We were delighted to team up with The Inn at Dromoland and review their family staycation package in July. The hotel is located in Newmarket on Fergus Co. Clare on the Dromoland Castle Estate, just off the M18 Limerick to Galway road.
We were booked in for a two night stay in a Superior Room, which consisted of two double beds, seating area and bathroom with walk in shower. The Inn at Dromoland also has large family and interconnecting rooms depending on your needs. Little touches like a tea and coffee station and iron and board were great additions to the room. The hotel has travel cots for families but its important to note that they don’t have bed rails for older children. We got around this by asking for extra pillows and padding out the sides of the bed because our child likes to move around a lot at night. The hotel has a family room with a sink, fridge, microwave, ironing facilities and vending machine which is brilliant when staycationing with kids.
The Inn have developed 3 and 5 night staycation packages which include bed, breakfast, dinner on one evening and a choice of a pizza night or picnic lunch. The hotel also have snack packs and vouchers for their award winning Shannigans Gastropub and Deerfield’s restaurant. The food is fantastic for every meal time.
We arrived and ordered the pizza night which was a pepperoni and margarita pizza, plus wedges and garlic bread delivered to our room. If you like pizza and want a quick bite in your room after travelling I would definitely recommend it. One thing I think the hotel could definitely do is offer a drink menu with the food for kids and adults. I had seen pictures of the picnic which was a range of sandwiches and snacks and while it looked lovely our son isn’t a sandwich eater so we went with the pizza.
Breakfast the next morning was pre-booked, we managed to sleep late but a quick call to reception and we were able to adjust our booking slot. The Inn has both hot and cold food options which is served to you. Breakfast was served in Deerfield’s restaurant and servers all wore face masks or shields and there was a sanitising station for guests so it felt very safe.
Dinner again needs to be pre-booked and was delicious, both the adults and kids options were plentiful and tasty. Tables were well spaced out and again the Inn had safety at the forefront for both staff and guests with sanitizer and PPE. The hotel had a nice space set up in their ballroom for families to watch a movie (there was sport on both nights we were there – my husband was delighted!) and finish off dinner with socially distanced drinks.
The Inn has a lot of activities for families, with indoor soft play area called The Play Inn on site. From September on it is only open on weekends but it will be open for the full week of Halloween midterm. The play area has a little cafe but when we were there the drinks machine was out of order, so check before hand if you need a caffeine fix while the kids play! The hotel also has a pool which we didn’t try this time, but my husband went to the gym and said it was well equipped for a good workout. Both need to be booked in advance.
There are lots of outdoor options to entertain the kids, but be warned! This is Ireland so the weather is changeable and I would advise packing waterproof clothes and wellies along with your regular clothes. We had great fun at the crazy golf and playground until it poured with rain and had to run back to the hotel. The Inn also has foot golf and a tennis court if you want to try something different. There is a lovely walk through the golf course to Dromoland Castle, we got around 10 meters through the walk and our boss decided he was too tired to continue – bring a buggy or pack the kids bikes if you want to go see it!
The Inn at Dromoland is a 3* venue and its very family friendly, the staff were great and it is easy to get to. The hotel is a good option if you want a laid back staycation, and what I really appreciated was the hotel were open to feedback on what they could improve on for future bookings. While the decor in the main communal areas of the hotel is lovely, especially in the sun room, bar and lobby, there are parts that the hotel plan on refurbishing which is great to know. The accommodation corridors and seating area in The Play Inn are in need to a refresh but in the grand scheme of things it didn’t bother us too much.
A staycation is what you make of it, if a good nights sleep and lovely food is what you’re after then I would recommend The Inn at Dromoland. Activity wise the hotel has a lot of options for families plus its close to the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, Ailwee Caves and the local town of Newmarket on Fergus which has a supermarket, bars and restaurants.
You can use the code INNWITHTRIBE for 5% off The Inn at Dromoland staycation packages plus a bottle of wine for parents by booking through their website here.
Check out The Inn at Dromoland Instagram and Facebook for more information.
DISCLAIMER: This #MumTribeTravel piece is an honest travel review in exchange for a complimentary staycation package with The Inn at Dromoland, which was marked as #spon on all social media content.
Mum Tribe Ireland 