Fota Island - Birthday Weekend

Fota 5 Star Resort

For my birthday my boyfriend took me to the amazing Fota Island Resort. It was the most amazing trip and I loved every second of it, and I already cannot wait to go back. Honestly I was blown away from the second we arrived. The whole resort is stunning from beautiful gardens to breathtaking views, it really was one of the most lovely locations I've ever stayed in.

How beautiful is this entrance?

Stay

The Fota Island hotel has numerous options to choose from. We stayed in one of the deluxe rooms. The room was beyond comfortable, and so spacious. It had a balcony with a view of the forest behind, I loved having a coffee of a glass of prosecco out there because we got blessed with good weather, 18 degrees in Cork who would have thought?...I don't want to jinx it but we have been so lucky weather wise on all our trips this year, so it really added to the experience. The gardens looked so beautiful in the sun.

This was our bedroom

The mini-fridge in the room was filled with chocolate, marshmallows and pink lemonade, what a lovely touch and the staff were so quick to make sure we had everything we needed. Each room is equipped with rain showers, I love these so much they are so relaxing, especially if you're one for long showers.

We went for a stroll around the grounds on our second day and I saw the lodges that the resort offer. They are so luxurious and huge. I honestly thought I had taken a wrong turn to a housing estate. They are insane, I think if you had a big family it would be so comfortable to rent one of these instead. And they have so much green areas for kids to play it's unbelievable.

Eat

Breakfast

Breakfast runs from i think 7-10am each morning. It is unbelievable if you are staying in the hotel make sure and get up for it! Breakfast is served in the main restaurant and it's a buffet style, but not like any average hotel you've stayed in. There's areas for cereal, yogurts, granola, fruit, breads, pastries. If you're in the mood for something less healthy there's an area of hot food i.e. sausages, pudding, tomatoes etc. There was a separate area altogether where eggs were cooked freshly, whatever way you wanted them. Want fried eggs? No problem, want them soft, medium or hard boiled? The choice is yours. That's not even all every morning there was pancakes with nutella and marshmallows etc. Or if you still felt that none of that suited you there was a menu you could order eggs benedict, french toast or waffles. Some room deals even offer complimentary breakfast too!

Dinner

I am such a foodie. Good food is a make or break for me in a situation. Our first night we got so distracted having a couple drinks that we didn't realise what time it was, we went to the bar but they had stopped serving at 9pm, we were only lucky the restaurant served until 9.30 because we lost so much track of time! The restaurant is a complete fine dining experience, we were actually the only ones eating at that time as they were about to close but it was nice to have the place to ourselves. We both ordered fish cakes to start and to follow I got the gnocchi. The food was served so quickly and it really was delicious, you could literally taste the difference eating in such a highly rated place. Normally when I order gnocchi it's quite chewy but it was completely potato based here, which is how it's really supposed to be. For a desert I got the lemon meringue pie. To be honest the deserts were my favourite part, they were incredible I am still full thinking about all the food I ate.

The next day we ate in the clubhouse, as it was recommended to us, they do stop serving a little earlier though, they finish up about 8pm. I enjoyed this even more it was so good, and surprisingly affordable too! I got fishcakes to start again and Adam got the chicken wings, we went halves then. The portion size was actually ridiculous, we left so many chicken wings just because we couldn't finish. I would never think to get hot sauce on wings, but it made them so much better, they also gave sour cream for dipping which was a nice touch. For the main, I had seen a photo of their fish & chip on Instagram, it looked unreal so I just ordered that. It was just as good as it looked too, I also way prefer chunky chips to french fries on any menu so I was thrilled they were paired. For a desert we were beyond full because the meals were just so big, but we shared a fererro rocher cheesecake...because who could say no? Honestly best meal I've had in so long.

Drinks

We went for drinks in the Amber Lounge. It had the most amazing atmosphere, with dimmed lights and chilled music playing. The lounge is meant to be famous for it's cocktails, which now I regret not trying but I stuck to the wine and gin instead. I was so full I couldn't think about anything heavier.

Staff

The staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful at all times. I suppose it's the norm in the industry but what stood out for me was how funny they were, I felt someone was always cracking a joke or two at me and I loved this, it made me so relaxed staying here. You could tell as well all the staff got on well with each other which adds even more to the atmosphere they try to create.

Fota Wildlife

On our second day we went to the wildlife park. I loved this I had such a good time. It's so lovely to animals have such a big enclosure that they aren't confined to small places like some zoo's and things. The animals seemed so much happier. I thought this was such a good day out, something you have to do if you stay here!

You can walk from the hotel, I don't know if we did it wrong but we got lost and it took about an hour, so you probably are better driving, but hey we burned more calories for more food looking for it (always see the bright side). You wouldn't even realise where your day went either, we spent hours here and only got back in time for dinner again.

Thanks for reading,

Char

X