21/june/2008

We stayed at St.Clerans Manor House in Craughwell.It is a truly magnificent place.We were attending a wedding .From the moment we arrived at the Manor it was pure magic.The sun was shining ,champagne flowing,fab canapes,beautiful bride and fantastic company.Later we enjoyed a really wonderful meal.The management and staff were friendly and so professional and told us some of the history of the house. We stayed in the Burke suite ,it was amazing ,each suite has differant decor .The whole house is luxurious and has a great lived in feeling. DEFINATLY RETURNING.

A very pleasant property some 15 minutes east of Center City Galway, which unfortunately seems to be resting on its past laurels a bit too much. The suites are large and ample, and of course the pastoral setting is soothing and quiet, but frankly the property could use some sprucing up. We stayed in two different suites over the course of three days, and the impressions were the same for both: the bathrooms are straight out of the 1980s, with rusting faucets, peeling paint and cracking wood and tile trim. Our impression is that the Manor was fully restored by Griffin Properties some 20+ years ago, and have really not been touched up since. They would truly stand out with just a bit of an upgrade here and there.

The service was friendly all around, particularly at breakfast and in response to personal requests during the day. The much-touted dinners (we dined there for two nights) however, suffer from the same "laurel-resting" as the rest of the property. Perhaps the menu and food were creative and cutting-edge a few years ago, but not now. Our meals were generally tough, over-cooked, and uninspired. The wine list was adequate, but nothing to earn awards over. Same for the rather perfunctory desserts.

The best part of the Manor experience was its location, allowing us day trips to the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Center City Galway. With a little bit of upgraded plumbing, some paint, and some refurbishing, this place could once again earn its laurels.

My sisters and I were lucky enough to spend two wonderful nights at the beautiful St. Clerans Manor House last week. We were in Ireland for only a week so our stay at St. Clerans was far briefer than we would have liked but we all agreed that the hotel was perfect. Because we were there during the off-season, we were the only ones there one afternoon. This gave us the opportunity to get a guided tour of all the rooms! Wow. Each is perfect in it's own way with every tiny detail seen to. We stayed in the Chamberlain Suite, since there were three of us, and loved it, but the other rooms were also wonderful. The staff was great, letting us feel totally at home. The breakfasts were fabulous and we loved the special dinner there also. The grounds were magnificent and we were even lucky with perfect weather! I would recommend (and have already done so) St. Clerans to anyone who wants a special, one of a kind, Irish experience. It is clear to see that Merv Griffin really loved this place. His attention to loving details is evident throughout. Paradise.

My partner and I stayed here for 2 nights, one of which happened to be Valentine's night.

The house itslef and the rooms are absolutely stunning and faultless. We were very fortunate to be staying in the Griffin suite, which, from what I gather, is the master suite of the house.

The staff were extremely attentive and efficient. I really cannot add anymore to what other reviewers have written.

The restaurant is a beautiful room. Breakfast was amazing, however, when it came to dinner, I've had better meals for less money. The food wasn't poor or anything like that. The food was good, but I would have expected something with a bit more of an edge.

It's the small things which knocked the shine off of St Cleran's halo for us. Things like, candles in the bedroom, but no matches with which to light them. A welcome letter from the management addressed to Mr & Mrs X. A bit presumptious given that we are two men and I'm not so sure that it is generally a good idea to assume that your guests are all Mr & Mrs. Afterall, they may be Mr & Mistress, or otherwise. The letter left a bit of a bad taste, I must admit and resulted in my checking out without leaving a gratuity for the staff, and having calmed down, something I regret doing. So apologies to Ken and Co..

I must stress again that on the whole we had a great stay at St Clerans. The photographs of the rooms on their website do not do them justice. They are all magnificent and expertly and sumptuously decorated. If you are going to be anywhere near Craughwell, may I suggest you stop by......you won't regret it.