- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Inn At Irish Hollow
3 reviews for Inn At Irish Hollow
Let me preface by saying that I'm not the type of person that likes sitting inside and doing nothing. The "new" Cottages at Irish Hollow is/are one of the places that I can. We felt instant serenity. I haven't been to the French countryside, but I'm sure this is what it would be like.
Irish Hollow is a truly unique experience. When you hear cottage, it sounds old and boring. We chose the Gardener's cottage. What's remarkable about the space is the detail and design. It's about 800 sq feet with 10 foot ceilings. It's rare to experience a space that's spacious and cozy at the same time. The bathroom had what felt like a four-person shower and an amazing hot tub placed next to the fireplace. The bathroom was like a mini self-service spa.
Now the food. We were very impressed with the food. We were fortunate to have the 7-course meal our first night. The food was innovative and filling. Matthew who pretty much takes care of everything is a remarkable person. I think he cooked the meal and then served us. It was a great dining experience.
We got to meet the owners on our last day. They were just really nice, hard working, genuine people. You can tell they love what they do. They have thought through every detail of the grounds.
As far as Galena, it was sort of an after thought. It's a cute little town with some decent restaurants; but I was much more impressed with the beautiful views of the country side. It's worth seeing the town, but I wouldn't build my trip around it.
Irish Hollow makes a lot of sense for us b/c we can take a 2.5 hour car ride. I don't think it would work if you had to fly there. The charm of Galena is the peace and quiet.
You definitely should go to Irish Hollow with someone you love and don't invite any friends. It's very romantic and a good place to reflect.
We paid $795 for two nights. I would say the room is about $300/night b/c the breakfast they throw in is definitely worth $50+ ($100 value) and this includes one 7-course meal and bottle of wine for two ($110 value). I thought it was totally worth it.....and I'm cheap ;) It's very difficult to compare this to other $300+ night places b/c the Irish Inn is more about the experience than the amenities. No corporation could pull off what they do. It's a special place.
For people that don not want to be inside their hotel room at all. This is not for you. If you have ants in your pants, Galena probably isn't your vacation or retreat spot. I'll admit that two nights felt like a week to me. I would have not enjoyed the third night as much b/c I was gettin' lazy. If you're looking for solitude, relaxation and dare I say romance; it's a good place to try.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
My fiance and I had the fortunate luck in booking the Gardner's Cottage as a precursor to Christmas Eve. We had the Old World Christmas Dinner package that comes with a 2 night stay, 2 breakfasts, as well as a dinner for the first night. Matthew, the young innkeeper, is very pleasant and is the chef himself. He is extremely helpful in trying to make our stay more than comfortable - even though a constant reminder as well as confirmation of certain things (such as food allergies, having a private breakfast at the cottage, & the hot water inquiries) was given, the overall experience was pretty tranquil. They have a few acres of hiking trails which can be very romantic during the winter season (and more so during the spring as well). The cottage we stayed at was extremely well-decorated with festive Christmas ornaments and colors - very plush, comfortable, and luxurious. There was a fireplace, a very bright Christmas tree, a large and spacious bathroom (with a hot tub and a dual shower), and an extremely comfortable bed. You have the pleasure of dictating the temperature of the place. There is also a little patio you can step out (but no purpose in the snow). There is no TV in the cottage, but there is a stereo with a standard music collection. A free bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolates is presented when you check-in at your cottage. There is a turn-down service the next day with a restocking of extra towels and toiletries - with an added plate of chocolate macademia cookies! The walkways are paved so you don't have to drown in the snow. Their herbal powder soak is soothing, but be sure to bring your own bath salt or bubbles to relax. Food-wise was a hit or miss; for our dinner, it was a 7-course that started off with bacon and bleu cheese wrapped figs (sweet, savory & divine at the same time) - presentation was right on. The beet and potato soup was a bit bland, topped with a drizzle of creme fraiche. The goat cheese and candied walnut salad was solid, and the dressing was a great complement. The mushroom ravioli with red pepper pesto could have been a bit more al dente, but the whole flavor was pretty good. The little lambchops with 2 sweet potato tempura slices and a walnut flax mold (loved this - great texture) was medicore. The winterberry sorbet was refreshing, and a great choice for an intermezzo. The final run was a white chocolate peppermint cheesecake - high dosage of the crust, but the cheesecake itself was creamy and lovely with the little crunchy bits of the peppermint candy. Breakfasts were a combination of their homemade cranberry fruit bread, cornmeal pancakes, sweet fruit compote (a little too sweet and tart), garlic scrambled eggs (garlic overload); chicken florentine eggs benedict with dill hollandaise sauce (needed a dash more of salt), chocolate chip banana poppy seed muffins (enormous and Matthew was more than willing to wrap them up for us for the road), and maple bacon twists (coated with sugar and a tad bit on the sweet side). Not the best breakfast I've had, but certainly more health-conscious as well as chic in terms of the dishes itself. The inn itself is secluded, and is off a winding path up and down the hills off of Route 20. During the winter season, it seems as if it takes forever to get to the place due to not trying to slip off the tiny paved roads. It's roughly 7-10 miles away from the historic town of Galena Main Street. A good (and a very pricey) choice to stay for a romantic getaway.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I was *extremely* torn about this place and plan to explain, in length, why. I feel it's necessary, due to the amount of money you're going to spend if you stay here.
When I made these reservations I was captivated by the pictures on the web site, word of mouth by people who I know that have visited Galena and the promise of elegance, sophistication and yet simple solitude and amazing food. Just about all of that is accurate, but it depends on how all of those elements play into your personal life. We were told we had to make a 3-night reservation; that's all they offer this time of year for weekend packages. It was about $1,600.00 for THREE nights (that included two 75-min massages and taxes). Mind you, most of the time (unless you plan to make like bunnies and all day every day) you are out sightseeing in Galena or doing other things uninvolved with the Inn.
We arrived in Galena a day late due to the severe weather in the Chicago area the day before. Upon our arrival (around 10:00 Friday morning) we were met by Matthew in the dining area of the Inn (main building), smiling, welcoming, very warm and seemingly genuinely happy to see that we had finally arrived. Our check-in was a cinch and Matthew explained everything in detail from the location of our cottage (we opted for one of 3 cottages on the property as opposed to a room inside the Inn) to the fireplace starter logs, dinner time for the Friday night Harvest Dinner at the Inn, to maps to town and suggestions of things to do.
I think our jaws were on the floor the first 5 minutes inside the cottage. BEAUTIFUL faux paint job, warm colors, bizarre figurines (wild animals made of ceramic, dressed in leopard print "clown" clothing - some holding large feathers) and artwork - classy, yet relaxed, etc. However, as we got more familiar with the place (it was a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cottage with a double sided wood burning fireplace which was visible from the bedroom as well as the combo living room/dining area) we noticed that A LOT of things were dirty, broken, missing, not working properly, etc. Oh - and the flies in the cottage!!! They were AWFUL! That was a total turn-off considering the amount of money we were paying to stay there. Getting past that, my husband enjoyed a Jacuzzi (in a tub that took three "breaks" to fill - the hot water kept running out about 1/3 the way up the tub so it took about an hour to fill with warm/hot water). That aside, we enjoyed complimentary champagne (I'm not a champagne drinker, but this stuff was AWESOME!) and listened to some music, etc. We rushed down to the Inn for the infamous Harvest Dinner at 7:00.
Let me tell you about the dinner... All I can say is HOLY SHIT! I know that sounds crude, but I can honestly say that it was probably one of the best dinners I've ever had in my 35 years of life. My husband said the same. It was a 7-course dinner of stuff I'd NEVER order off a restaurant menu, but it was all TO DIE FOR. I would say that this dinner alone was worth the stay at this inn. My taste buds had never been so tantalized, so anticipatory, so orgasmic (I swear, it's not an understatement!) as they had during this dinner. We could NOT wait for the next course to arrive. On the way out, we asked for an additional bottle of champagne to take back to the cottage and were supplied with a complimentary bottle. Ok... day one - over.
The next day (Saturday) we had breakfast delivered to our cottage (an option not only offered but encouraged for romance's sake). When the guy showed up, explained that the breakfast included "some pancakes, spiced apples and scones". There was MUCH more than that! There was some kind of sausage that looked like Polish sausage but tasted like breakfast sausage only WAY better! Also, included were scrambled eggs in the SHAPE of eggs with spinach swirled in and nuts on top. Not something I would normally go for, but it was GREAT. The pancakes were cornbread pancakes with some sort of red pepper hollandaise drizzled lightly on top - AWESOME. The scones were some kind of cinnamon/raisin thing and were amazing.
After breakfast we headed over to the main Inn for a couple's massage. It was quite relaxing and I wish it would have lasted another hour. Whoever it is that they hire to come to the Inn is WELL WORTH the $. Very relaxing!
That was pretty much the last we saw of the Inn. We left early Sunday morning, missing yet another awesome breakfast, but we had to get back home for other obligations.
OH YEAH: There are no TV's, no phones, no Internet, and no cell service in the cottages. So, unless you plan to have a FULLY packed schedule in Galena (the town is about 15 minutes away) or plan to make like bunnies all weekend, you will be bored. Otherwise, enjoy yourself and enjoy each other.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
Comment from Matthew C. of
Inn At Irish Hollow
9/15/2009
We are so greatful to hear so many wonderful comments about…
More »
Specialties
The Inn has become famous for it's European Country Gourmet cuisine. All special dietary needs and preferences are accommodated. The chef is well versed in special diets (Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Diabetic, Low-fat, Food Allergy, etc.) and is delighted to prepare meals accordingly. The Full country gourmet Breakfast, a three course morning feast is served every day. Guests staying in the cottages may choose to have their Breakfast delivered right to their cottage door to enjoy on their private screened porch or next to the wood-burning fire. Dinner menus reflect the flavors of each season and are served at private dining tables in the Old General Store Dining Room. Summertime packages are inclusive of the Picnic Basket. Prepared to suit the guest's plans, the portable lunch or dinner can be enjoyed in the privacy of the guest quarters, on the Inn's beautiful grounds or can be taken on the day's adventure
History
Established in 1990
Set on 500 acres of magnificent rolling hillsides and valleys, the Inn offers a perfect setting to reconnect with one another and to be pampered in the heart of Galena's picture-perfect countryside. Guests enjoy personalized comfort, superb hospitality and the lush amenities designed to thrill sophisticated travelers. The 500 acre estate is cut with miles of hiking trails, streams, rock outcroppings, wooded ridges and connects to a 1300 acre nature preserve.
