I only stayed at Liss Ard for one night - a very short (but much needed) weekend break in the country from a hectic week in London. I was warmly welcomed, and upgraded to a lovely, quiet and homely room is the main house. The house is a stunning country pile mixing old style grandeur (grand piano, gorgeous public rooms with roaring fires and comfy sofas) and very modern artwork and styling. There were not too many guests when I stayed so was fortunate to have the place almost to myself - very, very peaceful and just what I needed. The bedroom had plenty of space and the most comfortable bed, as well as other nice touches such as gourmet coffee.

I thoroughly enjoyed many hours strolling around the beautiful and well-marked trails in the grounds. Liss Ard provide wellies and tube socks if you need them, and bikes and kayaks if you are feeling adventurous. It was October when I visited and too cold to take kayaks out on the loch but I imagine this would be stunning in the summer.

Breakfast was delicious - all home-made and organic produce - very tasty and cooked by the friendly staff. All in all, a fantastic and very unique place. I will definitely return in the future.

We’ve just spent three brilliant days at Liss Ard. It’s a wonderful find, a little off the beaten track, in a very special part of the world. The charming estate felt like our very own temporary home with its open fires and relaxed atmosphere. The house and amazing gardens have plenty of brilliant old and, relatively, new stories to tell – the sky garden is particularly unique.
The staff were very welcoming and helpful and we found our double room reasonably priced. We also had amazing food for breakfast and dinner too (three-course dinner for about €35). It sounded too good to be true before we arrived … but it surpassed our expectations.

Lis Ard means "high fort" and in addition to an extraordinary hotel there are ruins of an old ring fort and a new geo-creation called "the Crater". The hotel is really three buildings, the Main house, an addition called the "Mews" and a Lake house. You MUST check their web site - there isn't enough space here to give the buildings and grounds their due. We stayed in the Main House which is wonderful. There are four public rooms downstairs to relax in, and six spacious, comfortable, bedrooms upstairs. We were there three nights and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Our vacation coincided with a visit by the owner and he took us on a tour of the crater at night and explained some of the history of the hotel. I am 67 years old and have stayed in many hotels. This is the BEST . Please treat yourself to a few days here, you will remember it forever.

We have just returned from Liss Ard Estate where Arthur and his team can’t do enough for you – you really get an Irish welcome and are very well looked after. The food is fantastic, ingredients are sourced locally and cooked to perfection by Cliodhna. Meeting other guests over breakfast and after dinner coffee’s is a great change from other hotel dining rooms. Dinner and breakfast is a very pleasant, relaxed affair - you will never feel rushed in Liss Ard.

The little touches like the wellies, coats and walking sticks so you can explore the extensive grounds in all sorts of weather with the maps left in your room just prove how special a place Liss Ard really is. The Sky Garden is an amazing sight even in cloudy weather!

We stayed in great comfort in the main house in the Ha Ha room which has lovely period features with a mix of contemporary and antique furnishings, the peace and quiet is wonderful with great views over the West Cork countryside.

Liss Ard is everything and more that it says on the website – we really loved it and will be spreading the word amongst all our friends, in fact we have started already! Part of me wants to keep such a wonderful place secret so it doesn’t get over run with tourists and become just like every other hotel in Ireland.

There is something magical and very special about Liss Ard that I hope will remain when it becomes one of Ireland’s top destinations which it will become if Arthur and his team continue to give guests the Liss Ard 5 star treatment.