The Europe Hotel in Killarney has long been associated with luxury. Surrounded by the stunning Lakes of Killarney it is easy to see why. I had always wanted to stay there and I was thrilled when the hubby surprised me with an overnight for my birthday. The package we booked was called The Europe Hotel Experience. It included one nights bed and breakfast, one evening meal and a 50 minute spa treatment each. We checked in at 1pm and headed straight for our spa treatments. How did we get on?
ESPA At The Europe Hotel
On arrival at the spa we were greeted warmly by the staff and given a consultation form to complete. We were introduced to our therapists and brought to our treatment rooms. The décor of the spa was absolutely stunning. The rooms felt luxurious. After deciding on an aromatherapy oil that best suited my needs, I changed and my massage began. It was heaven. My therapist left me feeling relaxed and my aching muscles were eased! One of my favourite massages so far. Afterwards, I was shown to the thermal suite and relaxation area. I enjoyed the most delicious sorbet with freeze dried raspberries.
Again, it was aesthetically stunning with views onto the lakes. Sauna, steam room, outdoor hot tub, everything you could need to relax and unwind. My only critique is that they separate male and females. Hubby was in a different area so we couldn’t enjoy it together. We instead had to leave the spa and go down stairs to the main hotel pool and hot tub. A small critique I know but one I had to mention as it was a couples break away. The main pool is beautiful though with an indoor and outdoor hot tub.
The Europe Hotel: Bedrooms
We booked a deluxe lake lakeview room for our stay. The room had a balcony with beautiful views over the mountains and lakes. It had all that you would expect from a five star hotel including mini bar, robes, slippers, tea, coffee, water and chocolates. The room was clean and had plenty of space. A bath and rainforest shower in the en suite. My only negative about the room is that there was no air conditioning/temperature control which I feel a 5 star hotel should have. While the bed was comfortable, it was difficult to sleep as it got quite hot. The was an electric fan on the desk in the room but again, it is not something I would expect of a 5 star hotel. We did enjoy the room. The balcony was perfect for pre-dinner drinks and it was relaxing.
The Food At The Europe Hotel
We had planned on enjoying our spa treatments and then heading to our room to continue relaxing. Perhaps order some room service and have some drinks. However, our room was not ready after we had finished in the spa. Despite the 3pm check in time given, we found ourselves having to get dressed and head to the hotel bar in search of food. It was 4.15 before we could eventually go to our room which was disappointing. It interrupted the whole relaxation experience although the food slightly made up for it. I had really fresh delicious crab claws and Hubby enjoyed scampi. 10/10 for lunch and not as expensive as you might think. The mojito was top notch too. With over an hour to kill I enjoyed a few!
Dinner was a fine dining experience. Without this post turning into a whinge fest, we were also delayed having dinner. It was booked for 7.30pm but as we were getting ready we realized one of my bags was not in the room. We rang reception earlier and had been informed that it would be with us shortly. Long story short, the bag was lost, then found and finally turned up in our room at 8.40pm. We finally got to dinner after 9.10pm.It was worth the wait. Each course was delicious! I couldn’t fault it!
Final Thoughts
The Europe Hotel is absolutely stunning. The décor is amazing. The food was faultless. The spa is well worth a visit and I will be returning. The rooms were extremely comfortable with breath taking views. Despite the few hiccups we had a lovely night away. The manager was very apologetic and professional to give credit where it is due. You can check out the available rates and packages HERE.
Louise x