“My house….stands on a lake, but it stands also on the sea” Oliver St. John Gogarty
Renvyle House Hotel is a charming country house hotel, set in 150 acres of unspoilt Connemara landscape and much beloved by families for many decades. Renvyle House has been in the ownership of the Coyle family since the early 1960’s. Anne Marie Kelly is the General Manager and acknowledged in the industry to be a very experienced hotelier. Renvyle House has a most interesting history in hospitality and some of the original building dates back to 1883, when it was a hotel. In the early part of the 20th century it became a summer retreat for the surgeon and poet, Oliver St. John Gogarty, who fell in love with it. There are many tributes to its history around the hotel in the form of extracts from Oliver St. John Gogarty’s writings and some wonderful paintings of the property and the surrounding landscape by various artists .
There are 64 bedrooms in Renvyle House, which are well laid out and comfortable. I was fortunate to be allocated a room only a stone’s throw from the wild Atlantic Ocean. I was thrilled to have this amazing view of an Ocean that was tossing surf into the air with vigorous abandon. I had to be prised reluctantly away to check out all that the hotel has to offer guests.
A Stress Free Zone: There are many reasons why Renvyle House has enjoyed huge success in the hospitality sector, despite it being located in a very remote part of the country; just beyond Letterfrack in the heart of Connemara not too far from Kylemore Abbey. Here the hospitality is very relaxed and is evident from the moment you see the sign ‘You are entering a stress free zone’ on the driveway of the hotel. On either side of this narrow driveway there are stunted gnarled trees announcing to one and all how difficult it is for plant life to survive in this unprotected landscape. Even the daffodils, which were in full bloom, were all leaning in horizontal fashion towards the ground in an effort to survive some severe gusts. There are hidden pockets of well protected gardens, such as the Horseshoe and Rose gardens as well as the Croquet (summer only!) lawn outside the long sun lounge. The gardens were an open invitation to younger guests to run around in a perfect safe haven to their heart’s delight.
Parents were able to relax in the sun lounge reading at their leisure. It is no wonder that so many families like this hotel. There is also a very large room dedicated to children playing indoors and the joyful sounds emanating must have been music to the ears of their parents. I had no problem settling myself for a good read of the newspaper in the quiet surrounds of the Long Drawing Room. The main Reception area is also very suitable for a chat or a read. All the fires in the public rooms are real ones in which they burn turf and wood. Not the most expensive perfume comes even close to being as evocative as the scent of a turf fire. If further relaxation is required there is always the outdoor heated pool; the wonderfully positioned hot tubs overlooking the Atlantic; or a civilized game of tennis, all part of the complimentary facilities on offer.
Cuisine: The Rushenduff Restaurant is presided over by Head Chef, Jude Dassanayake. His cleverly thought out Menu gives guests some true Irish flavours. This is a dining room that caters for every type of guest judging by the happy faces I saw, confirming that there was something on the Menu to suit all tastes. Children are catered for at a separate time and place so the dining experience is very much for the grown ups.
I noticed outside that some visiting Brent geese were also dining along the verges of the driveway and they too were enjoying the generous Renvyle hospitality. The former small par 3 golf course is no longer having been re-wilded as a nature habitat and coastal walk.
This is a family oriented Country House Hotel where you can happily bring the partner, the kids, the Mammy, and all importantly the Granny, knowing that each generation will enjoy the experience. A visit to this region should also include popping in to the nearby Kylemore Gardens as they have an amazing selection of local produce to take home.
It only remains to say that once you have seen the incredible Renvyle House Hotel that image will remain forever along with a deep down sense of total relaxation from having spent time in Connemara’s Stress Free Zone.
