The Glendalough Hotel

Great location and very honest staff, I complained about the food standard and the very polite waiting staff said they would bring it up with chef/management. On the way out I asked what they had said a the reply was that they didn’t care about my complaint. Clearly the hotel relies on its great location and not much more. Avoid if you can though the front line staff are ok and very polite.

There is a reason that so many of the recent reviews have been so scathing, because they are absolutely bang on the nail and everything that people have said below, was what we also experienced. In a setting like this, of such outstanding natural beauty, this is a travesty! It is something that frankly speaking, the tourist board of Ireland should step in to manage. Because that is the inherent problem here: there is no discernible management on show! The place is staffed by people who don't look much out of school and who are doing their level best in a situation of neglect and I urge anyone who still decides to stay here, please be understanding to the staff! I stayed here about 20 years ago, and it was a go to place as both a hotel and destination. But whatever has been allowed to happen to sink this place, is shocking. Every expense seems to be spared, there isn't enough staff and those that there are, clearly lack training and good management/guidance. The breakfast: the absolute worst I've had in Ireland! So, you're asked to wait to be seated and having waited quite a while, it was eventually the chef who told us: just take a seat, as he was placing cutlery out near the reception. The tables were dirty and after walking around trying to find one, we decided it would be quicker to clean one. I returned to where the cutlery was and had to re-clean them! Then the food: it felt like it was being rationed! The bread selection was running low and had run out of soda bread. My wife asked for soda bread, the server (more about her later) took the bread bin away. It took an age for it to return and when it did, the soda bread was frozen! The buffet had run out of several items, which no one had checked! So, I pointed this out to the other server and it took forever for items to come out and when they did they were oily and of really low quality. Guests were left just standing around looking bemused. The earlier server referred to, never reappeared after taking the bread bin away, because she had to go on reception and when we called over a problem with the TV, guess who came to fix it? So breakfast was manned by a poor kid who looked 15 or 16, whom no one has trained on how to prioritise. He was running to fill the buffet, clean tables, sit people, handle queries for a service of 30 people. It was so bad, I overheard one guest saying, 'I'd prefer we didn't come here!' and indeed the next day, we didn't bother going and vacated the misery early! The times we came in and out of the hotel from walks, the open area outside the bar were frequently uncleaned and dirty crockery/glasses left there for hours. Indeed on out last night as we headed out to dine elsewhere because Casey's was as nondescript and miserable as the rest of the hotel, we overheard a guest saying to a staff member, 'Could I ask where our order is, because we've been waiting over an hour now!' The room was dated. The bath tub dangerous to use as the grip on the tub is worn

A great base to explore the trails around Glendalough. Very basic accommodation though, tired hotel, someone needs to inject some care into it. Rooms basic. No atmosphere in bar. The food in Caseys was excellent definitely the best part of the stay. Breakfast was very poor, lacked choices, tinned peaches and pears were the only fruit options. No 'healthy' breakfast choices at all. No brown sauce in the whole hotel - seriously! This hotel needs to be updated and brought up to modern standards, but just to get the head down and move on the next day it's ok.

So disappointed with our recent stay here. Breakfast was by far the worst we’ve ever had looked to be no management present at all. Such a shame for a hotel situated in the most picturesque place in the country. Met a lovely receptionist and barman just to mention.

Dropped into the Glendalough hotel yesterday afternoon after exploring the area. We were seated very promptly and given menus. The bar & restaurant was very quiet with just a handful of people. Left waiting for approximately 25 minutes while 3 or 4 different waitresses passed us by. Eventually I went to the bar and asked if someone could take our order. The food was awful! I ordered pan-fried chicken wrapped in bacon, what I got was bland oven cooked chicken with a bit of bacon thrown in, It was cold , tasteless and lacked any seasoning or flavouring. My partner's fishpie was mostly mashed potatoe with a handful of fish mixed in. My daughter's food wasn't much better...overcooked chicken goujons! Really disappointing experience and definitely overpriced for what you get. Will not be returning. This hotel could definitely look at improving their standards, such a beautiful location with many visitors coming and going, it should have lots of potential. Unfortunately failed in the food for us.

No curtains in room so no way to block light out. Management claims there are blinds in the rooms but this is not true. No instant hot water - was told water has to run for at least 15 minutes before it gets hot. Electrical sockets in room don't work properly. Outdated decor and old furniture. Not overly clean