Oh my pod, this hideaway is delightful!
A hotel getaway is always a treat, but sometimes you want something that’s a little bit different. One such place is Killaloe Luxury Pods in Co. Clare. The draw for me initially to experience a night away in these bespoke pods was purely the set-up with its amazing views of the River Shannon, which can be enjoyed from the bed, the deck and the hot tub.
Each pod has its own hot tub, a major highlight for any guest. However, the commodities aside, what I enjoyed most about Killaloe Luxury Pods was the peace and serenity of the cosy little set-up that certainly was ‘a pod with a view’ that allows you to completely unwind and recharge the batteries. Going forward, staycations like this are definitely going to be on the cards more while exploring Ireland.
Inspired by a traditional timber-framed holiday chalet, each of the three pods has beautiful views of the River Shannon. The pods are not spacious, in fact if you’re tall like myself, you’ll most certainly knock a few things over and there could be trouble in the kitchen area with two people.
Making use of a small space, the pods come with the comfiest bed, a trendy kitchenette and bathroom area, as well as an outdoor terrace with a hot tub. The latter really was fabulous and a major selling point - in fact after my stay I tried to convince my parents to get one for our family home. They were not impressed and I think the word ‘notions’ was thrown around in our family Whats App Group.
Another huge selling point was the BBQ area. It's nice when you go away to feel like you’re staying in a place that has the ‘home away from home’ vibes and the BBQ ticked all the boxes here. It was so nice to have a few beers and tuck into some home cooked food that had plenty of leftovers to be enjoyed throughout the night.
I loved too that breakfast was provided and used local produce from local providers. You have to cook it yourself, but the quality of the food was superb. We were blessed with the weather – it was meant to rain, the sun was out the whole time and it was glorious to say the least.
I love to explore and go for walks and hikes, and these pods are the perfect base from which to explore the lakeside villages of Killaloe, which are picturesque. There are plenty of things to do in the area, including all sorts of water sport activities from kayaking to sailing and canoeing, plus there’s plenty of hiking trails.
Before heading home we did part of the Lough Derg Way walk. The complete walk is 64km, so we did 8km, and interestingly, we passed a lot of cosy and rugged homes along the way and even came across a herd of sheep too just basking in the sunshine minding their own business.
After our walk, we also stopped off in Killaloe village, which is picture-perfect. A boating and fishing village with loads of water activities, cute cafes and gorgeous houses and restaurants, I loved it and would definitely be open to renting a boat for a night or two in the near future.
Killaloe luxury Pods really are unique, luxurious yet homely, very comfortable and the cleanliness was superb. If you are in need of an escape and can picture yourself stargazing, while stretching your legs out in a hot tub with a glass of bubbles in hand, then this is the staycation escape for you. I loved it and you will too. Including breakfast and a bottle of bubbles, prices start from €240. Visit killaloeluxurypods.com to check availability.