Golden's Cove Apartments at Sneem Hotel

The deluxe balcony suite had breathtaking views, and the seaweed barrel baths were just a short stroll across the grounds. The Sneem hotel experience was even better than we expected. Absolutely stunning.

The setting and location are fantastic, and from outside the building gives a very nice first impression. Our room was large, with a comfortable bed and linens and a nice desk area, but the bathroom had a string of small problems. The faucet plating was flaking, the tile surround had big open cracks, the tub creaked when I put weight on its edge, and there were large paint runs on the inside of the door. Worst of all, every 2-3 flushes the toilet kept running, so I had to go back and press the button again. Front desk staff were kind and friendly, and check-in and checkout were quick and simple. Breakfast was more frustrating. Both days we were seated without menus and had no idea how service worked until Jose came over, apologized, explained it, brought a menu, and got our coffee. The food was good. On the second morning, the chef was arguing with who seemed to be the front of house manager and refused to cook orders, offering only the buffet. Servers and the manager kept complaining and bickering while clearing and rearranging tables. Jose was again very kind, the bright spot in the service, and thanked us for visiting. The food was still good, but staff should handle that sort of disagreement out of guests' view. Overall, a very average stay.

After a long drive, we were greeted by friendly staff, warm smiles, and an easy check-in. The quiet, cozy atmosphere helped us recharge. Dinner was gourmet, with tender meat, rich gravy, a fresh balanced salad, and tiramasu I loved. Courses arrived at just the right pace, with extras, a beautiful view, and attentive service. It's a large hotel, yet somehow feels intimate and warm, with thoughtful touches like the lobby fireplace and cold filtered water dispenser. We'd stay at The Sneem again, and for longer than one night next time.

The resort is beautiful and the location is great, but our stay fell well short of what we'd expected. We had booked a sea-view room at a higher rate, yet on arrival were told none were available. We were moved to a nicely appointed room, but it had no sea view. The hotel wouldn't adjust the price or refund the difference, even though the mistake was theirs. I eventually disputed the charge with Visa, and after I submitted documents, they reviewed the case and refunded the difference for the room category we'd paid for. A large wedding also made much of the hotel hard to use. Wedding guests and loud music took up nearly all of the bar, lounge, and balcony. Staff said the bar was still available to us, but 90-95% of the area was occupied by the wedding party. The restaurant was unavailable when we planned to have dinner because staff were cooking for and serving the wedding, so we had to walk into town to eat. We were disappointed, especially since this was the stay we'd looked forward to most on our Ireland trip and it cost a premium. The combination of getting the wrong room, no compensation from the hotel, and the disruption from the wedding made it much less enjoyable than it should have been. I hope they take feedback from guests outside large events seriously.