About this hotel
General information
Ballyfin Demesne is a Regency mansion from the first half of the 19th century in County Laois, and one of the finest classical houses in Ireland. It was designed by the Morrisons, a father-and-son pair of architects. Around it lies a demesne – a historic private estate of about 248 hectares with ancient woodland, an 11-hectare lake, a water cascade, fountains, a grotto, a medieval-style tower and the original gate lodges and bridges. The grounds are open to residents only.
There are 21 rooms and suites: 20 in the main house and a gardener’s cottage in the walled garden. Each is decorated in its own way, with antique furniture, marble bathrooms, 17th-century Flemish tapestries or 18th-century Chinese wallpaper. The state rooms, among them the Gold Drawing Room, the Saloon and the Library, keep their parquet floors and a collection of Irish and European paintings. The house is a Relais & Châteaux member, and its kitchen draws on the estate’s own kitchen gardens and orchards.
Location
The estate sits in County Laois at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, 6 km from the small town of Mountrath. Dublin Airport is 108 km away, about 1.5 hours by car; Shannon Airport is 132 km, about 1 hour 45 minutes. The nearest railway station, Portlaoise, is 8.5 km away. Transfers are arranged on request, and guests arriving by helicopter can land on the estate’s own helipad.
Spa
Ballyfin Spa has a 14-metre heated indoor pool, a vitality pool with hydro jets and air bubbles, a sauna, a thermal relaxation area, a gym and four treatment rooms. Therapists offer facials, massages, body and beauty treatments, tailored to each guest.
Sports & leisure
Most of the estate is given over to outdoor pursuits, with more on offer inside the house:
- garden walks, guided woodland nature walks and birdwatching;
- a tennis court and an introduction to Gaelic football and hurling;
- rowing boats, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on the lake, and coarse fishing for roach and pike with a ghillie;
- falconry, clay pigeon shooting, a 50-metre air-rifle range and archery;
- horse riding across the demesne, horse-and-carriage rides, vintage bicycles and buggies, and picnics anywhere on the grounds;
- yoga, meditation, and guided hiking and mountain biking in the Slieve Bloom Mountains;
- daily history tours of the house, an art tour, a floristry masterclass, wine and whiskey tastings in the cellar, and a period-costume photo session;
- days out: helicopter trips to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, the Wicklow Mountains, a hot-air balloon over the Boyne Valley, golf at nearby courses, a whiskey distillery, a craft brewery and historic gardens.
Restaurants & bars
Dining is built around produce from the estate’s kitchen gardens and orchards and from local suppliers:
- State Dining Room – the main restaurant in the formal dining room, with an à la carte or tasting menu and wine pairings; the evening opens with drinks in one of the state rooms;
- The Conservatory – a sunlit 19th-century glasshouse reached through a hidden door in the Library bookcase, serving lunch to residents in season;
- The Cellar Bar – a bar in the former servants’ hall hung with contemporary Irish art, with a fine collection of Irish whiskeys and a relaxed grill-style evening menu; on warm days it opens onto a courtyard garden;
- The Wine Cellar – a vaulted cellar with limestone columns for tastings and private dinners, its list including wines from fourteen Bordeaux estates founded by Irish émigrés.
Swimming
The 14-metre heated indoor pool is filled with daylight and surrounded by greenery, with a vitality pool and a relaxation area alongside.
Pets
Pets are not accepted, with the exception of guide dogs.
Rooms
21 rooms and suites: 20 in the main house, from a single room to suites with sitting rooms, plus a two-storey cottage in a corner of the walled garden. Every room has its own name and its own scheme of antiques and paintings.
Air conditioning, TV, complimentary Wi-Fi and minibar, bathrobes and slippers, hairdryer, Diptyque toiletries, a marble bathroom and complimentary laundry of up to five items a day.
Single Room
A cosy room for one guest in the former nursery, with a 135 cm double bed and a bathroom with bath and separate shower. It looks over the gardens and an old tulip tree.
Deluxe Room
Four individually decorated rooms – Flemish tapestries, pastoral toile de Jouy or hand-painted garden murals – with a king- or queen-size bed, a four-poster in one of them. Each sleeps two; some look over the gardens, the Conservatory and the cascade.
Classic Room
A mezzanine-floor room with its original corner fireplace, antique furniture and a super king-size bed. It overlooks the pleasure grounds and the cascade and sleeps two.
Stateroom
Five grand rooms, several with four-poster or canopied beds: one hung with 18th-century Chinese wallpaper, one with a marble sarcophagus bath, another opening onto a balcony above a private garden. Super king- or king-size beds (twin beds possible in some), lake or garden views; for up to two guests.
Junior Suite
Five junior suites, most with marble fireplaces, all with super king-size beds, three of them four-posters; most look out to the lake, and one is lined with bookshelves and has a small balcony over the courtyard. Each sleeps two, and some can be set up with twin beds.
Suite
A suite in the 18th-century Irish country-house style – striped silks and floral fabrics – with a separate sitting room and a four-poster super king-size bed. Views over the cascade and the Conservatory; for up to two guests.
Garden Suite
A suite at the centre of the garden front with a large bedroom, a sitting room and an original fireplace in white and Siena marble. It overlooks the pleasure grounds and the cascade; super king-size or twin beds, for up to two guests.
Stateroom Twin
A spacious half-octagon room in the quiet former kitchen wing, lit by a large Diocletian window over the courtyard and with two bathrooms. Super king-size or twin beds; for up to two guests.
Signature Suite
The largest suite in the house, with a big bow-windowed sitting room facing the fountain, the lake and the Conservatory, 18th-century Chinese wallpaper and Chinese Chippendale-style furniture. A four-poster super king-size bed; for up to two guests.
Gardeners Cottage
A detached two-storey cottage in a corner of the walled garden: a living room with two fireplaces opening onto a private terrace, a small kitchen and, upstairs, a bedroom with a balcony over the garden and two bathrooms. King-size or twin beds; for up to two guests.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.