Ashleigh D.
Yelp
I stayed at the Hayfield Manor for 2 nights for a stay in Cork while my friend ran the Cork City marathon. I found the hotel with Amex's Fine Hotels and Resorts program. Which has many benefits to booking through them -- including the 4pm check out which we used. There is also an option of an early check in which we didn't need, a room upgrade (which wasn't available, but our room was great), and some other things (eg breakfast for 2 people). The 4pm check out was amazing because my friend could shower after the marathon before we drove to Dublin airport.
We drove in from the Ring of Kerry, and were greeted by Frank the concierge. He was friendly the entire time, and had nice suggestions of places to go. He was very helpful with bags as well and valet parking as was his staff.
The check in process was easy. The hotel uses actual keys which are kept at the reception when you leave the property. The room was one of the nicest hotel rooms I've ever stayed in. It was huge! We booked a Superior Room with 2 single beds. The space in the room allowed us to arrange the stuff in our bags for the flight back to the US. The bathroom was spacious with 2 sinks, a shower, and a claw-foot tub. There was also a heated towel rack (I love these, and the US needs these). The beds were comfortable, and I loved the duvet.
We took advantage of the breakfast. There was food in a buffet with a lot of cold options, and food was available from the hot menu. I had the full Irish breakfast. It was fantastic. The hotel was also accommodating of marathon runners. On the day of the marathon, Sunday, they opened breakfast from 7-11 instead of the normal 8-11, so my friend could grab a yogurt before her run. I did the 10k, and I made it back at 10:43, so I was able to have breakfast after my 10k, which was perfect! They also let those who were still in the restaurant after 11 when the buffet was closing in case we wanted to grab anything else.
I wanted to check out the pool and spa services, but I didn't have time. If I come back to Cork, I will stay here again as it was an amazing hotel.