travel
Sometimes it can be difficult to find a hotel that meets the needs of mum, dad AND the kids….but Jason Andrews and his family struck gold in Kildare…
A classic Irish welcome
Westgrove hotel in the County Kildare village of Clane, I was intrigued as to which category this one would fall into. I needn’t have worried. Located only ten
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minutes from the M4 and the M7, the four- star Westgrove provided myself and my wife Gillian and kids Ben (eleven), Rebecca (eight) and Jamie (four), with the perfect base for a long family weekend. As with many hotels in Ireland, we were
warmly welcomed to the hotel by the staff, who, I have to say, were totally accommodating to all of our individual needs throughout the weekend. Te family room was comfortable and really spacious and I found the hotel to be so well proportioned that it never felt overly busy or crammed despite the fact that it was a busy weekend. When you’re on a family holiday – albeit
that this was only a long weekend – I always like to be in close proximity to family-
friendly attractions. Long car drives full of ‘are we there yet?’ don’t make for wildly exciting family trips, so I was delighted to see that the hotel was within a half-hour drive of some of the best that Ireland’s east coast has to offer. One of the main attractions within that
‘half-hour drive’ was obviously Dublin city centre, so we were able to nip into the city to visit the zoo, which delighted the kids. I have to say though that the zoo at Tayto Park, which was also nearby, would have given it a run for its money! Local attractions apart, what I really
loved about the Westgrove was that there was so much going on in the hotel itself that you didn’t even have to venture out if you didn’t want to! As every parent will know, keeping the
kids occupied is key to a family outing and the Kids’ Club at the hotel proved to be a major hit with all three kids! Te two ladies in the Kids’ Club were excellent and even though they had quite a few kids, it was well managed, so Gillian and I were able to relax, comfortable in the knowledge that we were leaving the kids in good hands. We’ve had experiences at hotels where there’s a ‘kids’ club’ and the kids have ended up colouring in a half-empty playroom, but at the Westgrove there were scheduled activities that were all age appropriate. While the kids were at the Kids’ Club,
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there was plenty happening that appealed to Gillian and myself too. Te fact that Dublin city centre was so close meant that shopping was convenient, but we were equally taken by the nearby Kildare Shopping Village Outlet Centre. Gillian was also able to take some time out at the hotel’s spa where she enjoyed a Spa Haven Signature Lavender Head Neck and Scalp therapy and an Exotic Frangipani Body Bliss Exfoliation. Bliss indeed! Te hotel’s Leisure Club’s facilities were
excellent. As with the rest of the hotel, the staff were friendly and helpful, but I was delighted to see that the amenities were spotlessly clean. While we didn’t sign up for any of the classes – preferring instead to just do a bit of running on the treadmill - we could see that there was a good variety of classes on offer. When it came to food, it would be hard
to beat the Westgrove! Te Assaggio Restaurant was fantastic – I love Italian food – but the fact that it was served in an atmosphere that was really bright and lively just added to the ambiance. Te restaurant’s menu caters for all tastes so it was super family-friendly. Superb! Whether you’re looking for a hotel that
allows you to be out and about with the family or one that provides everything you need on site, the Westgrove Hotel ticks all of the boxes. It’s a real Kildare classic! „
ike most dads, I’ve stayed in hotels that have hit the bull’s eye and in others that have missed it by a mile, so when we pulled up at the
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