Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa

Inchydoney Island

by pure1942

Inchydoney is a spectacular beach located just 10 minutes drive from Clonakilty. The beach is regarded as one of the finest Ireland has to offer and has a growing reputation as a surfing hotspot. The hotel and spa have brought many visitors to the island but on the downside has also contributed to a huge amount of building development in the area which has taken away from the natural layout of the beach and island.
Visitors often do not realise this, but Inchydoney is actually an island linked to the mainland by a causeway.

Surfing

by jwha

During my May visit - It was still TOO COLD for me to even take my coat off and there were surfers in the water. I couldn't belive it, talk about dedicated!! There is a surf shop in Clonakilty, so if you have forgotten (or just didn't think to bring) your swim suit, this may be the place for you.
If you want to take surf lessons, there is a place at Inchydoney beach. I really cannot refer them as I didn't take any lessons with them, but I just wanted to give you a pointer you may not have known otherwise. Hours may depend on season...it was closed in Feb because it was freezing!!

Visit West Cork if you are in County Cork

by bobyn

If you are in County Cork, try to take the time to visit West Cork. It is quite a scenic area, with mountains, rugged coastline, and pretty villages. This is great as a car trip or a walking trip. Lots of places to get out to view scenery or go for walks. Must Sees: Glengarriff & Garnish Island, Glandore (nice little corner of the world), Bantry and the surrounding mountains, Allihes (very rural), Mizen Head (the most southerly point of Ireland, past Allihes), Kinsale (near Cork City by car/bus), Clonakilty - (theres a model railway village in Clonakilty) & Inchydoney Beach - there is a Thalassotherapy Centre at the hotel here, with luxurious Day Spa packages, very relaxing with sea water pool and facilites included. See tip on Inchydoney. Barleycove Beach with golden sand, Baltimore. I'll add photos of all of the above in time. West Cork has beautiful scenery.

Overall consistently very good

by TripAdvisor Member IrelandSophie

We stay at Inchydoney Lodge two to three times a year for the last few years and have no complaints. Overall the staff are very helpful - some being especially competent. All the rooms are good , clean and comfortable - obviously some will have a better view than others. Great for walks on the beach and general relaxation. Food and service in restaurant is good. Good base for touring and good value for money. Would recommend and will return.

Loved it!

by TripAdvisor Member Missgotty

My boyfriend and I stayed at Inchydoney Hotel from the 27th to 29th May. We loved it. We stayed in room 319 which had a great view and was very clean and quite spacious. We enjoyed the spa which was invigorating, but the gym was very small. The staff at the hotel were very friendly and eager to please. The breakfast was good and the dinner was ok but was very expensive at 60 euros per person. However, a nice local man recommended Richy's Bistro in the town centre. The food was amazing (I would recommend the beef and sticky toffee pudding).
We would definitely go back there for a relaxing break again.

Beautiful Location, but overpriced

by TripAdvisor Member JD248

We went to Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa for a friends wedding in June 2006. While the location of the hotel is beautiful, the beach is spotless and so picturesque, and surprisingly hardly anyone was ever on it. My fiance and I both felt that the hotel was overpriced, we have both been to Ireland numerous times over the past 10 years, and realize the cost of everything in Ireland has gone up substantially. We just didn't feel like we got what we paid for. The rooms were clean, but pretty average and not that big. The bar downstairs had great food and drinks, but very expensive. Our friends who got married there were very impressed with the service they recieved and said everything was well attended to. Overall we had a great time, but felt that the hotel was overpriced for what it was.

Grossly overpriced and disappointing - fails to meet expectations

by TripAdvisor Member Paddymacca

We stayed at Inchadoney recently for a wedding. Frankly, having gotten feedback from others, our expectations weren't that high...and unfortunately, even our low expectations weren't met! The hotel looks to have been designed by a poorly qualified draftsman - neither the exterior nor the interior have an ounce of charm. Inside, it has a windswept feel and outside, a coat of paint is very definitely past due! The overall feel of the hotel is shabby and charmless. Many of the carpets are stained or threadbare and in places, there gaps between connecting parts. The managerial staff were less pleasant than the regular staff. The room was very disappointing, with the bathroom particularly so...unbranded shampoo and hair gel pinned to the wall (presumably to prevent one taking any home), orange wall tiles not matching terracotta floor tiles, re-usable plastic slippers. The decor in the room was dated and the curtains were not lined, which meant that light poored in in the morning. The bar is something of a shambles - there's a dirty looking plastic "fake" pirate plonked against the bar counter - something one would expect in Butlins, not in a hotel masquerading itself as a luxury retreat. This hotel is expensive and atypically for Ireland, they add a 10% service charge to everything - even the room charge itself! This hotel is more typical of what one used to get several years ago, when there was a shortage of hotels - over priced with little enough in the way of charm or service. Most hotels in Ireland have long since gotten their act together, but this place seems to be trading off the fact that a well known political party had a love-in there about 5 years ago! It needs serious investment before it could describe itself at anything approaching a luxury hotel. The only redeeming features were the view (which of course is free!) and the food, which, in fairness, was very good. I wouldn't recommend a stay here under any circumstances.

previous reviews very harsh

by TripAdvisor Member Degge

I thought I would weigh into the debate about this hotel, as I almost cancelled when I read some of the previous reviews. I am so glad I didn't I would have missed out on a very pleasant experience. I thought the hotel was welcoming, I asked for as late checkout and had no problem. I was there on my own , and as a woman i never felt awkward, and the staff were polite and charming. The hotel is beautifully situated. The entrance is modern , large and fine! The rooms are largish, although nothing terrifically special, although i did like the fruit, and the fruit that is laid out in the corridors. There are certain things that are a matter of design, the orange tiles for instance, and the attached shower gel, and the siting of the spa near the function rooms . Although it was not an issue while I was there, I could see that there could be some suprising intermingling! But they cant do anything about the basic design
And the wooden figure in the bar is supposed to be humorous!...it didnt offend me at all. The food was good, and the spa staff and treatments were fine
However, and the management should take notice of this. I do agree that the carpet should be replaced...NOW....it looks to me that some ongoing daily maintenance has not been done, and it needs to fast. The hotel needs to get an independant person to go round and point out all the detailed things that need to be fixed and fast, or all the hard work of the staff will come to nought!

And I'll Give You A Home By The Sea

by WhispersWest

"Flowers Blooming, Crashing Waves, Great Beaches!"

Clonakilty is a seaside town in the west of County Cork. You owe it to yourself to slow down and stop for a few days. You will find this to be one of the most beautiful spots. There are beautifully restored old stone buildings which house an electric mix of libraries, pubs, craft shops, delicatessens and all kinds of interesting shopping. In may when everything is in bloom, Clonakilty's flower displays are outstanding.

Clonakilty is known as the beach centre of West Cork. It is the perfect location from which to explore further afield. You have the blue flag beaches of Inchydoney Island to Red Strand, Dunworley and numerous hidden coves from which to choose. There is plenty of safe swimming, surfing, onshore fishing or just relaxing and taking a bit of sun.

The range of accommodation in Clonakilty and the surrounding area is extremely wide and there is something to suit everyone's tastes.