Ciara C.
Yelp
It's important to remember that the truly outstanding feature of Inchydoney is the setting - the stunning beauty, the wildness of the scenery, the sense of truly being away from it all, gloriously enhanced by every last kilometre of the distancing journey along the peninsula edge.
The hotel itself is well run and friendly. Whether its style is to your taste or not depends on just that. If minimalist understatement if your thing, chances are you may feel dizzy pretty quickly as you walk the corridors of Inchydoney, where strong pattern and a certain kitsch charm dominate at every turn, and artworks of all sizes and styles add to a slight sense of stylistic mayhem that may not be fully intentional, and definitely doesn't feel a la mode, but is strangely comforting and homely in its way.
I like it. I like the generous size of the chairs in the resident's lounge, the predominance of comfort over overt style, the sense of old-world values the surroundings imbue. And the fabulously sinky sofas are so cosy to curl up on and read your book.
I had this possibly out-dated idea, though, that a family room would mean an adjoining room for the kids, and that turned out not to be the case, disappointingly, as four in a room, large and all as it was, was a little too crowded for comfort, especially when small kids wake at the crack of dawn, full of chat. Cue adult regret at that last over-filled nightcap. A sense of separation afforded by an adjoining room would have added a very important extra to our trip.
Breakfast at Inchydoney is an incredibly ample and delicious affair, and availing of a few pastries on the way out for later isn't frowned upon - the philosophy seems to be, it's here, it's yours, take it. Service when we were there - which wasn't a busy time - was a bit unfocussed though, and we had to ask a couple of times for ordered items. There was a sense of lack of attentiveness that comes from no one person being allocated to your table - or so it seemed, anyway.
The food in the main restaurant (which doubles as the breakfast area in the morning), which is expensive, is good. The bar food - also expensive and over-priced for these times - is also satisfactory, and the service attentive.
They make families feel very welcome here, although the restrictions around children and pool hours is annoying and worth checking out before you plan your day. I do believe that family hotels should not place restrictions like these on families - it's discriminating to children who in my experience are really well behaved and just part of the fun, same as the parents! I did see it from the other side, though, when I got chatting to a woman in the sauna who had sought refuge in Inchydoney to get away from her young brood, and seemed a bit put out that there were children there. I understood her pain, could even identify with it, as the odd time I'm away from the kids with my husband, trying to coax back to flame the pre-kids fire, I've about as much interest in other people's members of the species as I do in taking up an intensive course in underwater basket-weaving. But I accept that they're part of the world and have a right to be there and are therefore not disposable of on my whim! Plus that's what zoning out was invented for.
The spa here is gorgeous and personally I love the seawater pool, it feels really refreshing and is much preferable (and better for your health) than the heavily chlorinated standard, so it gets full marks from me.
Overall, my hunch is that if you walk away from here feeling very unsatisfied, you may want to investigate possible deeper causes, because once you know what you (and your pocket) are in for, there's a whole lot to enjoy, in natural surroundings that would ease the troubles of the lost, soften the intentions of the cruel, and make even the most miserable among us smile as they sit on the white sands of the adjoining strand, and gaze in wonder at the beauty of this special part of the world.
