Fota Island Resort

After a busing Christmas we stayed in fota for 2 nights. The resort is in a great location, service was top class and the food could not be faulted. From the moment we stepped in we were made feel welcome. The door man Michael I think it was really made our trip. So welcoming every time and very helpful and informative. We stayed in a double room. Very spacious. The bathroom is spotless and the cleaners did a stellar job. We enjoyed our stay so much we extended for a day. The price quoted at reception was quite a bit more expensive than booking on hotels.com or bookings.com. We said this to them and they matched the price instantly. Very happy with all interactions.

This hotel is amazing!! The whole property is huge and so pretty. We got there at night and left the next day, so we weren’t able to use the spa, but it looked amazing. We ate dinner and had breakfast here and everything was really good. Really fresh ingredients and great quality. The room was beautiful and had a bath tub which was so nice because it was so cold, so taking a warm bath was just what I needed. The staff was so kind as well. I recommend this hotel to anyone going to Ireland!

5* doesn’t give this hotel justice. Top class service with Irish hospitality at its finest. Was there for 3 days with family of 10. Service was exceptional, standard was beyond amazing and place was spotless. Like with any venue the staff are the backbone and the making of the experience. Everyone person we met was lovely, personable and very professional. Will be back.

Stayed here for one night midweek in December 2025. Hotel was quiet so felt peaceful and comfortable. Housekeeping were very helpful and polite. Breakfast staff a little on the brusque side and didn’t make eye contact when greeting us and when we thanked them and said goodbye which felt a little rude. We particularly liked the individual cereal boxes on offer. |Hotel is well located for access to Cork city, Cobh and East Cork area.

Good sized rooms, with a good selection of amenities and comfortable too. Check in and check out was quick as was services in the best and restaurant. The hotel itself is a little shabby in spots and showing its age a little, it's a pure Celtic Tiger creation. It was a little cold too as they haven't turned on the heating and this was late October. Beautiful setting.

We recently stayed here as a family for a few nights and were so happy with our stay. We booked a family room and on booking we were unable to add the no. of children to the booking so we rang and informed them over the phone. We gave the age of our children (one newborn baby) on the call. When we got to the room there was a beautiful fruit platter and teddy bear in the room congratulating us on our new baby which was lovely and really appreciated. The room was also really spacious and clean with a big bathroom. The beds were very comfortable. We used the pool which was also clean and could be booked easily and the breakfast in the morning was great with lots of options for everyone. One of the days we visited Fota Wildlife Park which is just a few minutes drive away and another we spent walking the Fairy Trail on the hotel grounds. The spa facilities are great to unwind with a lovely relaxation room overlooking a peaceful courtyard which you can use after a treatment. There is also a 'cinema room' showing movies for older kids. Overall I highly recommend a family stay here and we're looking forward to coming back.

I can’t think of any negatives to say about this place. Came here with my wife and 10 year old son. From the minute we turned up on the driveway the premises and grounds were beautiful and really well maintained. The reception staff were very pleasant and efficient and the room was great. We had dinner on two occasions in the hotel which was lovely with great staff. The swimming pool was quiet when we went and the bar was busy but not too busy. In our experience, the stars of this place were the breakfast team (Veronica and her colleagues were first class) and the concierge team (Michael, Gavin and Kevin) who were also superb. All the staff we encountered were a real credit to this hotel. Hotel is ideally placed to see Cork and we can’t wait to return.

So after Santa visit with family we agreed to try the bar food after 4 years. We ordered kids food for my 4 years old, Chips was over cooked dry and the chicken was frozen cheap... My burger was ok and chowder was nice, We was really mean to give this place one more chance and tonight wasn't 5*. We are really thinking to stay there for 3 nights but the frozen food not acceptable for 5* hotel at all.

Currently staying at the Fota for work. I arrived 8/4 after a 17 hour flight from SFO. Sean at the concierge was amazing! He stowed my luggage and told me to peek if the breakfast buffet is still open (which was not). Sean then led me to the bar (yep, at high noon) and asked Pat (bartender) to take care of me. I got my coffee (and a chocolate chip cookie) and waited until they were ready to serve lunch. Food was fresh and headed to the registration. I know they have a policy of check in at 4 pm but Beverley (front desk) was able to get me checked in around 3 pm. I also had a great session at the Spa. Rebecca was able to work my kinks and the service was better than other spas I have been too. Bed is firm (which is my preference) and pillows are heavenly!

Well where to begin, perhaps at the bottom of, what seems like, the mile long drive up to the hotel. Watch out for the speed bumps!! The hotel/resort is set on an actual island. Attached to the hotel is the Forta Golf course, which I was told has hosted some major golf tournaments. There is a wildlife park, tennis courts, football training pitches and the island even has its own train station. There are several trails which you can walk or run around, if you are that way inclined. The island is very green and picturesque, the sun rise is particularly good if you have one of the front facing bedrooms. The bedrooms are very well appointed with all the bits you would expect, large bed, desk area, sofa chairs and ample wardrobe space if you have lots of clothes to store. The hotel staff could not do more for you. Yes I know it is the service industry but they all seemed genuinely happy to help, even with very very mundane things. Now I was there over a weekend and they had one wedding party on the Friday and one in the Saturday night, if you are staying on the 1st floor you will hear the music into the early hours, be warned. The food was ok, although we were stuck on the tournament menu which was not very good but looking at the food served to other guests it looked good. They have a very good bar with good bar staff, plenty of Irish whiskey's to sample. Our Irish counter parts were in there one night until 5am!! A good venue with high quality accommodation. Would definitely come back here.

Popped in with 2 friends for coffee and pastries. All I can say is that is exactly what I would recommend to do ther . Soooooo Chilled and comfortable, you could spend hours sitting, relaxing and catching up with friends in lovely luxurious surroundings. Plenty of easy parking also

Pure DECADENCE. Five stars of snootiness and luxury. We stopped in to get lunch and were refused from the BAR (by an extremely smarmy front of house) as we hadn't got a reservation? But were sat in the restaurant instead? Confused. The Steak sandwich and beef burger were amazing. The open fire we were sat next to wasn't, as for some reason there was no heat from it at all? €34 in total for one burger, one sandwich and two tap waters. Ching-ching.

Afternoon Tea - what's not to like about it!? Dainty sandwiches, pretty cakes and fancy coffee all eaten in the afternoon when you could probably be doing something much more productive. But you're not, you are eating cake in the afternoon while gossiping with friends - amazing!! Recently I travelled to Fota Island Resort for a wedding with a friend as her plus one. I didn't know the couple very well but am very easy to entice with promises of a spa day and lots of cake! To start our weekend off we settled ourselves into the big comfy chairs in the Amber Lounge and ordered afternoon tea which was included in our Afternoon Indulgence spa package. Like all good afternoon tea outings we began with tea and coffee which was swiftly followed by an enticing three tier cake stand filled with goodies. This afternoon tea was slightly different to normal as it was a healthy options version due to it being part of the spa package. The first tier consisted of smoked salmon on brown bread, shots of tomato juice and a deconstructed caprese salad.This was followed by a second layer of fresh scones with pots of butter and raspberry jam to lash on top of them. Afternoon tea was then finished off with slices of lemon cake and a nutty type sponge slice both of which were lovely. We were well and truly full by the time we finished and were totally relaxed and ready for our treatments. The spa in Fota Island is also one of the nicest I have ever been too. The whole experience was wonderful and worth every penny. The staff were knowledgeable and polite and the spa itself was well kept and very clean. As a former employee of a day spa I have very high standards when I am paying for a treatment and Fota lived up to all my expectations. They catered to our every need and made us feel like we were paying a lot more for the experience than we were. The Afternoon Indulgence Spa Package cost €65 and includes a range of options which you can view here. If I lived closer I would be taking advantage of their special offers on a regular basis.

Had a spa day with my family. Had the lunch and 2 treatments deal. The staff were great. Lunch was lovely and they catered for a vegan in the afternoon tea. We were able to use the relaxation space before our treatments. All the treatments were lovely and relaxing.

I stayed in this hotel a few months ago after I got a deal on groupon for €115 for 2 people bed & breakfast. Its a 5 star hotel so you cant get a better deal than that. When I first drove up, I didn't think the outside of the hotel looked great, not like a 5 star hotel. When I walked in however, it was beautiful inside and the staff were so unbelievably helpful. The room was lovely & spacious, nice big bath, lovely shower. We also got a complimentary bottle of wine, it was red and I prefer white so I called reception and within 2 minutes a member of staff had given us the bottle of white. We had 2 spa treatments, the pricing was ok for a 5 star hotel but the treatments were the best treatments I've ever had. If I'm ever in Cork again, I'll find it hard not to go there for a treatment. We also had dinner in the restaurant in the hotel. It was really nice, esp the main meal.. I would def stay here again.. Very enjoyable stay :)

I have mixed feelings about this hotel. Though the grounds are beautiful, the facilities themselves (hotel rooms, restaurants, etc.) are just ok. Service has been a hit and miss, wherein you get folks who constantly check to make sure you're attended to versus some who consider you almost invisible. If I just wasn't polite, I would have just walked out a number of times as the check had taken so long to get. On a couple of occasions, there was an error too. Not sure if it was the fact that I don't look local or well polished enough to get A+ service but regardless, I did not get that during my stay. To me, it was between a B and C grade. I was only here for a short business trip and during this time, I had tried to book a treatment with the spa, only to find that they've been booked at least a couple days ahead already. As i understand that there is a 'membership' of sorts that they keep and probably get preferred treatment over hotel guests, it is very disappointing that I did not get an opportunity or have been made special accommodations to taste this supposed top class spa service.