Gemma Tiptonvisits the Seafield Golf and Spa Hotel, Wexford
IF YOU WERE TO choose the soundtrack to the beginning of the rest of your life, would it include Sweet Child of Mineby Guns N' Roses, Abba's Waterloo, or that old favourite, Take on Meby A-ha? Were you to be getting married in Wexford's Seafield Golf and Spa Hotel, chances are, it would. By my second night in bed at the Seafield, eavesdropping on other people's weddings, I was starting to compose a set of my own. It's harder than it seems - you want to give the uncles something to dance to, you don't want the younger relatives to get bored, and you'll need a couple of classics from around the time we met. But most of all, you'll want some tunes that you'll be happy to remember in your twilight years together, and I'm not sure that Guns N' Roses would cut it, then again, for some it could be the most romantic tune in the world.
As well as the wedding playlist, there were a few other things I would have changed about the Seafield, which has all the potential to be a fabulous hotel. On the coast, over from Gorey, you leave the N11 and drive down roads that quickly become country lanes. Passing Ballymoney stud farm, there are tantalising glimpses of the sea, but then you turn through a large set of gates, and it seems to go a bit wrong. The route down has given you the idea of escape (be it from the city or the suburbs), and yet the drive to the hotel takes you through clusters of the Seafield's 64 apartments (also known as "suites", which can be purchased should anyone in Ireland still be in the market for an investment opportunity), and the impression you have is of motoring through a small housing estate.
There's a similar sense of Man versus Nature (and Man winning - or should that be losing?) when it comes to the view. My room had a beautiful balcony, with a table and comfy chairs looking out across the golf course to the glorious sea beyond. The problem was that between me and all this loveliness lay the car park. Now, were you to be the kind of guest that likes to catch a glimpse of his (or her) sports car or SUV before turning in at night, this would be ideal, but once I've parked my Corsa at a hotel, I'd rather not see it again until it's time to go home. These may be picky comments, but on a weekend escape, I want to feel like I'm really escaping, not bringing parts of my life and environment with me.
Enough of the negatives - there are plenty of plusses: the rooms are large, and the beds very comfy. The bathrooms are gorgeous with Payot lotions and potions on the countertop. There's free internet in the rooms, and complimentary bottles of mineral water, as well as tea and coffee facilities. The décor is the kind of funky-but-chic contemporary that will, within a short five years, either have been completely re-done, or might have acquired a sort of retro-kitsch feel to it.
I was at the Seafield courtesy of a group of very lovely people that I work with (lovely in the sense that they are all very nice, and lovely in that they had brought us all to the Seafield for a weekend of fun). On the first night, we had a dinner in one of the private dining rooms, and - yes - we were a bit late, and - yes - there were 20 of us to deal with, but the starters were cold (meant to be hot) and the main courses tasted as if they had been kept warm since lunchtime. We solved this by drinking plenty of wine, and having a very nice evening. Dinner in the main restaurant the next night was far more successful (I had delicious scallops), if a little on the pricey side. There are less expensive food options available in the bar and Clubhouse.
Golf, for those who like golf, was reported to be excellent; while the non-golfers tried out the spa (gorgeous in a dark, shiny and opulent sort of a way) and the walk to the beach (beautiful in a totally wholesome and natural sort of a way). In fact, you could go there for the beach alone. The west coast of Ireland may grab the glory when it comes to rugged wildness, but there are stretches along the east that are every bit as wonderful, and I defy anyone not to be delighted by the sight of the sea on a crisp autumn day, as seen from the shelter of a sandy cove.
Hotel time is a strange thing for, by your second night, you feel as if you live there, and in just three days you start to call it "home". If home really were the Seafield, I would make an excursion or two into Gorey, which is so much nicer now they've bypassed it, and I'd definitely stop by Partridges café on the main street for amazing tarts and cakes. I'd also encourage the hotel to plant trees to screen the houses (sorry, suites!) on the way in, and I'd definitely have a word with the DJ about a new playlist to romance me off to sleep at night.
WhereSeafield Golf and Spa Hotel, Gorey, Co Wexford, 053-9424000, www.seafieldhotel.com.
WhatGet-away-from-almost-all-of-it hotel by the sea.
Rooms102 bedrooms, plus 32 two-bed, and 33 three-bed courtyard suites.
Best ratesCurrently from €65.00 per person sharing midweek B&B. Spa and Golf packages available.
Restaurant and barFine dining restaurant, less formal Clubhouse, plus bar food.
AccessFour accessible rooms.
Child-friendlinessPlayground, babysitting and kids' movie nights in high season.
AmenitiesThe Oceo Spa, the beautiful beach, golf on site. Archery, clay pigeon shooting and horse riding can be arranged on request.