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Ballymaloe House Hotel

A little drop of Irish heaven, for foodies and discerning travellers, in East Cork

Underneath an established web of wisteria is Ballymaloe House Hotel. This country retreat invites you to step away from metropolitan life and immerse yourself in 300 acres of working farmland, woodland walks, and kitchen gardens. Just a stone’s throw from the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School, this secluded getaway is perfect for food lovers – or those looking to simply rest, reconnect with nature, and explore some of Ireland’s most beautiful open spaces.

Rest your head in bedrooms filled with character for total immersion into serenity. Each space ties together opulent furnishings and seasonal fresh flowers, bringing the aromas of the garden inside. Throw open the windows and take in views of the rolling countryside. Or, for those in a superior garden room, relax on your private terrace overlooking the Ballymaloe pond. Those grounds inspire the food served at Ballymaloe House Hotel – dubbed the birthplace of modern Irish cuisine. Each day brings a different menu that celebrates fresh produce from the hotel’s walled garden and farm. Between meals, unwind with a yoga class, dip into the outdoor pool (during the summer months), or take the hotel bicycles for a spin.  There’s even a croquet lawn out front, and plenty of relaxing spaces inside to enjoy some peace and tranquillity.
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While the hotel is wonderfully ‘away from it all’, you’ll never be short of things to do. Take a trip to the wine cellar, browse designer Irish crafts at The Ballymaloe Shop, throw on some wellies, and explore the hotel grounds. Afterwards, pop to the café for an indulgent homemade cake. Further afield, Cork city is a short journey away from Ballymaloe House Hotel, where you can visit The English Market, The Butter Museum, tour the City Gaol and star-shaped Elizabeth Fort, or simply mooch around the shops.

Enjoy your stay!


32 Rooms |  3 Floors |  2 Restaurants | 

4.6 /5

884 reviews

Considerate

Considerate Collection

Fine

Fine Dining

Historic

Historic Hotel

Country

Country House Hotel

Considerate Collection

Actively sustainable luxury hotels

SLH Considerate Collection

Environmentally Conscious

For over half a century, the agriculturally-minded Allen family has continued to research and embrace green initiatives at Ballymaloe House. In 2004, the farm planted 5,300 ash trees on the estate as part of its annual tree-planting plan, which now equates to over 1,000 tonnes of carbon stored, in addition to creating clear and carefully maintained nature walks, sponsoring BirdWatch Ireland’s ‘Irish Garden Bird Survey’, and designating much of the land for rewilding with bird and bat boxes throughout its woodland. Guests can join the groundsman Tobias Pedersen for complimentary weekly biodiversity tours, while making use of the hotel’s two EV car chargers and bicycles to explore. Thanks to the recently installed solar panels on the roofs of existing farm buildings (which have saved the estate an average of 1.4 tonnes of carbon per week), and the third biomass boiler which is fed on straw bales grown on the Ballymaloe Farm, the heating and hot water for the house, farm, grainstore, and cottages is almost entirely managed off-grid. This boiler also heats the outdoor swimming pool in the summer months and dries around 2,000 tonnes of grain for the farm annually.

SLH Considerate Collection

Cultural Custodians

Great care is taken to maintain Ballymaloe House sympathetically with its longstanding history, as the original castle dates back to 1440 - ongoing restoration works and decoration updates are in keeping with the building’s historic architecture while supporting contemporary Irish artists. The Allen family’s art collection is displayed throughout Ballymaloe House – many of the works come with cultural descriptions – and the annual outdoor Irish Sculpture Exhibition is hosted in the Ballymaloe grounds each July-August with over 40 spectacular pieces. Local products are sold in the on-site Ballymaloe Craft Shop and Café, and each November the annual Ballymaloe Craft Fair signals the official start of local Christmas shopping – with over 150 stalls showcasing Ireland’s best artisans. Guests can tap along to live traditional music on Thursday and Saturday evenings in the Drawing Room with local musicians and Rory Allen (the son of the founders, Myrtle and Ivan), and enjoy a range of musical, theatrical, art, and film festivals hosted at the Ballymaloe Grainstore, a converted 17th century farmyard building which is now one of Ireland’s most versatile cultural venues.

SLH Considerate Collection

Community Minded

Ballymaloe House has always looked to the local community for its staff, and is proud to have generations of families working and developing their skills under the Ballymaloe banner. Much of the produce is grown on the Ballymaloe farm to keep food miles to a minimum – including salad, herbs, edible flowers, and seasonal fruit and vegetables – butter for the tables comes from the dairy at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, which makes its own apple juice, cider, and gin with handpicked botanicals from the walled garden, while water drawn from the estate’s well is served in reusable glass bottles, and yet the hotel still supports local suppliers where possible. Fish is sustainably sourced from the ‘day boats’ in the nearby fishing village of Ballycotton, and many of the serving dishes are made by local potter Stephen Pearce. Locals are encouraged to forage for the estate (one supplier single-handedly provides the pastry kitchen with all its blackberries), and are also called upon as guides for guests to experience nearby attractions, from lighthouse visits and fishing excursions with Ballycotton Sea Adventures, to whiskey tasting and distillery tours at The Jameson Experience.

Ballymaloe House Hotel

Meanwhile, down on the farm…

The chefs at Ballymaloe House Hotel don’t have to go far to source fresh, seasonal ingredients. What they don’t grow or produce themselves, they source from neighbouring farms and producers, and small fishing boats at Ballycotton deliver just-caught fish. Edible flowers, hearty vegetables, and fragrant herbs bloom in the hotel’s very own walled garden. Flowers grown here adorn the bedrooms, dining tables and common areas of the house. 

 

Our rooms

Cosy Classic Room


Sleeps 2
Queen
Please enter dates to check availability

Heritage Room


Sleeps 2
Queen
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Classic Courtyard Room


Sleeps 2
King
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Classic House Room


Sleeps 2
King
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Superior Heritage Room


Sleeps 2
King
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Superior Courtyard Room


Sleeps 2
King
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Suite


Sleeps 2
King
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show all

Ratings

Quality Assured

Mystery Inspected

Global Rating

4.6 /5

4.6

884 reviews

SLH Club Rating

5 /5
4.5 /5
Tripadvisor score 4.5

4.5

611 reviews

SLH Club Reviews

100 %

of reviewers would recommend this hotel


5

general atmosphere of being at home, the pool and the grounds

We loved the breakfast

By Cecily Aug ’24 Trip Type Family


5

We loved the hotel, the food, the staff and the property.

The hotel is marvellously appointed and decorated. We loved having a drink in the drawing room before dinner, and then having a wonderful experience dining.

By Michael Jun ’24 Trip Type Couple


5

superb food & hospitality

Staff members were attentive and helpful with requests. My husband needed one last taste of a food he had tried the night before and they indulged him the next morning after breakfast. They define hospitality!

By Kelly Jun ’24 Trip Type Business


Ballymaloe House Hotel, Ireland

5

(based on 4 reviews)

100 %

of reviewers would recommend this hotel


5

general atmosphere of being at home, the pool and the grounds

We loved the breakfast

By Cecily Aug ’24 Trip Type Family


5

We loved the hotel, the food, the staff and the property.

The hotel is marvellously appointed and decorated. We loved having a drink in the drawing room before dinner, and then having a wonderful experience dining.

By Michael Jun ’24 Trip Type Couple


5

superb food & hospitality

Staff members were attentive and helpful with requests. My husband needed one last taste of a food he had tried the night before and they indulged him the next morning after breakfast. They define hospitality!

By Kelly Jun ’24 Trip Type Business


5

such a special place

I can't say enough good things about Ballymaloe. from check-in to check-out everyone was so kind and warm. the grounds are nothing short of incredible - this place is pure magic. you HAVE to dine at the restaurant for dinner - and make sure to save room for the dessert trolley.

By Margarette Oct ’23 Trip Type Couple


Key Features

Outdoor
Outdoor pool
Tennis
Tennis court
Restaurant
Restaurant
Room
Room service
Free
Free parking
Free
Free Wi-Fi

All Hotel Features and Services

  • Bell staff/porter
  • Doctor on call
  • Dry cleaning
  • Turndown service
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Pool
  • Wedding services
  • Accessible parking

All Hotel Features and Services

  • Bell staff/porter
  • Doctor on call
  • Dry cleaning
  • Turndown service
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Pool
  • Wedding services
  • Accessible parking
  • 24-hour security
  • Bar
  • Family friendly
  • Fire safety compliant
  • Electric Car Charging
  • Full service housekeeping
  • 24-hour front desk
  • Security
  • Restaurant
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi in public areas
  • Room service
  • Room service - limited hours
  • Pool
  • Outdoor pool
  • Tennis court
  • Pets not allowed

Food And Drinks

Ballymaloe House Hotel’s known as the birthplace of modern Irish cuisine, with food being its beating heart; taking farm-to-table seasonal dining seriously. Head Chef Dervilla O’Flynn changes the five-course dinner menu daily based on the gardens’ seasonal produce or what comes in from the hotel’s network of local suppliers. You can visit the walled garden to see what’s in season and the hens and pigs that call the hotel grounds home. Ballymaloe’s World Restaurant Award-winning dessert trolley is Ballymaloe’s luxurious answer to sugar cravings, a little of everything off the trolley is encouraged. A lighter Conservatory lunch is available mid-week and on Saturdays.
 

The Yeats Room Restaurant

Served Meals: Breakfast, Dinner The restaurant at Ballymaloe House is divided into 7 individual dining rooms. The main room being The Yeats room which looks out onto the front terrace- croquet lawn and farm beyond. Each dining room has a unique ambiance in a variety of sizes and individual views.

The Conservatory

Served Meals: Lunch The Conservatory at the back of the house looks over the Ballymaloe lake and gardens. Here guests are offered a lighter lunch option mid-week and on Saturdays.

Location of your stay

Hotel Address

Ballymaloe House Hotel

Ballymaloe House

Ballymaloe

Shanagarry

P25 YO70

Ireland

Check in:

1500

Check out:

1200

What3words location:

loosely.cityscape.mopeds

Where is it?

35 kms to airport Cork

286 kms to airport Dublin

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