A lovely old creeper-clad building on Castlecomer's handsome main street, the Avalon House Hotel lay empty for some years until the Comerford family brought it back to life and re-opened as a four-star hotel in spring 2019.
A lot of TLC has gone into the restoration, which is now a pleasing mix of old and new with an emphasis on genuine hospitality and comfort - and great pride in introducing visitors to the area and its attractions, notably the Castlecomer Discovery Park, which is just a short walk away.
Public areas are extremely pleasant - the main entrance hall has a comfortable relaxing area with a great selection of books to browse, for example, and the cosily atmospheric bar has a wood-burning stove and pictures relating to Castlecomer's coal mining history. LIkewise the 30 spacious bedrooms, which are air-conditioned, with all the expected amenities (flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, work desk) and Laura Ashley tiled bathrooms.
Chef Cathal O'Dowd has a great following in the area and good food - and, specifically, local food - is a key feature of the hotel.
That includes a very good breakfast, which is served in the lovely first floor restaurant, Lil's, overlooking the main street where there's plenty of natural light and window tables have views across to woodland and mature trees. Fresh flowers provide a welcoming touch on the simply-set tables and smartly uniformed, well-trained staff are quick to offer coffee and menus that include all of the expected dishes (with name checked suppliers for many items) plus some less usual ones, such as homemade baked beans, a Mexican omelette (with avocado/jalapeno, scallions, chorizo and cheese), Eggs Royale (Eggs Benedict variation, with smoked salmon), bueberry pancakes with caramelised bananas and creme fraiche, and toasted banana bread.
The high standard of cooking, and the enjoyable breakfast experience overall, is sure to encourage guests to think about having other meals in the hotel - and a glance at the dinner menu should clinch the deal. There's great support on menus for quality local food suppliers and from around Ireland as a whole - Killenure Dexter beef, Kilkenny lamb, Rings Farm chicken, for example, along with favourites like St Tola's Goats Cheese, Inch House Pudding, and Ballymakenny Farm Purple Potato - and the tempting dishes offered are very seasonally focused.
All round, this lovingly restored hotel is a great asset to Castlecomer - and to County Kilkenny.
