Push the boat out – for three grand a night!
The newly restored boathouse at Ashford Castle may well be the third most expensive hotel room in the country.
The last piece in the puzzle of the restoration project at the five-star hotel in Cong on the Galway-Mayo border was completed in recent weeks.
The newly labelled Hideaway Cottage is commanding rates starting from an eye-popping €3,000 per night. In comparison, the cheapest room on offer in the hotel for this Saturday costs €550, but without a lake view.
Billed as a maximum privacy romantic retreat aimed at couples, it comes with a personal ‘hideaway’ assistant who is just a phone call away to tend to the guests’ every whim.
The former boathouse was restored using materials found on site such as original stones and old fireplace lintels from the castle’s estate.
With a stunning 180-degree view over Ireland’s second largest lake, entry to the cottage is via a locked gate to ensure complete privacy. It has one bedroom, an entry hall and bathroom.
It boasts French handmade parquet flooring, a blue Murano glass chandelier, with individually selected original art, antique pieces and custom-made furniture.
These include a pair of French Empire marquetry chest of draws, a four-fold European canvas screen from the early 20th Century, art by Louis Icart and a late 19th Century pair of walnut armchairs covered in tapestry by Brunschwig & Fils.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.