Monart Spa is possibly the most luxurious destination spa in Ireland and is the ultimate detox getaway.
It wins award after award every year, and with good reason. You are transported to an alternate universe as soon as you walk in the door. There is no Wi-Fi and pretty poor phone reception in general. Newspapers are available in the main house only and you are not allowed to bring the papers into the rest of the spa. This is to preserve the cocoon-like atmosphere of Monart Spa.
You’ll also see people roaming about in white robes, even at dinner; it is just out of this world. And nothing against the little munchkins, but Monart Spa is an adult only environment, which is just wonderful.
With 5 stars and many, many awards, you expect excellence. But you also expect to pay a pretty penny to experience all it has to offer. However, Monart Spa does have many weekday deals, or Sunday night deals, so if you’re looking for a one-night bargain, that's your best bet. We were very (very) lucky to be invited to try one of their Thursday night packages, and we made the absolute most of it! Here’s how to get every last drop of value from your stay.
Arrive early to Monart Spa
Regular check-in at Monart Spa is 3 pm. If you’re doing a one-night stay, I would go along way earlier than this to make the most of your time. We arrived at 12 pm. The doorman greeted us and took our bags from us. Following a chat with the lovely receptionist, who told us all about the facilities, we went for lunch in the Garden Lounge. So before you even check in, you get to start the relaxation! We highly recommend doing that as it means the stress starts to slip away before you’ve even seen your room.
Robes on and relax
From 3 pm you can check into your room, and from this point onwards, you will pretty much live in your robe. Heavenly! Take some time to relax in your room and take everything in. Then head down to the spa, where you can choose from two relaxation rooms; the light room, or the dark room. In the light room you will find comfortable loungers, as well as plenty of water and delicious teas to keep hydrated and refreshed. In this room, you can read until your heart's content, or simply close your eyes and drift away. It’s phone and noise free, so you really can retreat into yourself. In the dark room, you will find a circle of comfortable beds with fluffy blankets. Perfect to take some head-space and relax.
Spa time
A treatment in the Monart Spa is like no other. It's a VIP experience. Perfect if you desire a bit of luxury pampering! We tried the full body Swedish massage which was one hour of total bliss. Book well in advance to make sure you get an appointment.
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The fine dining experience
Monart Spa has two restaurants, the Garden Lounge and the Monart Restaurant. In this restaurant, guests wear clothes as it is a fine dining experience. However, if you wish, you can have dinner in the Garden Lounge and keep your robe on! We tried the fine dining restaurant, where the set menu is €45 euro and includes six courses. It really was a delicious dining experience and the perfect way to end our day.
Snoozy time
The rooms in Monart Spa are truly luxurious. When we returned from our evening meal, the bed had been turned down, mints had been left on pillows, and they’d even left us a little card with a weather report for the next day. What a lovely touch! You will have such a comfortable sleep in Monart, so enjoy the fact that you can't get mobile phone reception, and tuck away with a good book instead.
Breakfast in your robe
This was possibly my favourite part of the stay. It was such a novelty to wake up and head straight to breakfast in our robes. They offer a delicious breakfast buffet as well as hot food, smoothies, tea and coffee to order. Lots to choose from and something to suit everyone.
A morning stroll in the garden
To top off the morning, make sure to head out and walk around the garden in your robe and slippers. Again, another novelty that we just loved. A gentle stroll through the trees, across the lake and passed the beautiful waterfall should take just about 15 minutes. What a way to start the day.
Last stop: Thermal suites
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Checkout is 12 pm, however, guests can use the spa and thermal suites until 2 pm. To get the most out of your stay, pack up your belongings after breakfast and check out early. Keep a change of clothes and your toiletry bag separate and take that with you to the spa. You can leave your main luggage in reception and you can use a locker in the spa changing rooms to store the bits you need. This way, you can get full use of the thermal suites without having to go back and check out of your room. The thermal suites are wonderful and there is even a recommended route to follow to make the absolute most out of your time. End your trip with a relaxing dip in the hydrotherapy pool.
We hope this guide to making the most out of your stay in Monart Spa was helpful. We were very kindly invited to stay at Monart Spa by Power House PR, so a big thanks to them very letting us experience everything Monart has to offer. Looking for a Christmas gift idea? You will definitely be on the ‘Nice List' when you give the gift of Monart Destination Spa this Christmas! Check out their offers at monart.ie.
