Paul S.
Yelp
This review is of the villas, where I stayed recently. Yes, I truly mean 1 star.
I booked this via Great Value Vacations (http://www.greatvaluevacations.com/vacation-packages/ireland/adare/luxury-irish-villa-vacation/PK-GC4P-AVG-DUBAIR) using one of those Groupon/Living Social deals. The package included 6 days in the villa. Now onto the main story:
The signage at the property is not clear, particularly if you're arriving after sundown. It took us 20 minutes to find where to check in to our villa; at the Manor House, which does not say 'Guest Registration' near the entry door. After that confusion was handled, we drove to our villa and stayed a restful night. The bed was comfortable and there is plenty of space, particularly as it was just two of us in the villa. Now, in the US, you might think of a villa as something Italian with beautiful stone arches and warm breezes filtering through a sumptuous interior. Please don't arrive with this image in your mind. You can expect a rental house that been used for decades and not maintained well.
This is truly a self-service experience, so don't expect anyone in your "villa" except to pick up the trash daily (that was nice, I guess). If you want fresh towels, there's a price for that. If you want a house cleaning, expect to pay big bucks. They say this on the website ('self-catering'), so there shouldn't be any surprise there. Here's an additional rundown of the house:
While functional, the kitchen is small. The dishes and cookware that are in the residence is 'very' used to the point the Teflon has worn off and the handles are rickety. Expecting to bake in the oven? You get two thin kitchen towels with which to retrieve your food and no oven pans are provided. The nozzle of the water dispenser on the fridge is crusty with buildup. Though not often used there, the microwave is the size of a shoebox. Overall, greatly disappointed by the kitchen.
There are plenty of bathrooms. However, only hand soaps are provided. Don't expect any other toiletries, so bring your own or buy them there. One thing I liked about the bathrooms is that the floors seemed warmed, which was a big plus. The towel racks were not in operation. The vanity (sink/cabinet) is from the 80s. The shower head was also crusted with deposits, causing the streams of water to go every which way except on you. Our master bath tub had a crack in it so we didn't use it.
They have an FAQ for guests in the villas. There are many errors in them and they're not accessible until you arrive...but they read as if they're for pre-arrival. In one area, they recommend you pack specific clothing, but you're already there when you receive that paperwork, so... In another area, they describe the process to connect to their WiFi, which (as it also says on its website) apparently costs money. However, it was free. That was nice. Those FAQs should be on the website for anytime access and should definitely be accurate.
The 'Villa Concierge' was off when we arrived, but was apparently available a couple days later. We never saw him or heard from him. Not even a welcome note or knock on our door at this 'luxury' establishment. That made him seem unapproachable. The only person I saw was the guy who came to pick up the trash.
Other things:
-the walls are marked up...every wall
-the rugs are stained terribly.
-vents are not cleaned and dust is caught and layered in them
-the washing machine has mold in it
-windows screens are not commonly used there. If you open a window, expect moths.
I took photos and added them to the business listing.
I read that this place has been sold several times. I think the villas were built in the 80s or 90s by a Florida financier and have not been maintained or updated. Cleaning is minimal between stays. I think this place uses vouchers and vacation packages to stay afloat. In my experience, the 'luxury' part of the experience was not at all evident at the villa.
Though we booked 6 days, we stayed 5. I told the concierge at the Manor House on day 3 that we were leaving on day 5. I wasn't asked why we were leaving. There was no concern. I guess since they had their money already, it didn't matter.
I came with high expectations and left with an abysmal experience. I don't recommend the villas and I will not be staying there again.