We recently stayed in the Ashdown Park Hotel for a family wedding. We drove down on Friday and stayed for two nights.
Set on the edge of Gorey town, Ashdown Park is only an hour from Dublin by car. It felt like a family run business through and through, with each and every staff member going above and beyond to make us feel at home.
Rooms:
We stayed in one of the Deluxe Family Suites. The layout was perfect because there was the main room (with 3 beds) and then an extra annexe with a double bunk bed. This is where Ava stayed and she was only delighted. She kept talking about her new bed- I think she wanted to bring it home with us.
I don’t know about you, but we always have this problem when staying in hotels with the kids. If the toddler or baby needs to go to bed at 7, then you’re stuck sitting in a dark room. Which isn't much fun. This sort of layout means that you can put the kids to bed and still stay up in the other section of the room. It was also lovely and quiet in the room- another issue we commonly run into at hotels.
Reception Room:
The reception room where the wedding reception took place is gorgeous and full of natural light- that's really important...so many ballrooms don’t have any natural light and you end up feeling boxed in. It's spacious and tastefully decorated. Ava especially loved the dance floor that lit up!
Treatments:
On Saturday morning, we took turns getting facials in the award winning Skin Gym- which was much needed after the late night we had! I enjoyed the Juliette Armand Thavma ‘Botox’ Therapy. The description of this treatment on the Skin Gym website is:
‘Juliette Armand use high-end Effectox™ technology with quality ingredients to reduce muscle contractions and hydrate your skin, leaving you with smoother, younger looking skin without the use of a needle.’
I could definitely feel the effects of it afterwards- though I think to see any permanent results, you’d need to do the full course of treatments. We then switched over and Audrey, who has slightly more sensitive skin than me, was treated to an Environ facial. She couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards, saying it was one of the best treatments she’s ever had. And if she was raving about it, then it must have been good. Click here to see the full range of treatments available at the Skin Gym.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to use the pool area as Ava wasn’t 100%. (Boo to viral infections!) But it looked amazing and I heard from the other wedding guests that the facilities were great.
Food:
We were very impressed with the food selection. Sometimes we run into trouble with the lack of choice when we travel. We are vegetarians, Audrey is coeliac and I’m a Type 1 diabetic. But we were catered for excellently through the whole weekend. There was a gorgeous vegetable curry on Friday at the wedding reception and a veggie BBQ on Saturday. They actually have a whole menu specifically for veggies and vegans which was great to see.
We also enjoyed a veggie carvery on Saturday for lunch. (This is basically a standard carvery without the meat!) Breakfast is a buffet, with a really good selection of cereals, fruits, pastries and hot food. You've also got the option to order other items- I got the veggie omlette on one of the mornings, which was really tasty!
Ashdown Park has it's own family farm, the Redmond Farm. This means that much of its' beef and produce is locally grown.
Kids:
The kids club was a definite highlight for Ava. She spent the morning in there on Saturday and enjoyed every minute. Special mention to the lovely Veronica who got down to her level to play puzzles with her and make her feel 100% at home. It’s a lovely little spot with crafting area, cars, dollhouses, board games and much more. There’s also an outdoor play area, but we were happy to stay inside as the weather wasn't the best. They also show movies in the evenings which is fantastic for slightly older kids.
Overview:
We had a lovely weekend. The wedding was amazing and everyone had such a good time. The Ashdown Park is an ideal place to visit with small children- and you'll certainly be made to feel welcome and at home.
Whether it's for a wedding, a weekend getaway or simply for an escape from the city- the Ashdown Park is a perfect countryside getaway for the whole family.
Thanks to Paul and the whole team for a weekend to remember.
Ranae x
Comments