Coolakay House

Excellent service, Yvonne was such a lovely host and getting to feed the horses was a highlight of my stay.

Worst nights sleep I have had in years. So lets get started: The bed itself is a box spring and made horrendous sound every time you move. The mattress is old and stained. They are so worn out that you have to stay dead centre or you will roll out. It tilts on on the edges so you feel like you are going to tip over the edge. The noise of them, lord almighty it's so bad that you fear turning over with someone else nearby. The sheets are old, piled fabric and so uncomfortable! Not even a flat sheet! The bottom sheet is fitted and then a duvet. In the height of summer and not a flat sheet for the sort of money they are charging. The bathroom, the shower head holder is broken and meant you need to hold it yourself. The bathrooms are so narrow you cannot spread your legs while on the toilet! I've never experienced the likes of this, it is so narrow I could not get my legs apart enough, less than 3 feet wide! The sink is opposite the door and comes out so far that you will bump against the door to the bedroom. Toilet paper is like sand paper. The wiring is messed up! Lights flickering all over, and no there was no storm. Changed the bulb and still flickering. It gets better, there is rust leaking out of the sockets in the room!! Breakfast, you do not get offered a vegan option, you need to ask and then explain what a vegan is so my wife could have some food. Took 15min just to take our order. The cooked full breakfast was bland, overcooked and took 45 minutes to come out when there was only 7 people in the room! No sound is played at breakfast. Everyone is whispering. The couple next to us were complaining about how bad it was. Want some toast? Ask for 4 slices and you will get 4 half slices... as in two slices of bread. Not enough butter in the place, people going from table to table finding some. Couldn't ask anyone for some either because no one was around. The tea does not even come in a pot! You get this tiny little cup that is smaller than my china tea set! You get two mouth falls and then need to go boil the kettle for another. It's absolutely daft. The woman in charge Yvonne, I wouldn't dare say a word against her, to her face. She is the sort to get nasty. Even the couple next to us smiled to her face and left as fast as possible. The wifi does not work, the passwords do not work. You can't get a good internet signal their either on any of the networks. Parking is up a steep hill with the house below, the slope is dangerous and not something you want to try if you are mobility challenged.

Among nice scenic views we enjoyed in Ireland, we also faced some unexpected disappointments - 'Coolakay House' was certainly the worst with regard to hospitality & attitude !! - as of family travel trip, we ordered all accommodations ahead, nice looking & high rated one's along our route - we preferred to skip Dublin, so Coolakay location seemed nice as first night position for Wicklow area - photo's & views were nice & promising, BUT... upon arrival there was serious problem with the shower - NO hot water, and water stream was shameful! (the whole shower mechanism was clearly outdated) - I have immediately informed Yvonne husband who promised to come 'as soon she return from shopping'.. after nearly 30 minutes, I had to ask AGAIN and they both came with 'sour' face.. instead of suggesting any solution (or other rooms) they argued & 'barked' at us 'we had dozens of visitors, no-one complained" presenting us as 'rude' guests asking for 'luxury'.. in order to take a shower, we had to dismantle! the old shower head so that water flow is one stream like 'army shower', but at least "reasonable"... (next morning 'surprisingly' we had hot water, meaning they have not taken care to turn on water heater ahead!) - TV was kind of joke (more of computer screen hanged way up) and upon check out 'CCs not accepted' (that was NOT mentioned upon order confirmation) No need to say - stay away! (Note photo's, disappointment was much bigger as of the nice yard photos and reviews !!)

Our stay here was far too short: Yvonne has a heart of gold and the whole house radiates this warmth. You immediately felt welcome, cosy and comfortable! The rooms were lovingly furnished, the food was wonderful and the view and location eere fantastic. You go on holiday here and have a great time! Thank you, dear hostess, and best wishes from Germany from Bernd, Ben und Sabine!

We loved, loved our stay at Coolakay House! Yvonne and Robert were exceptional hosts and could not have been more wonderful and accommodating. The Coolakay House is situated on a working sheep farm with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. You can walk up the steep hill through the sheep pasture to a bench at the top with a panoramic view of Sugarloaf Mountain and Powerscourt and the Wicklow Mountains. My husband and I were fortunate to get a tour of the Heritage Center with Robert where we learned about the history of the farming in the area and got to see many old farm tools from the 1700s and 1800s as well as many beautiful restored tractors. We had wonderful lively funny conversations with both Robert and Yvonne! Our room was beautiful, pristine and had very comfortable beds and a great shower. Yvonne prepared a wonderful breakfast and gave us tips on what to visit. We saw the Powerscourt waterfall, Bray Beach and the Wicklow Mountains, and these were all highlights of our trip. Thank you Yvonne and Robert for a wonderful stay at your exceptional home and B&B and allowing us to experience the wonder of the Coolakay Heritage Center. If we are fortunate to travel to Ireland again, we will definitely look forward to seeing you again!

For: Excellent host, very helpful and friendly. Ideal location to tour Wicklow. Comfy rooms. Tea coffee etc accessible in breakfast room 24/7. Excellent freshly cooked breakfast. Against: Rushed to choose breakfast, Do no like sharing a table at breakfast.

Yvonne and Robert are the most pleasant and welcoming hosts. Their property and the overall experience was fantastic! The weather was absolutely perfect and I highly recommend that you walk up the hill to the peak of their property where you can see the Powerscourt Waterfall to the left, and the Irish Sea (Bray Beach) to the right. The room and attached bathroom was super clean & fresh, and the bed was very comfortable. We also enjoyed feeding their 3 Shetland ponies and visiting their Heritage Center. Also, although you are in the Irish country, you are able to travel by car about 2.5 miles away to Enniskerry, where there are a few pubs, local restaurants and shops. Over all experience 10!

They have 13 rooms. Located ~5km from town, where there are a couple pubs and restaurants. Walk is on a busy street, sometimes with no sidewalk. Friendly hosts. Highlight might be that this is a working farm and the owner has an amazing collection of historic farm implements. This alone is reason to stay here. Be sure to plan an hour for the host to walk you thru a show-and-tell of his collection.

After landing in Dublin, we made our way to Wicklow for our first night’s stay in The Emerald Isle! Yvonne greeted us upon our arrival, and she treated us like family from the moment she met us. She is so warm and welcoming! The Coolakay House is located amongst rolling hills and there are picturesque views surrounding this little B&B! It was a great way to start out trip! I would definitely recommend this B&B for anyone traveling through Wicklow on their journey through Ireland. The rooms were tidy, the beds were comfortable, and the full Irish breakfast was amazing! Thanks again Yvonne for such a great stay!