Beechmount is beautiful! What makes this place stand out most is the host, Paula, and her family. I’ve stayed at many rentals and B&Bs as well as AirB&B properties all over the world, and Paula is easily the best host I’ve ever encountered. Her friendliness, joyful attitude and willingness to give tips and suggestions for touring are unmatched. Her efforts to go the extra mile as a host, and her attention to the details and little extras for each guest is inspiring. While I have visited many places, this was my family’s first time in Europe and they unanimously said that Paula was the best part of their entire trip. We will all miss our visits with Paula most.
As for the property and accommodations, the photos and description are very accurate. Beechmount is beautiful but is an old property, well appointed and tastefully kept in a quaint little area centrally located and a short drive to some great little places for food and drinks. It’s also convenient to use as a base for taking day trips to the other major attractions of western Ireland.
We had four of the five rooms for my party and most of the rooms are VERY spacious in size. Each room has its own bathroom (most ensuite) but two each have a private bath just out in the hall. There are quirks with the showers and hot water but overall very good for a home built in the 1700s. The home is clean and gorgeous. The family stays in the property as well, and have their own space but let you have roam of the house and property. There are two large and comfortable common rooms for guests, and plenty of parking.
Paula and her husband, Eric, allowed us complete access to the stables and paddocks which was nice as my family is a horse family and they felt at home. They even shared information so that we could make a couple hour drive up to Ballinrobe for a race meet to watch the races and see one of their horses run.
Paula’s breakfasts were very good and she makes every effort to be as accommodating as possible. She even had fresh pastries and cookies from a bakery in town to go with the more traditional Irish breakfast items which were delicious. They were a great way to start the day.
Overall, our stay couldn’t have been better, and the Beechmount stint of our trip was the highlight. I will certainly stay at the property again if traveling back this way.