While we did have a lovely evening meal in the restaurant (well done to the chef!) and the staff were very friendly. Unfortunately, this was the only positive experience we had. We won't be going back! Let me explain... My husband and I spent one evening at Waterford Castle on the 15th of Nov. 23. We stayed in the Deluxe Rose Suite. The room was cold, the furniture was broken and the rugs were a trip hazard. The bed frame was broken (our heads were lower than our feet), every lampshade was tilted and broken, the sofa that we sat down on to watch tv had lost its padding years ago (I was sitting on a piece of timber that holds the frame together), some of the chairs looked like they had been pulled from a skip and the top of the drinks cabinet hadn't been dusted in months! And this was only the start! As I said, we did have a lovely evening meal in the restaurant (the food was lovely), but the restaurant itself was cold. After dinner we escaped to the bar, which was just as cold! Even the staff had layers on under their uniforms to keep them warm! The following morning we went for breakfast. We both ordered porridge and an irish breakfast. The porridge was fine, but the fry arrived cold! Sausages, bacon, mushrooms etc. all stone cold! The only part that had any warmth in it was the egg that was cooked how we had requested they be cooked (so they were freshly cooked just before sending out to us). I would never usually complain, but I couldn't eat it. It was just too cold. I told the waitress and sent it back. The food manager came out, apologised and offered me another fry. I politely refused. She kindly insisted that she could have some pancakes made fresh for me, so I accepted. When the pancakes arrived, there was a strange smell of of them (the only thing I could compare it too was vinegar!), they also tasted like vinegar. I thought this was unusual, but assumed it was a different recipe and ate as much as I could stomach. I left over half of it behind, along with the mouldy raspberries. I was unable to eat anything else for the remainder of the day as my stomach was unsettled. That evening I was violently sick! I had stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea! I was in agony with the stomach cramps for hours!!! I rang the hotel the next day to complain, and it is as result of the rude response from the 'group team leader' that has made me write this review! According to the 'team leader', despite agreeing with me in the phone call (the day after I got sick) that the pancakes should not have smelled or tasted of vinegar, as they are just regular pancakes. I was informed by email that Waterford Castle was not to blame for my sickness and that 'the issues I experienced did not originate at Waterford Castle'. I was also informed by email that they were not responsible for the condition of our suite. In her words 'if we had complained during our stay they would have rectified (so maybe straightened the rugs or dusted the shelves) or, moved us to another room'. Which I accept, we didn't complain at the time, but at the same time, this is not what is expected when you stay at a 4-star facility that costs a fortune! I was drawing her attention to the matter to try to ensure that no other guest has a similar experience, yet she seemed to fail to recognise this point and put the blame back on me. The email was rudely signed off by saying, 'we now deem the matter closed at our end' No apology. Just firmly laying the blame at my door! I have also noted since I logged on here, that this seems to be a pattern. If a guest has complained on here, they attack that person and blame them for the unpleasant stay or experience. Instead of taking on board the feedback provided and rectifying the issue so that another guest does not have the same experience. I had no intentions of going public with my experience but felt compelled to do so by the lack of empathy shown by the hotel. Due to the rude response from the hotel and lack of empathy for my illness, I would not recommend an overnight stay at Waterford Castle to anyone. Avoid at all costs! If you have a booking made, cancel it and stay in one of the much nicer hotels that Waterford has to offer (there are plenty in Waterford - Waterford is a great city!). Maybe one day they will take negative feedback as a valuable tool and learning opportunity, instead of attacking anyone who makes a complaint.…