Hotel Review: Wineport Lodge offers lakeside luxe but there’s room to improve

Its starring role put the lakeside hotel in Glasson, Co Westmeath, on many staycationers’ ‘must-visit’ lists — my own included. My last visit, several years ago, was pleasant but didn’t blow me away, so when I heard that a luxury spa had just opened at the hotel, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to check in again.

The rating: 7/10

Arrival & Location

Located just 3km from Athlone on the shores of beautiful Lough Ree, Wineport’s location must be the envy of many a hotelier. Aside from its picturesque lakeshore perch, the fact that it’s practically slap bang in the middle of Ireland, and therefore a manageable drive from a multitude of places, is a real draw. For us, it means a journey of just under one hour and 30 minutes on the motorway comfortably whisks us from Dublin to the front door.

There, we’re met with a warm welcome at a reception area that feels quite cramped, and we’re quickly shown to the bar — a clever trick, I imagine, to avoid the area becoming jammed up with people checking in. Just a few minutes later a staff member arrives with our keycard and shows us to our family room. The hotel does suffer somewhat from ‘long corridor’ syndrome, as it occupies quite a narrow plot, but the upside is that all 34 rooms face out onto Lough Ree and offer lovely lake views. 7.5/10

The Rooms

Its wooden build sets Wineport apart from other properties and gives it a bit of ‘luxe lake cabin’ vibe. Sadly, the décor inside does not reflect this, and while well kitted out and stylishly decorated, rooms lack some of the charm you might expect from such a unique property.

It would definitely benefit from an injection of cabincore detailing to tie in the location and building. Saying that, our generous room has giant beds with pillows so deeply comforting that I make a mental note to ask where they got them. Our spacious bathroom has a rainfall shower, twin sinks (but no bath), and is stocked with Irish-made Voya toiletries.

The room opens out to a small wooden balcony that, we are told, is in the process of being replaced as part of ongoing works — the knock-on effect being on our visit we look out onto a bit of a building site. The works have now all been completed, I am told. 7/10

Service & Style

The works are part of a recent upgrade that has added a spa and pool to the hotel’s offering. And let’s be honest, what lakeside pad is complete without an outdoor balcony with a seaweed bath in which to soak while drinking in bubbles and a spectacular view?

The Cedarwood Spa is not huge, but it is the epitome of small and perfectly formed. They have added the raised deck with four baths and two treatment cabins on the top level, and below there is a chillout room facing out onto an infinity pool that, when works are complete, will spill over onto the lake.

After our seaweed soak, I have a robust back massage that irons out a few knots, and then slip into the pool. The seaweed baths cost €55 and treatments start from €60 at the spa, but there are also ‘floating’ hot tubs on a pontoon on the lake (€25pp) if you won’t don’t want to splurge on the full spa experience. 8.5/10

Food & Drink

The restaurant features booths that make the most of the lake views. We are seated at the only free one near the end of the long dining room, which leaves us cut off from other diners by a large and noisy group celebrating a birthday. Staff deal discreetly with our request to move, however, and we are quietly reseated at a table for two.

The food itself is a mixed bag. Our starters are a bit of a disappointment, with my friend’s seafood platter lacking the generosity we’ve come to associate with this dish. Some breaded calamari, a few pieces of smoked salmon and a handful of small prawns does not a platter make. My chicken liver parfait is also somewhat ruined by being fridge-cold.

Main courses are better, with a solid hake dish and a good fillet steak winning us over. Starters are all priced at €15 and mains run from €20 (for a burger or fish and chips) to €44 (for the fillet steak).

Breakfast the next morning leaves little to grumble about, and I have a lovely eggs Benedict. However, like many hotels around the country, the Wineport hasn’t reinstated the buffet of cereals, fruits, pastries that so many of us look forward to on nights away. Undoubtedly, Covid highlighted how costly and wasteful buffets can be, but I can’t help but mourn their loss! 6/10

The bottom line

The addition of a spa space that really delivers could be a gamechanger for Wineport. For a girls’ weekend away, the outdoor sea bath is bound to increase its appeal, but I came away feeling that other areas of the experience need to up their game to the match the new spa.

There is fresh competition in the area too, with the opening last year of Press Up Group’s funky Glasson Lakehouse (read our review here), which sits directly across the lake — a visual reminder that at a time when rising prices are making consumers ever more vigilant about getting plenty of bang for their buck, even the hospitality stalwarts of this world need to keep adding to their offering.

Insider tips

Want to get a taste of the lakeside vibe but without an overnight stay? Afternoon tea is served every day between 1pm and 3.30pm, and costs €30 per person.

If you want to grab lunch or a pint outside of the hotel, pop into Glasson village, just 5km down the road. It’s home to award-winning bar and restaurant, The Villager.

Rates

B&B in a double lakeview room costs from €240 for two. Rachel was a guest of Wineport Lodge. wineport.ie