Kells Bay House & Gardens
Kells Bay House & Gardens, Cahersiveen: Hours, Address, Kells Bay House & Gardens Reviews: 4.5/5
Kells Bay House & Gardens
Kells Bay House & Gardens
4.5
09:30 - 20:00
Monday
09:30 - 20:00
Tuesday
09:30 - 20:00
Wednesday
09:30 - 20:00
Thursday
09:30 - 20:00
Friday
09:30 - 20:00
Saturday
09:30 - 20:00
Sunday
09:30 - 20:00
About
Kells Bay House & Gardens is Ireland's premier sub-tropical botanical gardens situated overlooking Dingle Bay on the Ring of Kerry. It is home of the SkyWalk, Ireland's longest rope bridge (112 foot long). Ideal for everyone with over 3 kms of walks and lots of Dinosaurs for the children. We also have 4 star accommodation in the former Hunting Lodge, with our Cafe and our Thai restaurant, Sala Thai, open daily throughout the year (by prior appointment only in January).
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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Address
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2 within 5 kms
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2 within 10 kms
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Popular mentions
4.5
355 reviews
Excellent
229
Very good
59
Average
32
Poor
16
Terrible
19
Carrie F
2 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
Gardens were nice even in the rain but totally overpriced... 26euros for a family of 4 ... Nothing spectacular and bridge isn't even that big. Didn't bother trying the cafe or restaurant, it was that disappointing. Felt ripped off.
Written 27 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Maighreadb
1 contribution
Sep 2021
The area is beautiful and rooms are nicely laid out.
The hotel is managed like a cheap badly managed budget hostel
We spent our first 2 nights without a working shower and no one on staff was capable or remotely interested in resolving this issue ( the Alexander room)
The food was bland at best, the 2 person mixed platter was very similar to the Aldi/Lidl frozen party pack but over cooked
Our 3rd night we had to insist on a room with a functioning shower
The smell of the deep fat fryer permeated throughout the building , it was like living above a chipper
On our 3rd night. It was 11pm before the heating was finally fixed in our chilly suite
We paid full 4 star price and not a member of staff had the training or professionalism to apologise for the ineptitude
I wrote to the owner twice …..no response
The hotel is managed like a cheap badly managed budget hostel
We spent our first 2 nights without a working shower and no one on staff was capable or remotely interested in resolving this issue ( the Alexander room)
The food was bland at best, the 2 person mixed platter was very similar to the Aldi/Lidl frozen party pack but over cooked
Our 3rd night we had to insist on a room with a functioning shower
The smell of the deep fat fryer permeated throughout the building , it was like living above a chipper
On our 3rd night. It was 11pm before the heating was finally fixed in our chilly suite
We paid full 4 star price and not a member of staff had the training or professionalism to apologise for the ineptitude
I wrote to the owner twice …..no response
Written 21 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nigel
3 contributions
Oct 2021
Superb winding and varied trails through long-established (since 1840) woods of tree ferns and mature trees. Excellent way of passing an enjoyable afternoon, and the ambiance actually improves with a little rain.
Written 19 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Aidan R
1 contribution
Sep 2021
We had to tried to reschedule our stay at Kells Bay house due to my wife’s mum passing away and Billy refused to do so and would not refund our monies. We were not requesting any specific dates as we can be flexible .
I should also state that due to C19 we had previously rescheduled.
I should also state that due to C19 we had previously rescheduled.
Written 10 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Katrina H
Aldergrove, UK38 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
We stopped here on our way to Killarney from portmagee. Very glad we did! Well worth a visit for anyone who loves nature. Rope bridge is exciting. Good cafe with nice view and good vegan options. Definitely recommend. Also a lovely wee beach just a short drive down the hill from it worth checking out.
Written 25 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Sandra & Joe - Cork
1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Couples
Kell,'s Bay iHouse and Gardens are absolutely fabulous as a place to stay and the food is so delicious. The house is beautifully decorated, comfortable clean and warm. Eoin front of house welcomed us and make us feel welcome from the minutes we entered the rception area. The food is delicious and Penn is so proud of her cooking. The waitress Monica was so courteous and attentive. The gardens are stunning. Well done team. See you soon.
Written 19 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
AnitaGod
Cork, Ireland32 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
A beautiful, extensive garden to spend time in. Our toddler is scared of dinosaurs but we managed to distract her enough while we passed those carvings that she didn't even notice them! She had to be carried over the rope bridge because it's not suitable for under 5s, so maybe bear that in mind if travelling with young kids. The sculptures were very well done and suited the landscape. The paths were clear and the whole garden was managed without being manicured. Would definitely visit again.
Written 16 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
theOCjeremy
Norwalk, CT131 contributions
Sep 2021
First, the good things:
The property itself is stunning. With sweeping views of Dingle Bay and stunning gardens, there are no words to describe the beauty of this place. On top of that, the manor house is charming and is, simply put, the quintessential picture of an Irish country estate. The gardens themselves are beautiful and so remarkably maintained it was a real treat to wander around the property.
On the down side:
We reserved two rooms, the Bell Tower suite and the Garden Room. Upon arrival there was no one anywhere to greet us so we actually had to wander around and eventually found our way into the kitchen where we found the restaurant chef who found the proprietor, Billy, to check us in. Both were nicely appointed and we were pleasantly surprised at the spaciousness of the Bell Tower suite in particular even if the decor was a bit dated (although it fits rather perfectly with the quaintness of the manor house). However, there was a distinct, pungent odor of cat box - you know, that sharp, ammonia smell. It was very noticeable in the kitchen area but it permeated the entire unit including the bedroom area upstairs. It also happened to be very hot that day and all the windows in the unit were closed so the unit was full of warm, stale air. We opened all the windows in the hopes of both cooling things off and airing out the terrible smell but after 2 hours it didn't get any better. For those not familiar with Ireland, it's not usually very hot so air conditioning is not common. We tried to find the source of the odor and eventually found a catbox in a laundry room off the kitchen area (that has a cat door cut into an externally facing door so the mystery was finally solved). For the record we had a lot of cats growing up so I'm quite familiar with the smell.
It was now 9PM so I sought out Billy to see about moving rooms as well as ask to borrow a fan for the evening. This leads to issue #2 - Billy had left for the day and there is no overnight staff to assist guests which is pretty concerning since the property is in a remote area, no phones in the unit, and if there was an emergency I'll be honest I wouldn't know what to do.
And, finally, issue #3 - the pillows on the bed were as flat as pancakes which left us with very stiff necks by morning.
All in all, it was a beautiful property but the worst night sleep I've gotten in..... years. I mentioned something the next morning and while the girl who processed my check out was apologetic, there wasn't much that could have been done at that point other than discounting the room rate but that was not offered as an option.
I'd give the grounds and the gardens a 5-star rating for sure but, considering this was an overnight guest house and that's what I'm rating here, I'd give it a 1-star although I'll be generous and bump it up to a 2-star purely from the aesthetic charm of the property. On that note, I'd suggest visiting the gardens and maybe having a meal on their patio but I probably wouldn't recommend staying here which is a real shame considering how cute this place is at first glance.
The property itself is stunning. With sweeping views of Dingle Bay and stunning gardens, there are no words to describe the beauty of this place. On top of that, the manor house is charming and is, simply put, the quintessential picture of an Irish country estate. The gardens themselves are beautiful and so remarkably maintained it was a real treat to wander around the property.
On the down side:
We reserved two rooms, the Bell Tower suite and the Garden Room. Upon arrival there was no one anywhere to greet us so we actually had to wander around and eventually found our way into the kitchen where we found the restaurant chef who found the proprietor, Billy, to check us in. Both were nicely appointed and we were pleasantly surprised at the spaciousness of the Bell Tower suite in particular even if the decor was a bit dated (although it fits rather perfectly with the quaintness of the manor house). However, there was a distinct, pungent odor of cat box - you know, that sharp, ammonia smell. It was very noticeable in the kitchen area but it permeated the entire unit including the bedroom area upstairs. It also happened to be very hot that day and all the windows in the unit were closed so the unit was full of warm, stale air. We opened all the windows in the hopes of both cooling things off and airing out the terrible smell but after 2 hours it didn't get any better. For those not familiar with Ireland, it's not usually very hot so air conditioning is not common. We tried to find the source of the odor and eventually found a catbox in a laundry room off the kitchen area (that has a cat door cut into an externally facing door so the mystery was finally solved). For the record we had a lot of cats growing up so I'm quite familiar with the smell.
It was now 9PM so I sought out Billy to see about moving rooms as well as ask to borrow a fan for the evening. This leads to issue #2 - Billy had left for the day and there is no overnight staff to assist guests which is pretty concerning since the property is in a remote area, no phones in the unit, and if there was an emergency I'll be honest I wouldn't know what to do.
And, finally, issue #3 - the pillows on the bed were as flat as pancakes which left us with very stiff necks by morning.
All in all, it was a beautiful property but the worst night sleep I've gotten in..... years. I mentioned something the next morning and while the girl who processed my check out was apologetic, there wasn't much that could have been done at that point other than discounting the room rate but that was not offered as an option.
I'd give the grounds and the gardens a 5-star rating for sure but, considering this was an overnight guest house and that's what I'm rating here, I'd give it a 1-star although I'll be generous and bump it up to a 2-star purely from the aesthetic charm of the property. On that note, I'd suggest visiting the gardens and maybe having a meal on their patio but I probably wouldn't recommend staying here which is a real shame considering how cute this place is at first glance.
Written 13 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
gingerbreadgirlie
Ennis, Ireland132 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
It's a beautiful old house in a beautiful settling. Room was very pretty and cosy. Beautiful bath and shower. We had lunch and dinner here and it was lovely. A little mix up in one of our orders so just had a little bit of a wait. Had to leave very early in the morning was a pity. Had a lovely stroll around the gardens the day we arrived and fun finding the dinosaurs and going over the rope bridge.
Written 5 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Geraldine
Cork, Ireland1,744 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
The gardens were very nice, our son enjoyed the dinosaur carvings & the rope bridge. It is way overpriced for the length of time you need to visit though. As with other reviewers we found the customer service awful in the cafe (and booking office), completely disinterested, confusing orders, rude, it ruined the experience. The waterfall was non-existent with no signs to say otherwise. Also, the Thai restaurant doesn't open until 1pm for lunch which is ridiculous (12.30pm at least would be better), although having experienced the staff in the cafe maybe it's a good thing that we didn't get to try the restaurant. As we'd travelled for 2 hours to visit it was overall a disappointment, even with the nice dinosaur carvings.
Written 29 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Lisa F
6 contributions
Is it easy to take day trips to other towns or restaurants if you stay here?
JennSenn
Fox Chapel, PA42 contributions
If you have your own vehicle, yes. You are on the Ring of Kerry. We hit Cahersiveen, the Ring of Skellig, the ringforts, Valencia Island, beaches all in the area. Plenty to do, see, eat.
Niamh2hurley
Limerick, Ireland7 contributions
if staying over night, is there a family room? two adults two kids, and also if there is a family room does it have a Tv?
Burningburns
Sligo, Ireland294 contributions
Sorry I wouldn’t know but they have a website or give them a call
Do you accept the OneForAll vouchers
Carla P
Cratloe, Ireland127 contributions
Hi Siobhan,
I cannot say 100% certain, but I doubt they accept it.
Quick way to find out is to' Google' OneForall Vouchers site, and you will find your answer there. Hope this helps.