It is a lovely castle, but the interior needs a lot of work. If you want a nice tidy, clean hotel, skip this and go for something else. If you want a very unique experience in a castle that has a lot of history but still needs a lot of work this is the place to stay. The bedroom was very nice, but awfully cold as we stayed in early March, although the heated blanket on the bed was a nice surprise. The main room downstairs was warm by the fire, and Michael had seats ready for us by the fire. When we arrived we took Michael into town, he got us pizza to take out and bring back to the castle. We had a nice night chatting about Ireland and the castle history, and he even provided us with some wine. Michael is a very nice man, full of knowledge and spunk. It is clear he loves the castle and all the work he puts into it. There were stacks of books and old antiques everywhere that he had collected. He took us on a tour of the castle and grounds in the morning, it was lovely. If you want an experience like no other I would highly recommend staying at Castle Ellen house.