Guest User
May 19, 2025
We were informed 24 hours before arrival that there was a private wedding at the castle and we would have no access to the restaurants, bar, or other amenities in the castle the entire duration of our visit (Thursday - Saturday). We couldn’t go inside or even close to it, not even to check-in. We couldn’t cancel the reservation due to the 72-hour cancellation policy. The terms and conditions says that access to the castle may be restricted due to private events, however we weren’t informed at time of booking and were only informed by email 24 hours before arrival. When we booked our stay, we thought we would dine inside the castle for breakfast and enjoy the bar in the evenings. We only had access to the golf club which didn’t even have good food. Also, the self-service cottage was gross and dirty, smelled like old grease, and didn’t have what I would consider “basic essentials” (no shampoo or conditioner, no drinking water, no ice trays to make ice, no wine opener…). At check-out I complained about the lack of informing us at booking or before the cancellation window that we wouldn’t have access to the main attraction of the resort, the castle which is why people stay there, and they didn’t provide an apology or explanation as to why we weren’t informed at time or booking or at least 72 hours before arrival. The manager on duty said she couldn’t get in touch with her boss and that she would call us back about a potential partial refund. We never got a call back and haven’t heard from them since. Do not stay at the Waterford Castle Hotel and Resort unless they can 100% guarantee you will have access to the castle and the amenities within the castle… NOTHING else on the property is worth the stay! Recommendation for the Hotel and Resort: tell your guest AT TIME OF BOOKING that there is a private event so they have time to cancel and book elsewhere in Waterford.