Ballyfin opened as a hotel in 2011 and is one of Ireland’s most expensive resorts A bedroom at Ballyfin, Co Laois Ballyfin, Co Laois Ballyfin, the Regency mansion and former boarding school in Co Laois where Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are said to have honeymooned, has been named the UK and Ireland's No.1 resort. “This was truly the most exceptional stay of my lifetime,” one reader commented in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards 2024.
“This takes five stars to the next level.” Although it has just 20 rooms (and a cottage sleeping two), Ballyfin sits on 614 acres of “impeccably manicured grounds”, Travel + Leisure says, offering guests “privacy and deeply personalised service”. Along with flagship resorts like Adare Manor and Ashford Castle, the hotel is one of Ireland’s most expensive stays.
Rates on its website start from €1,210 per room on a B&B basis this summer, dropping to €810 per night in the off-peak months of November and early December. “Ballyfin has been welcoming guests since 2011, and the recognition from Travel + Leisure readers since that date has been exceptional,” said General Manager, Peter White. Ballyfin, Co Laois The hotel opened in 2011 after several years of restoration, and offers guests activities including carriage rides, picnics, fishing, archery, clay pigeon shooting and butler service.
Celebrity guests are also reported to have included Amal and George Clooney. It is followed on Travel + Leisure's list of top UK a.
