Waterford Castle Hotel Lodges

Location and the Castle

Four small sachets of milk insufficient for a x people staying

Very clean and comfortable house. Perfect for a large group.

Il contesto

L’aver ricevuto la china dello staff per la restituzione delle chiavi, quando avevamo già riconsegnato le chiavi in orario direttamente alla reception

Beautiful and staff was so amazing

Nothing

Lovely property ideal for multiple couples sharing a self-catering home,

Clear Marking of trash and recycling receptacles.

Seeing a badger

Nothing

Location

Staff not trained and had a drink in castle , was undrinkable , gave back to barman he said he knew it wasn’t right but was still serving it ?

The staff weren’t very friendly or helpful

Quiet and peaceful

Nothing to dislike

Nice place for a walk

The lodges are advertised as luxury but there’s nothing luxurious about them. The balcony door in the front bedroom wouldn’t close, the beds are as hard as the road and itchy. The decor is outdated. Couldn’t wait to come home.

I liked the cleanliness.

The neighbours had a dog and it came into our lodge and I have an extreme phobia of dogs. We were woken up at 7:45 am by children playing football outside our window.

The house was huge and the private island was a fun novelty. Afternoon tea was such a treat and the staff were lovely to my daughters. The wallabies were great too.

The house needs more maintenance dirty walls etc. the main television wasn’t even a smart tv so we had to watch Netflix on the iPad. Woken at 8am by building both mornings.

Location was excellent as was the setting.

The Clubhouse no longer sells food, which is a major drawback. Additionally, the charge for having a dog is now €70 PER DAY!! I will admit that I knew this before I decided to stay but it is an extortionate cost.

The location is brilliant. The accommodation was spacious and very comfortable. We opted for a continental breakfast to be delivered and it was very generous and scrumptious. Everything you could think of.

There was a problem with the water pressure which meant the first showers were inadequate. But they fixed it the next morning.

Not much

Arrogant staff, dirt

Loved the location , the privacy and the size of the lodge . Always plenty of hot water .

The area outside the back patio door with picnic table was very dirty when we arrived and we had to do a lot of cleaning of it before we could use it . Fridge was not working properly so we had to use the freezer to cool down drinks

I loved the castle, the walk around the island and the peace and quiet. The lodges were very good, spacious, comfortable, and clean. The golf course is fab too, I would have liked to play tennis, but the courts were not in good condition and need an upgrade! Otherwise, great weekend!

The grounds are nice, close proximity to Rosslare is an advantage. Lots of parking.

The Lodges are totally bare and void of any comfort or personality. The TV’s are at least 30 years old so forget trying to entertain children with Netflix whilst you unpack the car - the extent of their tech is “cable” which is connected via “SCART”. The children’s playground is still “under construction” even after four years of return visits. During the hotter months the lodges are absolutely sweltering and they make no effort to cool them by opening windows despite being aware of your arrival time. If there is a wedding happening during your stay then you are made to feel insignificant despite paying more proportionately. The dog surcharge is €70 per dog and you get nothing for that, they don’t even provide a water bowl. Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore charges NOTHING for dogs and you get a dog towel, water bowl and treats. During our most recent visit there was no evidence of any wildlife apart from Flies in the bins that hadn’t been emptied for some time.

Very unique experience being on an island.

The restaurant staff were amateur at best. The front desk staff were two star hotel level. The neighbors were drunks and a disaster and nobody did anything about it. And the castle was closed for a private party making lodge guests feel like second class citizens.

The facilities

Everything perfect

The island location, the walks, the fab castle and the spacious lodges.

Tennis courts were in appalling condition.

We stayed in a lodge. As self catering goes it was very spacious and clean. Very comfortable. Staff were lovely, very attentive. The grounds were beautiful. Lovely walks. Also the instructor for Clay Pigeon, was fabulous. There was also a host of wildlife, peacocks, fawns, squirrels and baby wallabies. “Little Island” is beautiful.

The Club House... Is never opened. It would have been nice to have an alternative to the castle in the evening.

The green area behind house

There was a wedding , the reception was packed and nobody at desk for us too check in

The castle grounds were exceptional. The castle bar and restaurant provided good food, although a bit overpriced. The lodges provided plenty of space and comfortable accommodations, with every bedroom having its own bath. Plus an additional half bath on the main floor. The staff was very friendly and helpful, at reception and in the bar/restaurant. And the food was top notch. We were surprised by the time our GPS said it would take for us to arrive, but it was a pleasant surprise. It is a castle after all, so would not want to ruin it.

Again, food prices were a little high, as they have you "stuck" at their location. If you are staying in the lodges, the continental breakfast is not included with the stay. That only comes if you stay in the castle proper.

It was all amazing only thing I wasn't happy about was paying for 6 people to stay at the property then having to pay an additional 25 for a travel cot

Having to pay for my under one year old son to stay then having to pay an additional 25 for the travel cot on arrival

The Lodges were very spacious & clean

There is no "restaurant" - there are a few low tables & armchairs scattered around a bar & reception - we were told we had ti 5.30 to order food as there was a function in the clubhouse so after that it was take away only. Definitely not "young family friendly". Considering its 2026, no USB plugs anywhere in the lodges

Beautiful grounds , private and lodges are spacious and clean

The clubhouse does not serve food everyday this early in the season .

Modern open plan lots of space with high ceilings and very bright

70 euro per night for cleaning for pets is crazy way too high

manque diverses choses dans la cuisine .. une autre grande casserole, une grande poêle, une essoreuse à salade , des petits couteaux bien aiguisés ..

Stayed in No.23, the whole place was spotless. Not one issue over the two days we stayed. Everything you could need is in the lodge.

The electric fire being down low and no guard, we ended up just leaving the fire off because my 2 year old kept going over to it

Cleanliness, location, facilities.

Golf club was closed for refurbishment and due to a wedding event we couldn't use the hotel facilities, which meant that we had to go off site to eat. It would have been nice to have been forewarned of this, rather than when I checked in.

Too expensive for regular big family get together with kids.. lodges good but the castle not very child friendly

Being charged 70 € for one night stay for our friends dog ..

The property overall was excellent. Location was also very good.

The bedroom was acceptable but not particularly well maintained. We found a lump of hair on the bed, which raised concerns about the level of cleanliness. Unfortunately, there was also no hot water when we tried to use the bath around midnight. As it was quite late, we couldn’t contact anyone to resolve the issue, but I would have expected this to be checked before guests arrive—especially as other reviews have mentioned similar problems. Overall, it was quite disappointing. Additionally, the hot water pump was extremely loud and woke us up early in the morning.

It was our 4th time visiting as a group of 6 friends who just wanted to chill with food and a few drinks . As always it was spotless and such good value for money. Perfect for a night away with friends

It has always been so warm. You can’t turn off the electric log fire , just turn it down. So we always have the windows open going to bed. But this is a small thing. We’ve always had a lovely stay.

Beautiful, modern and clean

Too hot. Was a little uncomfortable.

A coffee maker

Cool Location

We recently stayed here and unfortunately had a disappointing experience. The location itself is beautiful — taking the ferry to the island was really cool, and the surroundings and animals made it feel special. However, the service fell short. There was no hot water for showers in the morning, and it took three separate calls before anyone came to address it. By the time it was finally fixed, it was too late since we had to leave — which was especially frustrating as we’re a family of five trying to get ready Also, after booking, we received an email saying there would be a private event during our stay. So there was no access to the Castle. We were fine with that, especially since we were told that the golf club or restaurant would still be available to us if we arrived late — but that turned out not to be the case. Overall, it’s a beautiful place with a great setting, but the lack of urgency and follow-through from the staff really impacted our experience.

Exklusive Lage auf einer kleinen Insel, fußläufig zum schönen Schloss, das in Weihnachtslichtern erstrahlt. Großzügig gestaltete Lodges mit wunderbarem Kamin, Fußbodenheizung, sehr saubere Ausstattung. Gut funktionierende Waschmaschine, Trockner etc. mitten im Grünen. Man sieht freilebende Rehe, Wallabees, wir haben sogar einen Dachs gesehen. Kleiner Spielplatz vor der Tür, sehr gutes Essen im Waterford Castle.

In der Lodge gab es kein Salz. Ich habe nettereweise welches vom Hotel bekommen. Ich wurde darauf verwiesen, dass es sich um Selbstverpflegung handelt. Dennoch finde ich, dass Salz vorhanden sein sollte (Tee, Kaffee und Zucker sind es auch). Es gab zwei kleine Baustellen auf dem Anwesen, an denen gerade nicht gearbeitet wurde. Diese wären nicht weiter schlimm, wenn sie nicht komplett vermüllt wären. So sieht man das frei lebende Wallabe zwischen Plastikfolien und verrosteten Nägeln herumhüpfen und das macht einen traurig. Sie könnten ordentlich aufgeräumt werden, bis man darauf weiter arbeitet. Es gibt keine Müllbehälter auf der Insel, so findet man auf Spazierwegen manchmal Plastikmüll, Flaschen etc. - klar sind da die Besucher gefragt - dennoch sollte es im Interesse des Hotels sein, sein schönes Anwesen noch besser zu pflegen. In Zeiten von Netflix, kommt es mir sehr veraltet vor, DVD Player und DVDs zur Miete anzubieten.

We had a lovely family break the end of November we were accomodated with an early check in which was great after travelling a distance with kids the accomodation was toasty warm on arrival . All staff we encountered were really helpful.

Liked it all just bear in mind travel and wait time for ferry if you have a dinner reservavtion . Hopefully next time we wil be lucky to get to see the castle if there is not an event . We saw the xmas tree on arrival and departure it was spectacular.

Did not eat there

Attitude when booking in. Lots of the food in club house was not available Restaurant was cold Staff were lovely Had to change lodges as they had put us in one where the heating was not working! Not what you want after a very long journey

The view, privacy and perfection

The island was beautiful and the staff were so caring and went above and beyond for us!

Great as always. Location is amazing and lodges are super comfortable.

Nothing really to dislike. Considering the cost, having a basic coffee machine such as a Nespresso would be an added benefit.

Stunning grounds. The lodges is clean, warm and comfortable.

The biggest waste of money ever if looking for a normal weekend away. We came down for the Xmas markets. As the hotel is on an island we went shopping during the day and the plan was to check in, go for dinner, have a few drinks and an early night. From the check in it was clear that if you’re not in the wedding party or the Santa Experience in the golf club, there’s really no place for you here. The ferryman was unhelpful. We dragged our cases around unnecessarily because no one gave us clear guidance as to what to do. For a 4 star, a call could’ve been made from ferry check in that we were on our way. As the Castle was hired out, it felt as though we’d to leave through the maids entrance after checking in. Again, a new procedure could be put in place to avoid this. We’d booked a year in advance, our arrival wasn’t a surprise. I will make is very clear that we had been told the Castle was booked for a private event. We knew this. We were told to book food at the golf club if we wanted to dine on the island. We did this thinking we could have a meal, relax together and head back to the house. Dinner was like something from the twilight zone. Stragglers from the Santa experience who hadn’t left and then just us. When the Santa experience families left it was just us. Staff cleaning around us, no atmosphere, moved into a draft lobby with no music. We had to leave at 9:15pm. No bar open, no where to go. Our options were to get a taxi to come over to the island and head into town. Bizarre. Surely it’s not too much to ask to just have a normal night away. It was never, ever made clear to us that the golf club would be empty and close so early. Myself and my party are clearly just in the way here. Nothing has been catered to our desire to enjoy the weekend. The focus is the private hotel party and the Santa experience. I understand the hotel want to make good business, but don’t accept my business if this is the case.

Lodges were very nice, warm, and well laid out.

There was nothing to improve.

The property was very luxurious, clean and quiet! Liked the idea it was on an island! Clubhouse was very friendly with good value food and drinks!

Nothing really only that we couldn't access the hotel facilities as there was a wedding on!

Lodges were extremely comfortable, well fitted out, warm and welcoming. It was a real break away as soon as you drove on to the ferry. We even had a peacock greet us each morning outside our hall door!

Beautiful lodges, excellent staff and the island

Nothing

The romance of staying on an island with a castle pulled us in. There was an event on the Friday so we couldn’t stay in the castle but the lodges seemed like a fabulous alternative. All the family can stay together including easy access to all adults for the toddler family member. There was so much space with three good size double bedrooms all with a balcony and two with an en-suite. Open plan kitchen and dining and a full size laundry room and downstairs toilet. Kitchen fully kitted out with all appliances. Lovely gas fireplace which was welcome when the rain was pouring down outside! The ferry obviously adds half hour to every journey but it runs continuously throughout the day and night. Also Ardkeen, an excellent supermarket 5 minute drive up the road selling all manner of fresh produce and groceries.

The lodges are underwhelmingly furnished. The management are really missing a trick here. The acoustics are absolutely terrible because of the distinct lack of soft furnishings. It needs some rugs and upholstered chairs. We had to leave all our coats and shoes in the dining area and hallway to try and soften the echoing. All very dated. The settee is plastic mock leather and was actually broken so very uncomfortable to sit on. We had to use the settee bed due to our group not being 3 neat couples and we were charged for extra linen. It was awfully uncomfortable and just felt like metal springs. A ‘welcome pack’ was promised but this constituted 8 individual long life cow milk pots, a couple of drink sachets and a couple of dishwasher tablets. So zero effort for guests. There was an excellent recycling cupboard which we all religiously followed only to find there’s no recycling apart from bottles. Everything else went in the general waste which was disappointing. And these bins were totally overflowing despite all the lodges not being full. So these obviously aren’t emptied very frequently. Towels were just hand or small bath with no large ones.

The Castle and the grounds were stunning. What a beautiful, serene place to get away for a bit!

The lodge we stayed in needed an update. It was nice, clean, and functional, but little things like having to use wine glasses for our whisky because they didn’t have tumblers could have been better. Also, there was 4 of us staying there, but they only provided 3 packets of instant coffee, and one of them was decaf 🤦🏻‍♂️

We stayed in the houses on the island which were ideal for us. We woke up the following morning to 2 baskets of food for breakfast which we did not expect at all, so this was a great surprise. Island was so peaceful at night there was a wedding on at the time and none of us woke once during the night, we will be returning ! Highly recommended, staff also helped me out big time as we had to rearrange dates a few times and there was never a issue.

There was a deposit to be paid for keys on arrival which I think is unnecessary and we didn't know this until arrival . Location is a little far out from the city itself but we still managed to get taxis to and from the lodges

Beautiful location, spacious house, very well priced.

Very warm on the second floor, stairs to the 2nd floor are slippery when wearing socks especially.

Very clean, extremely spacious and well equipped.

Having to access the island by a vehicular ferry even though it was only a quick 5 minute trip. Due to the hours of the ferries operation, there were some time restraints around leaving and accessing the island.

The scenic view of the location

Charging €70 a day for cleaning up after a dog is a bit much now maybe a once off payment of €50 would be enough on people an extra €140 already on top of paying over €800 for a 2 nite stay was a bit much

All around great! And so Beautiful!!

Our suite was amazing! Beautifully decorated, overlooking the island and water towards town. I definitely recommended and would return on a future visit.

The property was beautiful!

Magic location, barge boat to take you and your car across to the island. Wildlife, deer and wallabies

Little old, needed a spruce up / bit of money to update room and facilities

Magical! Incredibly accommodating and friendly staff. The breakfast was amazing! We hope to return someday!

Soggiorno perfetto per ripassarsi in un posto da favola circondato dalla natura

Very nice place to stay. Dinner at the Castle was outstanding

Nice all around