The Lansdowne Kenmare, an SLH Hotel — Hotel in Kenmare Municipal District

Beautiful style of contemporary mixed with classic decor and style in living, dining bar and entertainment area. The staff are absolutely gorgeous, so welcoming and caring. The breakfast delicious. Location is superb. However, the bedroom was a complete disappointment. Described as " Deluxe King " is a massive exaggeration.

I must preface that the room is SPOTLESS. To begin: The small poorly lit room, was located on ground level ( room 111 ), looking directly into a carpark, the bonnets of the cars, facing into the window at eye with a flimsy linen blind for zero privacy, unless you closed the curtains and then were in complete darkness except for a central light! No dressing table, no wardrobe, just open plan rack with wooden hangers and small food prep area ( coffee and tea maker)with a small storage unit and safe. Large mirror on opposite wall with a wall mounted tv half way up the wall at waist height . The carpet underfoot felt almost damp , although it wasn't, but it just felt 'off' . Part of the floor is wooden painted surface as U walk into the room. The bathroom is absolutely tiny. The door doesn't lock and when opening, it just about misses the toilet bowl. A big let down and not the bathroom that is used in the website photos. However, the shower unit with glass door and the sink stand are new and smart. The tiles are dated, as is the sink and toilet. At night and early morning the creaks and sounds of guests upstairs was very noisy, akin to being in an old house and the walls are very thin. We could hear guests flushing toilet next door.

Perhaps the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs facing the street are of better quality and with more privacy and better lighting. I am very happy to pay money for great quality, but the Lansdowne, in my own opinion, did not meet that expectation in the bedroom.

Cost of our stay was € 540 plus €33.30 for a delicious breakfast. Totaling €573.30...

Lansdowne is part of the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH). Long story short. They should not be part of the SLH. My stay here makes be reluctant to stay at SLH folio hotels in the future. Hopefully SLH reevaluates and makes them improve or removes them. This is by no means a luxury hotel. Especially the rooms. This is more in line with what you would expect at a cheaper B&B. It’s like they spent all their money in the common areas and did a cheap flip in the rooms. NOTHING about the rooms speaks luxury let alone a nice hotel or even above average for that matter. ||For better or worse I stay at nicer hotels 80-90 nights a year. My review comes from that perspective. ||Price was close to 260 euros a night at time of booking. I would recommend staying at one of the many rooms above pubs in the area that are both nicer and cheaper. ||Pros. ||Great location. |Nice seating area in common area. ||Cons. ||Rooms. Nothing nice to say except they were clean. Not even a single bad painting on the wall. ||Bathrooms. Shower was claustrophobic at best. ||Breakfast. Area was absolute chaos. Could not accommodate number of guests in hotel. ||Service. No one at front desk for over 10 minutes for checkout at 7:30 am. Had to leave...

As a launching point for the Ring of Beara and Dingle Peninsula, we stayed at the Lansdowne Kenmare for 3 nights. It's a very well located hotel, near shopping and restaurants. Yet, it was quiet enough for a good night's sleep. Our deluxe room was large, attractive, and well appointed. But in some cases, the designer chose fashion over function. For example: no toilet paper holder in the bathroom (paper left on top of the toilet basin instead - like college), and there was nowhere at all in the bedroom or bathroom with good light and space to apply makeup. A few small changes would make the room much more useful.

But our biggest complaint about the Lansdowne was the service. The woman who checked us in (at 5:30pm on a Sunday) seemed unhappy to see us and was downright unwelcoming. The staff at breakfast, with the exception of a lovely Irish woman, was so surly that we chose to eat elsewhere on our second and third mornings in Kenmare. I know that some people equate haughtiness with luxury, but we don't. And the Lansdowne staff were a stark contrast with everyone else we met in Ireland. The hotel manager would serve him/herself well to change the culture.

Review summary: lovely facility, great location, staff needs...