Sheraton Fota Island Golf Resort & Spa Fota Island Cork Ireland 5-star hotel
~~~~~~~~ Background ~~~~~~~~
I travelled across to Cork a couple of weekends back to view and try out the facilities of this 2-month old newly-built hotel, part of the Starwood group of hotels and branded as "Sheraton".
I would definitely have no hesitation in recommending it to any of our clients and certainly to leisure guests also.
The trip was hosted by the hotel and included 10 UK partners, non of whom I had previously met, but I was with a colleague, which was beneficial as I was the only chap …. Oh well, the things you have to put up with for work hey?!!?
~~~~~ Setting ~~~~~
Luxurious and beautiful, the newly built Sheraton Fota Island Golf Resort & Spa is situated on Fota Island in County Cork. This scenic island is in Cork Harbour, just north of the larger island of Cobh. The hotel is located between 20-25 minutes from Cork International Airport, and is ideally suited for exploring the beauty and serenity of southern Ireland; something I would really like to do more of. I wonder if that's anything to do with my love of Irish women?!?!!?
The resort is being built on the site of the existing Fota Island Golf Club. In addition to the 18-hole championship golf course, the hotel offers recreational facilities include a full-service, 1,600-square meter destination spa with 17 treatment rooms, a full-length swimming pool, hydro-pool, and walking river. More on this later……
The reception is breath taking in my humble opinion, and provides a very warm welcome to any visitors entering the hotel. The slate flooring may, you think, give the impression of a very cold and hard welcome but with the same soft neutral colours that are used in the bedrooms (see bedroom section), along with the strategic placement of artefacts, paintings, and flowers, the reception provides a very warm and welcoming feel to it, and will feel even more homely once the occasional rugs arrive. These are currently on order.
Check-in and checkout, for that matter, were very friendly with that typical Irish welcome. Although, I was trying to figure out if the receptionist was Irish as it didn't seem too evident to me, but she didn't look or sound Polish. There has been a huge influx of Polish staff into Ireland, particularly in the hospitality sector over the course of 2006. Hence, my mention of Polish as opposed to any other nationality.
Check-in only took a couple of minutes and I was asked whether I wished to be escorted to my room, something I generally decline because I don't like to be any trouble, even though I know it is their job to provide the service.
I dropped my bags with the equally friendly concierge chappie and headed off to the hotel bar to sample the local Guinness. Although, I have been informed that "Guinness" is more of a swear word in these parts, as "Murphys" is the local drink brewed in this area. Personally, I can't stand "Murphy's", so I continued to swear at the staff behind the bar every time I ordered a drink it seems ! That's until I started ordering what people informed we was blatantly a girls drink… Martini Bianco and Lemonade. Did I care?… not a jot!!
~~~~~~~ Bedrooms ~~~~~~~
The hotel has 131 guest rooms, which are very clean and modern in design, providing panoramic views over either the surrounding woodlands or the golf course. There are four suites offering superior accommodations.
All the bedrooms are equipped with satellite TV and Internet access. The interactive video system features a wide selection of films. Rooms also include dual-line speakerphones with voicemail and data ports. Wi-Fi is currently being installed for availability in all bedrooms and public areas.
The bedrooms are complete with the Sheraton, brand standard, "Sweet Sleeper" beds, which - I can assure you - provide a very comfortable nights sleep. I have slept in one of these beds on 4-5 occasions now and I have not awoken from the time my head has hit one of the several pillows provided, until my morning wake up call comes through on the telephone beside the bed. This is a service that can be provided when you check-in, as you are asked whether you would like a wake-up call, or you can organise it yourself once in the ample comfort of your bedroom.
The Westin brand of Starwood hotels also has a specially named and designed bed, called the "Heavenly" bed; just for your information.
The furnishings are very subtle and soft blends of oak browns, white and burgundy, which provide a very warmly and welcoming feel to the bedrooms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conference facilities ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The main meeting room of the hotel is situated to the left of the main reception, and is the main ballroom, which is very elegantly decorated, and can cater for up to 280 guests, and is ideal for high end black tie dinners, weddings, and galas.
The hotel also has an additional four dedicated meeting rooms, which are ideal for boardroom style meetings or training courses, which are equipped with all the latest technology and video conferencing facilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~ Restaurant & Bar ~~~~~~~~~~~
The hotel has two restaurants, the main hotel restaurant and a fine dining restaurant, which had not yet opened when I visited the hotel. However, I did go in to view the fine dining restaurant, which is very intimate and ideal for small groups of no more than probably 6, and especially good for a romantic meal with that special someone no less.
I must be honest, the service within the restaurant could have bean a little better, but then the hotel has only been open for 2-months and sometimes with a new team and new opening there can be some teething troubles, so I take that into account and know that with Sheraton's reputation, these will be ironed out in no time. I also met most of the hotel management team during my stay, and they all have a wealth of experience, which provides me with the reassurance that, the teething troubles are exactly that and will be ironed out for sure.
The food was excellent and I can highly recommend the sirloin steak for dinner and the eggs Benedict for brekkie…. Yum, yum, both were very nice. In fact, the grilled chicken for lunch was very good and succulent as well, so all in all the food was of a high standard.
The bar has a fire place at either end to provide that warm, homely and welcoming feel, which I am sure would be much more welcome in the winter months, rather than the 35 degree heat that I experienced during my visit!
Both the bar and restaurant are adjacent to one another and have a decked area running along the outside, which is ideal for chilling after breakfast with a nice cup of tea, or for soaking up the afternoon sun with a lethal cocktail or alcoholic short, as it is for taking in the relaxed atmosphere of early and late evening….. so, pretty much any time of day really; provided the weather is as it were when I visited. I am sure the decked area will be a little more under utilised during the winter months!
~~~~~~~~~ Spa & Leisure ~~~~~~~~~
The property has a very extensive spa and leisure facility, which has all but completely opened, with just a few finishing touches being made to the sauna and steam room facility.
The leisure facility comprises of a mix of hydrotherapy treatments, which I can fully recommend, a swimming pool, full gym and health studio, along with several treatment and relaxation rooms. There is a range of different treatments available, administered by a dedicated professional team. The treatments include all kinds of weird and wonderful body wraps and massages, which can last from around 60 minutes and have several different purposes from relaxation, to detox, and rejuvenation. The costs vary but are generally in the region of €70 per treatment.
The reception area to the spa has a very relaxing and calming aura, with soft candle lighting and ambient music softly playing, ensuring that the whole experience begins and ends in relaxing / calming surrounds.
I had a Swedish massage, including hydrotherapy treatment, which was actually very rejuvenating and medically beneficial for me, being the decrepit old twenty-nine that I am! The group were all treated to a complimentary massage and I had joked to the girls earlier that I would be requesting that a female administered my treatment. Upon arrival at the spa, I approached the reception desk in my dressing gown and slippers (available in your bedroom) and almost instantly fell in love with the young dark haired girl behind the reception desk. Once I was able to gather my composure and announce that I was booked in for a treatment, I was duly escorted to a seating area and provided with a menu of treatments to salivate over … Yes, that's what I was really salivating over…. Honest!
I quite fancied a massage, but having had keyhole surgery on my right shoulder only 3-months earlier, I was aware that this might not be permitted, so I duly requested the advice of the experts. The reception girls introduced me to the spa's physio "Brendan" to check out my shoulder to see whether it would stand the treatment. Apparently, it was fine, and he was proved correct the following week, as my surgeon officially discharged me upon my 3-month check up, 3-months ahead of schedule no less! So, I was asked to complete a form declaring my medical history and general state of health before the treatment could be officially sanctioned, so to speak. Brendan then asked me whether I would mind if he administered the treatment under my circumstances and as the only trained physio in the Spa. Gutted that I wasn't going to be treated by one of the young Irish girls, I duly agreed, seeing the sense of what I was being informed.
When you go for a massage, it is - allegedly - absolutely imperative that you inform the masseuse / physio of all medical problems and history, especially sports and physical injuries before the treatment is administered. This is for your own safety, but also in order that the masseuse may work on the areas in question to provide relief, if it is feasible to do so. Therefore, when asked, I felt a little like a hypochondriac but, it come out in conversation with old "magic hands" Brendan, as I now call him, that he has worked as physio for a number of professional sports teams for some years. He has worked with the Irish RFU, Irish Soccer team, long distance runners, cyclists, along with individual footballers, such as Henrik Larsson (He was quite proud of this) and Roy Keane. Not a bad resume I thought, he must know what he's doing, so I'll give him the "full" list of ailments, and see how stiff I am tomorrow! By stiff, I mean unable to move, before end of you lot start!… Actually, I'll give up on the explanation at this point.
So, as Brendan was already aware of the shoulder surgery, I proceeded to inform him of my long history of lower back and hamstring pains, in addition to a recent knee problem from playing football. He asked whether I had done a lot of sport, which I confirmed, from playing squash, boxing, playing football two-three times a week, in addition to the gym, when I could fit it in. However, I had finished playing squash a good 4-5 years ago due to the back and hamstring problems. When asked whether I had undergone any investigations for said hypochondriac symptoms, I informed him that I had, over the last 3 years, been in and out of doctors surgeries, hospitals, and X-Ray rooms, more frequently than the zip on Bill Wyman's trousers had been unzipped. However, not one of the 4 different types of back specialists I had seen had managed to successfully diagnose the problem, and the pain generally subsided from time to time, allowing me to play football and partake in general sporting activity. The knee problem was brand new and was the first time I had experienced an issue.
Brendan took all this information on board and, with my approval, asked whether he could pay attention to those areas during the massage to see if he could ease the pain? I agreed as I thought it was worth a shot. He does ensure that you are comfortable at various stages of the treatment, especially when applying more pressure or working the injured areas. He was able to provide complete relaxation, and also diagnose that I had a trapped sciatic nerve in my lower back, along with ligament damage to me knee. Great! I have stopped playing football for the moment! The treatment provided me with very mild restricted movement the following day, as my muscles reacted to the massage, but it wasn't uncomfortable or too painful and the treatment made me feel very relaxed immediately after and for a few hours thereafter. I would highly recommend Bredan's healing hands…. A top bloke!
Some of the girls had wraps, which were very highly recommended for rejuvenation and relaxation purposes. Each of the wraps also come with a massage.
The resort has, as I mentioned at the beginning, an 18-hole championship golf course, which was host to the Irish open in 2001 and 2002. The course features an on site clubhouse complete with bar, lounge and proshop. However, as I am not a golfer, I did not visit the facilities I am afraid.
~~~~~~~ Conclusion ~~~~~~~
This is an ideal venue for a weekend retreat as well as for various business and other leisure purposes.
A typical nights stay could cost anything between €170 and €220 per room per night. However, rates are very dependent upon season and the time of booking your accommodation.
