I stayed here in January 2012 and found it to be a fairly unique hotel experience. The hotel is set in it's own vast, picturesque grounds and surrounded by stunning scenery. It is extremely remote, requiring a long drive down a single track road to get there, so this is not the kind of place to go if you want to be out socialising with the locals; but what it does deliver in spades is peace, seclusion and luxury.
The hotel is a grand old house with fasicination period public rooms that are a feature in themselves and demand close inspection as you wander through their opulence.
The food and drink at the Hotel were truly exceptional. The whisky bar in the library was overflowing with one of the very best selections of malts I've encountered. The barman was informed and accomodating without being overbearing, and enjoying a dram (or two!) in front of the roaring log fire was a real treat.
The evening tasting menu was fabulous. I tried foods I had never experienced before and loved every last tasty morsel. They were also accomodating of my somewhat fussy tastes, producing a slightly varied personal menu for me when I advised them beforehand that I didnt eat red meat. Please don't avoid enjoying this amazing dinner experience just because you might have particular food preferences - they are extremely accomodating as long as you tell them in advance, and my meal was one of the very best I've ever had.
Our bedoom was probably less grand than some others sound from posts here, possibly because I was there with a friend and we required a twin rather than a double room. It was at the front of the hotel on the ground floor, so no Loch view. However it was a perfectly fine room. It did have a pretty poor tv reception (though they do have a selection of DVD's available, mostly children's films which could be useful for families), but frankly in a place like this you probably won't want to watch tv anyway - you're far likely to be enjoying the stunning location or romancing your other half, with the tv decidedly off!
All in all, a great place to go for a really special romantic retreat, great food and relaxation.
- Ardanaiseig Hotel Kilchrenan
