Cong, County Mayo
Ireland


The Experience

Castle hotels are a dime a dozen in Ireland. What sets Ashford apart from the rest of the medieval rabble is its unwavering dedication to maintaining the feel of its 13th-century origins. Once the private estate of the Guinness family and one of the first Irish castles converted into luxury accommodation, in 1939, Ashford is a place where it's easy to imagine yourself living in the time when clay pigeon shooting and falconry were everyone's pursuits. And its stout gray walls and battle towers stand on a lonely spit of land overlooking Ireland's second largest lake. It's 350 acres of the most gorgeous Irish countryside you've ever laid eyes upon.

The Rooms

Having been erected over the course of 700 years rather than all in one pinch, Ashford Castle is quirky, to say the least. That can be a good thing -- just don't end up in the wrong wing. Standard (Corrib) rooms are snug, to say the least, and though the furniture is comfortable and windows overlook river or garden, it could be a B&B anywhere. Instead, head for the staterooms in the older part of the castle, some of which date to the 13th century. This is the Irish castle of your imagination, where you can snuggle up in a four-poster bed beneath lofty ceilings with logs blazing in the nearby hearth or soak in a claw-foot tub -- glass of sherry in hand -- in a bathroom larger than some New York City apartments.

The Service

With an atmosphere redolent of a posh private club, Ashford Castle service is both impeccable and discreet. Staff members (many of them Eastern European) make a point of learning a guest's name and room number before you've barely had time to unpack your things.

The Highlights

Formal meals are served in the very formal George V dining room (read: Jacket and tie required), where traditional Irish dishes like roast rack of lamb and breaded rabbit loin may not be overly inventive, but they do garner consistent praise. That's a good thing, since you're six miles from any town and the only other choice is Cullen's Cottage, which may be charmingly decked out but serves a disappointingly small menu. Where Ashford succeeds is with its activities like horseback riding and fly-fishing, along with golf, tennis and lake cruises, while a new spa specializes in marine therapies like sea-salt scrubs and marine clay masks. At the end of the day, have (what else) a pint of Guinness under the vaulted ceilings and red walls of the aptly named Dungeon Bar.

-- Joe Yogerst

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