Your Ashford sanctuary

Join Catherine Kenny, our Rooms Division Manager, and Mary Flannery, our Accommodation Manager, as they share their top tips for creating your own Ashford Castle sanctuary at home. Catherine has been part of the Ashford Castle family for nearly 25 years, while Mary has worked at Ashford Castle for 18 years. Together, they are experts at creating unique and special Turndowns, thoughtful surprises, and a warm and welcoming atmosphere within our beautiful bedrooms.

The bed

• As the bed usually takes up the majority of the floor space in a bedroom, its presentation is very important for first impressions.
• Oversize the duvet to give a sense of luxury, for example, use a super king-size duvet for a king-size bed.
• Mattress toppers (feather and down or microfibre) add an extra layer of comfort to the bed.
• Pillows are personal preference, however, a firm microfibre pillow offers support and a duck down pillow offers comfort.
• We also recommend mattress protectors and pillow protectors.
• Plain coloured, well-pressed bedding, for example, white or cream, in 300 thread count will give the bed a crisp clean finish.
• When making the bed, place the pillows upright rather than flat to give the bed a finished look.
• Complete the look with a neatly folded throw in a complementing colour at the end of the bed to add interest and texture.

Beside the bed

• A holder for your essentials besides the bed is always helpful, i.e to place your jewellery, glasses and hand cream.
• If you are a reader, stack books neatly with spines showing.
• A bottle of fresh water is always a thoughtful addition.

Design & ambience

• To help create a relaxing atmosphere, candles or diffusers can be used.
• Fresh flowers or a plant will also brighten up a room.
• Carefully appointed lamps or low wattage bulbs can also soften the feel of a room.
• If there is space, a comfortably dressed chair is a luxury for quiet time, meditation and reading.
• Appropriately placed photos, artwork and objects complete the look and can personalise the area.
• Consider the season and use flowers that reflect the time of year, for example, Easter would encourage us to use daffodils and tulips.
• Use flowers to show those you live with that you have considered their preferences - a specific favourite colour, or a colour that someone might wear often.
• Sometimes less is more... Our flowers enhance the castle rooms, but do not detract from the already beautiful features of the Castle.