A Night at Druids Glen Resort

Last week I headed to the beautiful Co.Wicklow to stay a night at the 5 star Resort & Hotel at Druids Glen. The boys stayed with their Grandparents so it was just Diarmuid, Millie and me. The weather last weekend was extraordinarily good for November and as we drew closer to Wicklow the sights were breathtaking, with trees still displaying their autumn colours. On check-in the staff were warm and welcoming and on arrival to our room a little box of Lilly O'Brien's chocolates with a lovely note welcomed us. As requested we had two queen size beds, which was the perfect arrangement for the three of us. The bedroom and bathroom was spotless and the view from the large window was spectacular.

We decided to get a cuppa before heading out for a walk. To my delight some homemade biscuits accompanied it! They were crumbly and buttery and I must say I was very impressed.

If we're ever choosing a hotel to stay with the children there is a certain criteria that is important. The size of the rooms, if there are adjoining rooms {essential when holidaying with 4 children}, a swimming pool, and if possible  a kids club and playground. Druids Glen resort ticks all of these boxes. On the grounds of the hotel was a newly built playground and it was flawless! Millie certainly enjoyed the roundabout, slides and of course the swings. I know the boys would of loved all of the activity in the hotel.
 To work around Millie's bedtime we choose to have an early dinner. To my surprise there were a large amount of families with young children. To cater for the children was a buffet-style counter which had plenty to offer to the young diners. This is a fantastic option for parents as every parent knows it's very frustrating ordering a dish for a child only for it to be dismissed on arrival to the table. Also once we ordered I could plate up Millie's dinner straight away. With so many families in the one area no parent would feel under pressure to keep the children perfectly quite while out for their meal {which is always an obviously impossible task at a restaurant}. The dining area is large enough to be segregated into two sections. Before leaving I peeped around the corner where the diners where a lot more tranquil! I haven't seen this in any other hotels but thought it a fabulous idea. I'm sure if I was dining with my older children I would choose to eat in the 'quieter' area but while dining with my younger crew I'd absolutely want to be seated in the family area. Dining out with young children can often be difficult and not because the children are particularly naughty but just because they're being children and sitting quietly for a couple of hours is really tedious to them. I loved this idea, the children are happy and the parents get to enjoy a fabulous meal in peace. Another lovely addition to the family dining was that each child received a colouring pack to utilise when their meal was over.
I must say that my absolute highlight of the hotel was the amazing food. Their new menu had just been launched and was devised in partnership with the well known chef, food-writer & cookery school proprietor, Catherine Fulvio. Local lady, Catherine is a great advocater for sourcing local ingredients and her food philosophy is one of 'farm to fork'. This was ever evident in the menu as each dish was a real showcase of the included ingredients. There was so much choice that I had difficulty picking a dish for each course.  Each dish not only tasted fantastic but was presented beautifully. As a Twitter fan I tweeted my way through the meal. It's always nice to share a few photos of a meal enjoyed with other foodies and I even received a 'Bon Appetite' tweet from Catherine herself. I can honestly say that this was the nicest meal we have had out in quite some time.

Kilmore Quey Seared Scallops with a cherry tomato & filo stack, lumpfish roe and basil dressing.

Druids Classic Caesar Salad.

Dunlavin Pork Cutlets stuffed with Fig, Apple & Hazelnut, honey mustard & thyme glaze, Chive mash, Caramelised  Apples{from their own orchard} & cider apple sauce.

Butternut Squash, Sweet Roasted Pepper & Mozzarella Wellington served with purple sprouting broccoli, toasted almonds & sundried tomato sauce.This was the nicest vegetarian dish I have ever had in a restaurant.

 Pear Poached in Saffron & white wine with ginger biscuit, chocolate sauce and Golden Hill Farm praline ice-cream.

Passion Fruit & Orange Tart with Golden Hill Farm white chocolate ice-cream.

There was a great selection of delicious foods and homemade preserves for breakfast.

The boys were well impressed when they heard that delicious pancakes were made to order.

We had to leave early on the Saturday morning, as I was attending a seminar, so we didn't get to avail of their spa or leisure facilities. These will be on the agenda for next time as both looked amazing. Neither myself or Diarmuid play golf but would be encouraged to after seeing their outstanding golf course.
When one is planning a holiday in Ireland the weather always plays such a big part however this needn't be the case if planning a trip to Druids Glen Resort. There are so many activities to do within the resort. Of course it would be a bonus if the weather was good and a walk in the stunning surroundings could be considered.
I was a guest of Host PR and Druids Glen Resort. Thank you kindly to Gillian from Host PR and the lovely staff at Druids Glen Resort who made our stay so fantastic.


 Druids Glen Resort, 
Newtownmountkennedy,
Co. Wiclow,
Ireland.
T- 00 353 1 2870800
Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/druidsglenhotel
Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/DruidsGlenResortHotel