{"id":87140,"date":"2020-10-12T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T05:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/irelands-ashford-castle-became-couples-lavish-covid-19-lockdown\/"},"modified":"2020-10-12T08:00:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T05:00:43","slug":"irelands-ashford-castle-became-couples-lavish-covid-19-lockdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/irelands-ashford-castle-became-couples-lavish-covid-19-lockdown\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ireland’s Ashford castle became couple’s lavish COVID-19 lockdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Ireland’s Ashford castle became couple’s lavish COVID-19 lockdown<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n At 800 years old, Ireland\u2019s Ashford Castle<\/a> has been visited by the likes of Brad Pitt, Barbra Streisand and James Bond himself. Pierce Brosnan held his wedding reception at the elegant property in 2001.<\/p>\n

But the hotel\u2019s pandemic occupants have the most exclusive experience of all.<\/p>\n

Because of the coronavirus, employees Laura Jamieson, 23, a senior guest executive, and Michael Smith, 28, the estate manager, were, for months, the property\u2019s sole inhabitants.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re the girlfriend-and-boyfriend caretakers of its luxurious 83 bedrooms (which can run up to $600 a night) and amenities including a wine cellar, spa, tea house and cinema. It sits on 350 acres of wooded estate on the shores of Lough Corrib, Ireland\u2019s second-largest lake. The five-star hotel in County Mayo, which gets shining reviews, is now open to residents from the nearby Galway area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel incredibly proud and lucky to have been trusted with the important job of custodians,\u201d Jamieson tells The Post. Tasks included vacuuming and dusting, plus fielding guest inquiries and bookings in advance of its July reopening.<\/p>\n

Oh, and flushing the manor\u2019s daunting 160 toilets to keep the plumbing in order. That chore actually takes a few hours, but they\u2019ve figured out a trick. \u201cWe work as a team and that helps to speed up the process,\u201d adds Jamieson.<\/p>\n

\nThe couple, who met while working at the castle and have been together for a year and a half, likened their experience to a reality show that no one is watching. While their regular bedroom is a five-minute drive away in the city of Cross, their new one, in the Victorian wing of the castle, is something out of a fairy tale.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has the most stunning view out over Lough Corrib,\u201d says Jamieson. \u201cThe room has high ceilings, a working fireplace and silk on the walls. There is ample wardrobe space and is most definitely something we will miss when the time comes to move out.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their downtime, Jamieson and Smith go for walks on the estate and visit various animal friends, taking treats to the horses at the Ashford stables and checking in with the falconry school, which houses falcons, hawks and an European eagle owl named Dingle. Says Jamieson, \u201cThey have 38 birds in total and the whole vicinity is essentially a 5-star luxury hotel for birds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Laura
Laura Jamieson and Michael Smith, who met while working at the Ashford Castle hotel, were responsible for keeping it in tip-top shape during Ireland\u2019s lockdown.<\/span>Ashford Castle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And in their explorations of the hotel, they found favorite spots, like the billiards room, with leather-clad armchairs and adjoining cigar terrace, and the elegant Connaught Room, where afternoon tea is served with views of manicured gardens and the lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the morning, with the sunlight coming through the windows, it is particularly lovely,\u201d Jamieson says.<\/p>\n

But while having a gigantic palace to yourself can be a dream, sometimes it\u2019s nice to have people around. Especially at mealtime. \u201cWhile the facilities [in the kitchen] are state of the art, they can be rather daunting for a beginner,\u201d admits Jamieson.<\/p>\n

\nAnd while the castle\u2019s George V dining room is usually a highlight of a guest\u2019s stay, with locally sourced tasting menus served under Waterford chandeliers, having it to yourself can be a little lonely. \u201cThe George V fine-dining restaurant is normally so full of life,\u201d Jamieson says. \u201cThe fact it was only us in the restaurant just felt wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamieson and Smith instead prefer a good game<\/a> of Monopoly, or pairing wine from the cellar with snacks and screenings in the hotel\u2019s 1920s throwback cinema, with their choice of 32 plush velvet seats. They\u2019ve worked through \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d as well as John Ford\u2019s 1952 classic \u201cThe Quiet Man,\u201d starring John Wayne and Maureen O\u2019Hara.<\/p>\n

Much of the that movie was filmed on the castle grounds.<\/p>\n

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