Review – Castleknock Hotel

#sponsored – whilst this is a paid review, please note that all opinions are my own.

I took a trip out to Castleknock Hotel & Country Club last Sunday as they have just completed a renovation of their ballroom. I live locally so I’m very familiar with the hotel but I never had the opportunity to see the Ballroom.

I always try to think of one word that sums up a wedding venue and one word that kept hitting me as I walked through this venue was ‘slick’. From start to finish, I felt that there was no stone left unturned. From the highly professional team, to the very tasty food and to the actual decor of the venue, it was just slick and seamless.

Let me take you through the venue.

When you arrive, you will see that the venue is surrounded by their highly acclaimed golf course. It has a wealth of greenery around it but just to be clear, it is not set on acres of woodlands . Even better, Phoenix Park is a stones throw away and with this on your door step, others can’t compete. In saying that, there are some beautiful locations on the hotel grounds to get outdoor wedding photography. There is a very cute band stand that has the golf course in the background. There is a balcony where civil ceremonies are hosted and at the right angle, you could take in a beautiful golf course back drop.

There is an outdoor patio area for your guests if the weather is dry. They have blankets on hand to wrap around you on the cold days. You can also borrow the croquet set which makes for the perfect prop for your wedding pictures.

Inside the hotel, the decor is contemporary but neutral enough to not make you feel that there is an imposing style that you must stick to. The lounge and lobby area are marble and really spacious.

I’ve had the food here on a  number of occasions and every time it is really good. I love going for afternoon tea here. The Park Restaurant has won so many awards and a lot of the food is sourced locally. The Park Restaurant is perfect for a special occasion. It would actually be ideal for your rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. It can also host small intimate weddings subject to availability.

The leisure and spa area is of course excellent. I bring my baby swimming here once a week so I can highly recommend the pool. It is actually very hard to find a hotel in Dublin that has a pool. No doubt your guests will appreciate it during their stay. The spa is very relaxing. It is going to be revamped next year and I cannot wait to see what it evolves to.

On the day that I was there, the wedding team were hosting a wedding show case. The room was set up for a wedding and I have to say, it looked fantastic. The room was decorated by Frog Prince and they did an amazing job. The new colour scheme of the room is very neutral and light. It was so refreshing to go in to a ballroom that didn’t have red carpet to hide stains.

The hotel really understand the decor expectations that brides and grooms now have and their packages really meet their needs. You can have gorgeous cherry blossom tree’s as centrepieces or impressive crystal candle holders.

I have a thing about linen, anyone that ever worked with me on photo shoots will back this up. I hate when linen doesn’t reach to the ground and you can see the legs of the chairs. Of course Castleknock Hotel didn’t disappoint and had beautiful champagne coloured linen falling right to the ground.

Behind the top table is a fairy-light backdrop. You can have gorgeous vintage pieces added such as a white wash vintage bird cage.

To right of the ballroom you will see an area draped but in the evening, the drapes pull back and voila, you have your dance area. I love this as your guests don’t have to move from their table. There is also a bigger bar as we all know that the bar gets busier after the meal. I thought that this was a very clever way of doing things. It just makes the flow of your day very easy.

There are several packages with different elements within it and prices start from approx €65 per person, which is excellent for a four star venue in a stunning location in Dublin. I had to try the canapés……of course! Every platter of canapés that I saw leave the kitchen were like mini masterpieces. The drinks reception was not the norm. Whilst you can do a Champagne / Prosecco reception,  you can try their newly introduced ‘Cocktails in Kilner Jars’.

You can have a civil ceremony in the hotel. Their civil ceremony room is surrounded by windows and overlooks the golf course. It is really bright and intimate.

The guest bedrooms are really tastefully decorated and the beds are huge. The Bridal Suite is very spacious. When you walk in you have a lounge area with view of the golf course. The four poster bed is impressive and is a real feature to the room. It is actually a gorgeous room for your preparation pictures before the ceremony. There is also plenty of room if you were getting your hair and make up done there.

After meeting most of the wedding team, its pretty clear that you are in safe hands. As mentioned before, I found the team to be really professional and polished but warm with that. Sometimes if teams are over professional, they can feel a little cold but in Castleknock you feel at ease and part of the team.

Now….. here are my pictures!