The location on the shore of Caragh lake is very pleasant (even if the nearby Ard na Sidhe small hotel is far better). The staff and management were friendly. However this offering is far from what was expected. I like to stay in period country house type accommodation and have many years experience of such places all over Ireland - places such as Cashel House, Zetland House, Longueville House etc. I had heard good things about Caragh Lodge and so I grabbed an attractive summertime pricing offer.

This place is more a restaurant with some misplaced pretension and the accommodation is very much secondary. Indeed one is made to feel unwelcomme if one does not vacate the house after breakfast and return only in time for dinner in the evening. I had hoped to sit in a drawing room or sitting room to read a good book and do the crossword, perhaps with a walk to the lake shore and a drink afterwards. However I was shown to a small alcove with very uncomfortable seating and with no window or natural light. The proprietor asked me a number of times during the first half hour if I planned to go out on a trip for the day. He clearly wanted the house to be emptied of guests during the lunchtime and afternoon period. Also an afternoon sandwich or pastry was not available

The accommodation was just about acceptable. The room did have a nice lake view but was on the small side and required climbing different sets of stairs and walking corridors. Directions were very poor and access for someone with mobility issues is a major potential issue. Also the walls were not block construction and one could hear someone snoring all night at a distance that seemed like only an arm's length. Overall the standard of accommodation was disappointing and a fellow guest from UK expressed similar sentiment over conversation in the TV lounge - yet another excuse for a room, very small and with no natural light. It seated about six knee-to-knee!

The much anticipated experience in the dining room was acceptable. Revenue above comfort of patrons seems to have won out. Tables are very, very close and waiting staff are required to negotiate carefully. There was a discernible degree of uncomfortableness for most patrons on each evening we dined there. It was very busy and waiting in an adjoining room was the experience for all, it seemed. Needless to say, this was optimised as an opportunity to sell pre-dinner drinks to patrons; prices were quite expensive and choice of drink was very limited.

The food was not 'fine dining' by any means or worthy of exceptional praise. Parts of the menu did change each evening which is always welcome. Certainly the dining experience was not up to places such as Cashel House in Connemara or Longueville House in Mallow,
but the basics were there and we enjoyed the overall experience. Breakfast was very, very ordinary and nothing remarkable except perhaps for the homemade preserves. The choice was disappointing. The standard was typical of a three star hotel in this writer's opinion.

We had a much more comfortable and memorable stay at the nearby Ard na Sidhe in the past. These two houses are competitors and prices are not significantly different if negotiated or offers availed of. I would return to Caragh Lodge but with a lot lower expectations and a local 'days out' guide! My next visit to the area will be to Ard na Sidhe for sure.