Cashel Palace Hotel

Having attended afternoon tea as part of a group of friends, we found the decor nice and cleanliness of a good standard, however after that, our experience was far from 5 star. To say we were squashed in to a table was an understatement. We had ordered sandwiches accordingly to our dietary taste and requirements. I clearly got what was left in the kitchen and not at all the plain meat sandwiches I requested. No staff came near us to change same. No offer of more than one serving of tea. The tea strainer was so full at one stage, I couldn’t pour out anymore. Apart from one staff who was lovely, the staff were polite but clearly untrained and distracted. We had to constantly ask for cups, spoons, tea strainer etc. Our plates were not cleared so eventually I had to place our crockery on the table next to us when it was vacated. A 10 percent service charge is applied to all bills and this more reflected a fawlty tower’s scenario than a 5 star one. On the website, it states parking is on site and free. It was not and I was directed to a public car park which was very full and you have to pay for same. As a disabled parking permit holder I find this wholly inadequate and not one I have ever experienced when attending a hotel. Our visit to the Guinness bar was equally challenging as drinks orders were mixed up, it was difficult to find staff, the lady from the table next to us had to go investigate when a burning smell became quite strong. I had to go to the bar to get the bill and ask about our coats. Again not the 5 star service we were charged for. On returning home we noticed we were overcharged so I rang the hotel yesterday to complain of our experience and rectify the overcharge. To say the duty manager didn’t really care is again an understatement. She informed me she would ring me in the afternoon to process the refund of the overcharged amount and would speak to the kitchen regarding the issues. And what a surprise, no phonecall, no refund. Overall our experience was that the Cashel Palace tries to extract the maximum money from you for an atrocious experience.

This was our 5th or 6th visit since Cashel Palace reopened in 2022. The numbers of trips we have taken speaks volumes about what a wonderful place to stay, rest, dine and relax Cashel Palace is. The food is sublime, the rooms and decor are beautiful (and if possible even prettier during the Christmas season), the spa is so restful, the gardens and views of the Rock of Cashel are so uplifting and most of all the staff are simply the best.