Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a view straight from the storybooks: Lush, green mountains line the horizon; Reaching for the overcast skies above the trees, an old church steeple is struck by beams of golden sunlight. Kenmare is lined with places to stay on every corner, and while I can’t write a review of comparison, I can easily say that Martin’s place had everything we could’ve asked for and more.
Martin is a man of good taste and we appreciated his attention to the small details. A charcuterie board of fresh Irish soda bread, cheese, and grapes was waiting for us upon our arrival. Cadbury chocolates and bottles of sparking and still water were resting pillow-side for each guest. Martin asked us if it was okay if he dropped in to say hello and we were glad we accepted.
He is warm and welcoming. He addressed any questions we had, and had a few recommendations — all of which were absolutely fantastic (do not miss Lily House and Strawberry Fields Cottage!). He did just enough of the little things to elevate a place to stay to a nice experience without being overbearing and cutting into our privacy.
The house itself was nice and meticulously clean with more than enough space for us 3 adults. The decor is undoubtedly European and comfortable, with just a hint of rustic comfort. The bedrooms, large shower, and massive windows in the kitchen sunroom were more than enough for our needs during this stay. It’s located just far away enough to be out of local tourist traffic, but close enough that you could walk to the main Kenmare strip in about 20 minutes if you really wanted to.
If you don’t need to stay in a fairytale thatch cottage, I could not recommend this place more.