Arriving as I did from the northern side of Ashbourne, the Marriott Hotel is the first, and I must say very impressive, sight you meet on the outskirts of the town. The grounds are very well kept, and the entrance to the hotel is very welcoming and well signposted. The lobby is spacious and modern, with loads of seating areas. The staff are warm, friendly and competent. Check-in was as quick and painless as I like it to be. The rooms are well appointed and comfortable, with a very good air-conditioning system too. The room has every thing one would need or expect in a four star hotel nowadays, apart from the fact that the space where I presumed the mini-bar should be was empty - not only was there no drink............there was no bar either!! I had meant to ask the staff about this, but forgot to do so. The bathroom was adequate - probably could have been a bit bigger, perhaps with a separate shower which some hotels now provide, and certainly there should have been more towels and toiletries - it was as if they were expecting one person instead of two!
We arrived on a Sunday evening and found we were unable to eat in the restaurant, but gladly settled for the bar menu which was very good - the food was good and plentiful. The service was excellent, as was the service from the bar itself.
My major disappointment was breakfast. By now I have grown accustomed to a wide selection of foods at breakfast, and I found the breakfast at the Marriott Ashbourne lacking in choice. The menu is extensive enough but there should be a wider variety of cereals, breads, jams, fruit and cold meats.
I would like to have been able to sample the restaurant menu, but maybe another time. I would be happy to stay there again, and to recommend it to friends, family and fellow travellers.