Orso in Cork

12/02/2025: Amazing place to stay. Rooms were beautiful and the service was brilliant. Food was gorgeous

11/02/2025: Mother - daughter overnight at the Hayfield Manor. The hotel is beautiful from the outside. It is situated at the end of a row of houses and you unexpectedly arrive at imposing gates. We were warmly greeted and seated in armchairs in the lobby to check-in. We were early, as we had afternoon tea booked and our bags were taken from us and brought to our rooms as they became available. We had afternoon tea, which was a lovely affair. A sorbet, the usual tiered plates, then deserts as a separate course followed by the house cocktail/mocktail. Service was very pleasant (a little slow towards the end) and surroundings were perfect - the piano player/singer was a beautiful addition. Our deluxe room was beautiful, sizeable with lovely decor. The beds were comfortable, the curtains were heavy and supported good sleep. There was an air-conditioning unit on the wall, which was a great addition as the hotel was quite warm. Tea and coffee making facilities were discreetly out of sight, dressing gowns and slippers were available in the wardrobe. The bathroom was lovely, with a standalone bath, rainfall shower and a separate toilet. Plenty of Elemis products were provided, including bath salts. The small under unit light would come on automatically upon opening the door, which was lovely at night and in the morning. A lovely gift of local crisps and chocolate were left in our room and a turn down service offered in the evening. A pre-dinner drink was had in Bloom, a lovely area in the back garden, that would be even more lovely in summer. Our evening meal was back in the Orchid restaurant and we had a lovely brie amuse bouche, followed by a scallop starter, which was lovely. The mains of duck and monkfish/crab were ok, a little more seasoning on the main components would have elevated both dishes a little. A dessert and a cheeseboard wrapped up an enjoyable meal. For breakfast the next morning, we stayed in bed as long as possible, so wandered down at 10am. We only had a short wait before being seated in the conservatory area, which was lovely and bright and a little cooler than the restaurant, which suited us. Service was prompt and friendly and pancakes and Eggs Florentine were ordered. We visited the continental tables while waiting and the assortments of food was fit for everyone's tastes - fruit, yoghurts, cereal, pastries, bread, cheese and charcuterie meats, along with 5 juices to choose from. We both enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. At no time during our stay did we ever feel rushed to leave our table, though at times, we would have liked to see our server (who was always lovely and obliging) more regularly after the starters and mains. We did not make use of the leisure centre or spa. The pool was nice looking, but smaller than standard with no additional features due to it being in a manor house. We checked out at 11.45am, as we could see a queue start to form as the clock neared 12pm. A second table was set in the lobby to support checkout, which was a quick affair with lovely staff again, just like check-in.