Featuring a Thai restaurant and tearooms, the Kells Bay House is set on 40 acres of unique gardens with subtropical plants. Overlooking Dingle Bay, the Palm Gardens offer direct access to a Blue Flag beach. With views of Palm Gardens and the mountains across Kells Bay, the rooms have ironing facilities, and either an en suite or private external bathroom with complimentary toiletries and a hairdryer. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. In the mornings, the Kells Bay House serves full Irish breakfast. Guests can also enjoy Thai cuisine from the ‘Sala Thai’ restaurant, with views over Dingle Bay. During the day, the onsite Tea Room offers scones and sandwiches. The Kells Bay House and Gardens is ideally located along the popular Ring of Kerry. The Macgillycuddy’s Reeks are just 19 mi away. Kells Bay guests can enjoy a 200-yard walk through Palm Gardens, to the Blue Flag Kells Beach. Guests can also take boat trips to the Skellig and Valentia Islands. Free parking is available at the Kells Bay House.

Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 9.4 for a two-person trip.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

Property highlights

Top Location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.5)

Want a great night's sleep? This property was highly rated for its very comfy beds.

Breakfast Info

Continental

Free Parking Available On Site


Availability

Select dates to see this property's availability and prices

Room Type
Number of guests
 
1 king bed
or
2 twin beds
1 king bed
or
2 twin beds
Bedroom 1:
1 king bed
Bedroom 2:
1 king bed
Bedroom 1:
1 king bed
Bedroom 2:
1 king bed
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Guest reviews

Categories:

Staff
9.2
Facilities
9.1
Cleanliness
9.4
Comfort
9.5
Value for money
9.1
Location
9.5
Free WiFi
8.6
High score for Kells
Select topics to read reviews:

See what guests loved the most:

  • Theresa
    United States of America United States of America
    Staff was kind and responsive. On site Thai restaurant was superb. Don’t miss the garden experience. Spoiler Alert: Amazing waterfall!!
  • John
    United States of America United States of America
    Location was incredibly beautiful and the accommodations were excellent with a good breakfast and a helpful staff.
  • Darren
    Ireland Ireland
    Stunning location with everything you need for a short stay, beautiful gardens, ocean, beach and nice Thai restaurant. The gardens was like being transported into a tropical jungle.

Host Info

9.2
9.2
Host Review Score
Host Review Score

If you enjoy waking to the natural sounds of mountain streams, birdsong, wind in the trees and the sea in its many guises you should stay here. Stay in one of our 4 large double or twin rooms in the main house or in one of our 5 large luxury rooms to the side of the main house that we have available for our Guests. All of our rooms are adjacent to the Primeval Forest and Walled Garden and afford intimate access to the wonders of the heritage gardens. Each individual room has been sensitively refurbished to offer luxury accommodation to visitors. The Bell Tower, The Dingle Bay and The Bay View all have magnificent views of the bay, gardens and surrounding mountains, however this is one part of the Ring of Kerry where the scenery of the immediate environment outdoes the bigger view! These rooms have discrete private entrances to afford maximum privacy to our guests. Entry to the gardens is complimentary to our Guests. There is direct private access to the Blue Flag beach to the front of our property, via a 200m walk via the River Walk to the side of our guest house (for our Guests only).
Together Billy and Penn have more than 50 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Penn was a chef in some of Dublin's best restaurants before the opening of Sala Thai at Kells Bay House in 2013. Her Kerry style Thai hospitality and her wonderful food has firmly established Sala Thai and Kells Bay House as favourites among visitors and locals. Billy has collected ferns and exotic plants since boyhood. He has exhibited his collection in Ireland, France and the UK. Most recently at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023 where he was awarded a Gold medal and the prestigious ‘Best in Show’ award for his fern display. He has travelled the globe on plant expeditions to study ferns and flora in their native habitats. Since becoming the custodian of Kells Bay he has broadened the plant collection and further encouraged the naturalisation of introduced species. The front gate waterfall that greets our guest upon arrival, the world renowned ‘Primeval Forest’ full of the now naturalised Australian tree ferns to the side of the House and the recent addition The SkyWalk rope-bridge, Ireland’s longest rope bridge, are some of the features introduced by Billy for our Guests to discover and enjoy during their stay with us. Our Guests have free access to the Gardens throughout their stay.
Kells Bay House & Gardens is an old hunting lodge, first built in 1838, surrounded by 60 acres of gardens, mountains, rivers and extends down to the beach front. The gardens also have Ireland's longest rope-bridge, The SkyWalk. If you enjoy waking to the natural sounds of mountain streams, birdsong, wind in the trees and the sea in its many guises you should stay here. Kells Bay House & Gardens is the perfect location conveniently located on the 'Ring of Kerry', with the nearby Skellig Rocks, various Ring Forts, The Old Barracks in Cahersiveen, drive the Skellig Ring, visit Valentia Island, play golf in one of the world class links courses a short drive away, go horse riding on Rossbeigh Beach, we are situated inside the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, swimming, fishing....the list is endless.
Languages spoken: English,Portuguese,Thai

Area info

Restaurants
2 Restaurants On Site

  • Sala Thai Restaurant
    • Cuisine
      Thai
    • Dietary options
      Vegetarian • Vegan • Gluten-free • Dairy-free
  • The Conservatory Café
    • Cuisine
      Thai • European
    • Dietary options
      Vegetarian • Gluten-free • Dairy-free

Amenities of Kells Bay House and Gardens
Great facilities! Review score, 9.1

Most popular amenities
  • Non-smoking rooms
  • 2 restaurants
  • Free parking
  • Free WiFi
  • Room service
  • Private beach area
  • Breakfast
Bathroom
  • Private Bathroom
  • Free toiletries
  • Bathtub
Bedroom
  • Wardrobe or closet
Outdoors
  • Private beach area
  • Terrace
  • Garden
Activities
  • Beach
  • Water sports facilities on site
  • Cycling
    Off-site
  • Fishing
Food & Drink
  • Restaurant
Internet
WiFi is available in some rooms and is free of charge.
Parking
Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not possible).
    Services
    • Shared lounge/TV area
    • Baggage storage
    • Room service
    General
    • Smoke-free property
    • Heating
    • Ironing facilities
    • Non-smoking rooms
    • Iron
    Languages Spoken
    • English
    • Portuguese
    • Thai

    House rules

    Kells Bay House and Gardens takes special requests – add in the next step!

    Check-in

    From 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM

    Check-out

    Until 11:00 AM

     

    Cancellation/
    prepayment

    Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodations type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room.

    Children & Beds

    Child policies

    Children over 6 are welcome.

    Children 7 and above will be charged as adults at this property.

    To see correct prices and occupancy info, add the number and ages of children in your group to your search.

    Crib and extra bed policies

    Cribs and extra beds aren't available at this property.

    Age restriction

    The minimum age for check-in is 21

    Mastercard Visa Cash is not accepted Kells Bay House and Gardens accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.


    Smoking

    Smoking is not allowed.

    Parties

    Parties/events are not allowed

    Quiet hours

    Guests need be quiet between 10:00 PM and 9:00 AM.

    Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

    The fine print
    Must-know information for guests at this property

    This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.

    Quiet hours are between 22:00:00 and 09:00:00.

    FAQs about Kells Bay House and Gardens

    • Check-in at Kells Bay House and Gardens is from 3:00 PM, and check-out is until 11:00 AM.

    • Room options at Kells Bay House and Gardens include:

      • Twin
      • Double
      • Suite

    • Guests staying at Kells Bay House and Gardens can enjoy a highly-rated breakfast during their stay (guest review score: 8.8).

      Breakfast option(s) include:

      • Continental
      • À la carte

    • Kells Bay House and Gardens offers the following activities/services (charges may apply):

      • Cycling
      • Fishing
      • Beach
      • Private beach area
      • Water sports facilities on site

    • Kells Bay House and Gardens has 2 restaurants:

      • The Conservatory Café
      • Sala Thai Restaurant

    • The prices at Kells Bay House and Gardens may vary depending on your stay (e.g. dates, hotel's policy etc.). To see prices, enter your dates.

    • Yes, Kells Bay House and Gardens is popular with guests booking family stays.

    • The nearest beach is 150 feet from Kells Bay House and Gardens. All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.

    • Kells Bay House and Gardens is 1,800 feet from the center of Kells. All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.