Faithlegg House Hotel
Scenic setting with spa treatments and tasty fare in Co. Waterford
I’ve learned that for the popular spa hotels you need to book months in advance for a weekend slot. We wanted somewhere that we didn’t have to travel too far to. The brother-in-law’s contact suggested Faithlegg House Hotel, just outside Waterford city. It’s marketed primarily as a golfing destination, but does have a short menu of health and beauty treatments. So we booked a couple of treatments for the Saturday afternoon (the only time available given the three weeks notice).
First impressions of the hotel were of a solid, traditional country house. The rooms weren’t large but were comfortable and anyway we spent little time in them.
On Friday evening we ate in the bar which had a limited menu. The food was only OK, we horsed it down anyway being the refined laydees that we are. The bar staff were lovely, helpful and smiley.
On Saturday afternoon we had a quick dip in the large jacuzzi before our treatments were scheduled, which got us in the relaxation mode. I’d an Indian Head massage which was terrific, especially since I’d had a migraine the day before. After the session I just wanted to nod off I was sooo relaxed, instead I went for a Black Mud Treatment which involved a body exfoliation and mud mask, followed by a gentle massage, lovely! We all agreed that our therapists had been friendly, personable, only chatted as much as you wanted, and did a great job. Unusually, they were all local women.
On the Saturday night we ate in the main restaurant, the Roseville Rooms, great atmosphere, the place was busy and buzzin’ with golfers and small family groups. For starters: the two sisters had a fresh green apple, asparagus, avocado salad, with sun blushed tomato which they found different and delicious. I had seafood chowder which had large chunks of salmon, and a few mussels, in a creamy rich soup. It was a little too much for me as a starter. For mains: three of us had the pan-fried hake on white cabbage and a selection of veg, the hake was firm and flavoursome, and our plates were cleared. Fillet of beef was had by sister number three and it was cooked exactly as ordered and duly polished off. Desserts weren’t overly memorable but tasty nevertheless, ice cream, mango bavarois, and chocolate parfait.
Unfortunately on both Friday and Saturday evenings the cappuccinos and my espresso, which I think came from the bar, arrived lukewarm at best.
Service in the restaurant was exceptional, the front of house manager kept a sharp eye on all activities throughout the restaurant. Cleared plates weren’t allowed to stay on table for long, wine and water were regularly topped up, and as each course was delivered to the table she was unobtrusively in the background waiting for our reaction to the first mouthfuls, only then moving on. Worth her weight in gold I’d say.
Overall, we had a relaxing weekend with lots of laughs, helped by the friendly, efficient service we received and the plentiful and tasty food.
Rated /5 on Oct 22 2007 by famron
Rate this review or write your own at LouderVoice
0 comments:
Post a Comment