the cleanliness aspect, as we found a drawer in the center table dirty. But top marks for the ambience, once you're settled in the room. The beds were sleep-inducing comfortable.
The USP of the house has to be Margaret's warmth & friendliness. We were welcomed on both evenings by cups of coffee, and some delicious oat cookies (if you're reading this Margaret, we scoured the whole of Ireland, atleast Dublin & Galway, but couldn't find the same brand of Belmonte Oat cookies. We later ended up carrying some packets of the closest match M&S oat cookies, back to home!). Both Margaret & Fergus were very approachable, and gave us a good itinerary for our Ring of Kerry tour. We ended up doing exactly what they suggested, such as taking a stop at Waterville, and doing the Ballinskellig route, as against the Valentia Island, and had a super trip. She also filled us up on a out of the way viewpoint at Aghadoe, on our way to Dingle, and this too turned out to be something spectacular. On breakfast front, she is an excellent cook, and we got different breakfasts on both days. She served us some unique accompaniments with her recommendation for us (novices for such breakfasts). Such as a tangy horseradish with smoked salmon/scrambled egg. And was generally enthusiastic about everything. Including our request to use the house kitchen for some ready-to-microwave Indian curries. The living room was excellent too, in a cozy way (our scene for coffee & oaties), and had a complimentary computer with broadband (we didn't use it). There was a good selection of books on travel around the area, and other Kenmare topics, such as list of local restaurants with their dinner menus.
I found the location of the house very convenient, as Kenmare is a very chaotic town, with far too less parking for a popular haunt. We could go across to the centre, and even to the end of the town in a matter of minutes, and got to cross a little stream on our way back.
Margaret also gave a small knitted bee present to our baby, and saw us through with a lovely smile. We loved the hospitality, and the house will remain our top choice for out return to Kenmare in future.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
