The penultimate stop to the tour landed us in the south of Ireland in Cork with a stay at The Montenotte, situated above the river and city center. Upon arriving, we were both pretty enamored with the hotel instantly and saw a lot of potential. The common areas were elegant, yet playful, the cocktail bar, “The Glasshouse” was just as equally as grown-up fun with it’s chic wood burning outdoor fireplace and kind bartenders, and the pool and spa were just gorgeous and blissfully clean and well-kept.

While there were no real issues with the property, after much discussing of the more minor ones, we decided we wouldn’t stay here again for the price. The hotel is just on the cusp of something really special and has the makings and the staff to do so, they just need to ensure that all of there little extras are functioning well. For us it was the cancellation of the evening’s film with no communication and after it was sold to us at check-in (and we then planned around it) that was disappointing. As was the poor breakfast service, though the food was delicious. The room was was well appointed but very warm and with poor shower pressure and always set amongst a group of gossiping housekeepers that made it a bit uncomfortable to enter from the gym or spa. And the location was just on the cusp of some shady characters whose threatening behavior left a poor taste. Could all of these problems be solved with a little more attention to detail and maybe a complimentary shuttle to the local dining hubs? Absolutely! Again, this is not me complaining, I really liked the boutique property and would look forward to another visit if these small things could be overcome or a price drop was in the Montenotte’s future. Cheers to your upcoming success, Montenotte! I’m rooting for you and you’re nearly there!