A gorgeous castle.

Wonderful stay

Overall on the surface of it Lough Eske looks grand and wonderful. The room I stayed in was very spacious and very clean. All the staff I interacted with were all very helpful. The breakfast was a big positive. Tasted great and the staff very attentive. When you look closer there are a number of parts of the hotel that look tired and need attention. I was particularly disappointed in the spa area. It had a number of maintenance issues such as bulbs out, loose wiring for the switches of the hydro pool and the scum on the railings was thick grey sludge. It made me not want to spend much time there. Also whilst trying to relax there was a staff member walking back and forth entering and exiting going outside looking like he was putting a delivery away. I also raised concerns as my booking details including name and telephone appeared to be part of a data breach on the hotel system as I received scam WhatsApp messages before arriving attempting to gain my credit card details. I did raise this to the hotel via email and upon arrival but my concerns were not addressed. I wouldn’t rush back to stay here again unfortunately and couldn’t recommend based on my experience.

The staff was helpful and friendly, but unfortunately the rooms and common areas were not very clean during our stay. Also, the listing mentioned that there was an onsite playground, but it appears to have been removed, which was disappointing.

We were unable to get internet service by computer or phone. A 5 star hotel needs to provide adequate coverage for its customers. The bed was really soft and not of good quality. The dinners were exceptional. Having to fight Tauck Tour Bus and wedding parties is not the experience people who want to stay in a castle want. The hotel appeared to be short staffed but the staff did get the job done. The only person I did not care for was the front desk person.

The entrance to Lough Eske Castle is a facade that was built sometime in the late 1800s. This is important because it looks like something out of someone's Disney fantasy. If you're looking for a 5-star historically relevant architectural site, this is not for you. We had room 248. It was literally a 3000 step walk each way to the restaurant from our room. Not for the mobility impaired. The vibe was very much corporate hotel, the kind that wants bang for its buck. The rooms were cheap and room service was sloppy (beds were messy after housekeeping left). Towels and robes were threadbare. Dinner service in the restaurant was slow, and the food, while not actually spoiled, was cold and had obviously been prepared well ahead of time and kept on a warmer for the order. The breakfast buffet had a cook preparing egg orders (that was a plus!) but the steam trays were cold and the scrambled eggs had more bounce than a rubber ball. The yogurt was delicious but the fruit was definitely not and the orange juice was out of a box. The spa? A 30-minute service was actually 15 minutes, there was only 1 shower in the women's side of the spa, but several near the pool. Economy was key, you push a button and water jets out for 30-60 seconds at a time. When your eyes are full of shampoo that was a minus. And kids. There were little boys running around the women's showers. Sorry, I expected consideration for adults at a spa. Never returning.

The whole experience was great from beginning to end

The staff, the rooms and the breakfast were amazing. The grounds and the buildings were exceptional. If I’m ever back in Donegal, I will definitely stay here again.

Helpful staff

The room is amazing!

Best breakfasts of our trip

Bar was awesome good friendly staff. The guitarist Mark made our night along with new friends from Belfast. Property gorgeous breakfast great. Only problem could not connect to reception in morning forced to carry luggage a long way through a maze of rooms. No explanation for why they would not pick up phone. Still worth the stay

Decided to stay here on our trip around Ireland and let me tell you, this was one of our favorite stays in the two weeks we’ve been here (and we stayed in some pretty fabulous places). The grounds and rooms are fantastic. We were greeted warmly by the staff upon arrival. Shea took our bags straight to our room as we checked in. The smell of peat burning in the Red Room fireplace smelled heavenly. We were going to upgrade to a garden suite, but our superior king bedroom was exactly what we wanted: space to sprawl out, comfortable bed with a sitting area, walk-in closet with plenty of of space for luggage, a HUGE bathroom with soaking tub, toilet closet, huge shower, heated towel rack, and to our surprise, heated tiles. If you get cold in this bathroom, you have issues. I loved the two bay windows that fully open to allow in the fresh air and the French doors that open to the garden and spa/pool area. I highly recommend giving that area a try. I booked a facial and enjoyed the sauna, hot tub, and recovery area while my husband worked out in the gym. It was a great way to spend the afternoon after a lovely breakfast. That’s another thing…their breakfast is so good!!! It came complimentary with our room and offered a huge buffet or an à la cart menu. My husband had chef-prepared omelets from the buffet and I ate the Eggs Benedict from the menu both days. On one of the days, we took tea in the Red Room while we enjoyed the fireplace. 110% will be coming back!

Iconic, go

We had a lovely stay! Would love to come back again. 10/10

Excellent weekend break lovely location a couple of problems firstly my wife waited 40 mins in library and did not get waiter service and the shower spray was leaking and needed replacement not what I expect of 5 star. Staff overall were excellent

We loved our short stay there

Pros: Amazing staff service, massive room, beautiful property, lots of amenities included Cons: Carpeted floors

Fantastic

Fabulous . That's all. Simply fabolous