Wexford, a Viking town in the south-east of Ireland, has always been a favourite of ours and we spent a pleasant few days there recently. We stayed at The Ferrycarraig Hotel about four kilometres outside the town centre.
The Ferrycarraig Hotel
We booked our hotel through a discount online site and it seemed to be a good deal. The hotel is beautifully situated on the River Slaney and when Graham phoned a few weeks earlier to book dinner in their restaurant, he also asked that we could have a room with a view of the river. We were informed that all the rooms had a view. Brilliant, we thought.
To say we were disappointed with the room we were initially given would be an understatement. It was on the ground floor, it was dark and had a damp smell (the sun was shining) and there was a view if you craned your neck and hung out the window.
GG is not good at complaining and I don’t normally bother unless I am really annoyed. Up I went down the long corridor and up the lift to reception at level 3, ready to have an argument.
SETTING THE SCENE
ME: Hello, I am not happy with my room…… details as above.
LOVELY RECEPTIONIST: Well let me see if I have another. Yes, we have one on the 4th floor. Would you like to have a look?
I did and what a difference 3 floors make. The room was much bigger, bright, with more furniture and had a spacious balcony.
We moved up.
FOOD
Breakfast
It was good, what you would expect in an establishment like this, nice breads, fresh fruits, pre-cooked bacon etc in those large dishes. However, there was no opportunity to order freshly cooked omelettes etc. which I would expect in a 4-star hotel.
Dinner
What a pleasant surprise. Dinner in Reed’s Restaurant was exceptional. Graham and I sat looking out at the Slaney (must be beautiful in the summer) and ate from the table d’hote menu. Beautifully presented, delicious food delighted the taste buds. This was better food than many top restaurants and at a reasonable €40 for a 3-course meal.
So yes, Ferrycarraig redeemed itself.
The Best of the Rest
We had dinner at this restaurant in the heart of Wexford town on night two. The food was good, the service friendly and the toilets were unusual (to say the least), with tiling that could have featured in Alice in Wonderland. Definitely worth a visit.
Graham could not resist one of their speciality desserts – Chocolate Cola Cake with Salted Caramel Gelato (below)
Trimmer’s Lane Cafe
We had delicious coffee and scones in this very popular and busy cafe.
A lunch of soup and beautiful breads in the restaurant adjoining their delicatessen was delicious.
We had unseasonably sunny weather in February and walked everywhere. The walk along the stunning harbour watching the seagulls and the fishing boats was uplifting and we also enjoyed wandering around the lovely winding streets in Wexford town.
The lovely beach at Curracloe is worth a walk and we have taken the very scenic drive to Hook Head before. The day we were leaving there was a traditional music festival beginning. Of course, The Wexford Opera Festival is one of the highlights of the year and a very busy time for the local hotels and restaurants.
One of the highlights of our visit this time was a morning spent in The National Heritage Park and the post will be up soon.
So, would I return to The FerryCarraig? Yes, but I would book through the hotel next time. I discovered that they do pretty good deals, particularly off-season. It is possible that when you book through a discount site (like we did) that you do not get the best rooms.
I have learned by my mistake. Don’t make the same one. But yes, I would return to Wexford and the Ferrycarraig again.
How neat Hilda. So interesting hearing it was a Viking town ( I love Viking history) When I began reading, I thought oh no! The room did sound dissapointing at first! I would have done the same thing! So glad you got another with a view and the dinner looks quite good, along with the dessert. Thanks for the intro to this area!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Thanks Jess. It is a lovely place to visit.. and I was glad I did not suffer in silence…
I love to stay in hotels. The food looks amazing, and weren’t you happy to complain about the room!
True Nancy and now I know to book through the hotels next time. The deals are actually better.
It looks a lovely place Hilda. Never been to Wexford. I read the other day that it’s always cheaper to book direct with a hotel, although most people go to discount sites.
Yes… I know NOW….learned my lesson.xxx
So glad you spoke up quickly. It’s a great tip to deal with the hotel directly. And oh my, those desserts look delicious.
xoxord
Rosemary
Thanks Rosemary… I have learned my lesson…
Hilda,
I love reading about your vacations and what you saw and did.
So happy you were strong enough to ask for a better room.
I am surprised that it was a Viking town! Now I have to do some research on history!
I’m off to Barcelona next week and wish you were just a hop skip and a jump away so that we could meet up!
Hugs,
Robin
https://helloim50ish.com
Ah thanks Robin. We are heading to Lisbon in two weeks for a few days. Have a wonderful holiday. I love Barcelona, but watch your bag!
Wexford looks like a really interesting place to visit! I’m always interested in Viking history so I look forward to hearing more about that! Too bad about your initial room at the hotel – I’ve found that complaining nicely does wonders, too 🙂
Lovely read Hilda, your whole experience sounds familiar, so please you got it sorted! The food looks amazing too – just what’s need for a special weekend away. Jacqui Mummabstylish
Thanks Jacqui. Yes booking directly next time.
Good lesson to share with us about booking directly with the hotel. I used to think I was getting such good deals by going through discount sites, also, but learned I can get the same deals calling direct. Good marketing tactics from those discount sites… lol. I would have done the same thing if I was disappointed with the room, so I’m on team Hilda. I bet your husband was thankful after you moved up too. 🙂 You have great photos. I’m curious what you use to capture them?
Thanks Melanie….learned a lesson indeed.
Oh and a Canon camera and a Samsung phone. My phone takes amazing photos.