The Blue Haven Hotel

Hotels
8.4 (731 reviews)
The Blue Haven Hotel, 3 / 4 Pearse Street , Kinsale , ie

Children allowed

Facilities

Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Room service
Family rooms
Luggage storage
Safety deposit box
Fax/photocopying
Tour desk
Ironing service
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Delicious breakfast
Cons:
Cleanliness issues
Room noise
Inconsistent food quality

Categories

Cleanliness
7.9
Specific issues with cleanliness noted, including dirty bathroom fixtures and stained carpets.
Service
9.4
Staff were consistently described as friendly and helpful.
Location
9.4
Location frequently praised as perfect and central.
Room Quality
7.4
Complaints about room size, noise from the street, and outdated fixtures.
Amenities
7.9
Amenities mentioned were limited; very few features highlighted positively.
Value for Money
7.9
Concerns about pricing relative to portion sizes and quality of food.
Food and Beverage
8.4
Breakfast received high praise, but food inconsistencies noted.
Overall Experience
8.9
Mixed overall experience but positive feelings about stay and staff.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-09 16:32

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodation
Indulge in comfort with classically decorated rooms featuring cosy pocket-sprung beds and modern amenities.

Culinary Delights
Savour the taste of fresh seafood at the on-site Fishmarket Restaurant or enjoy homemade cakes and coffee at the Blue Haven Café.

Convenient Location
Explore nearby attractions such as Garrestown Beach, Charlesfort, and the Old Head Golf Links, all just a short distance away.

Experience the charm of Kinsale at The Blue Haven Hotel. Book now to enjoy a delightful stay with us.

Important information:

For group booking for 4 or more room, a 50% booking deposit is taken at time of booking, this is non refundable and non transferable.

Remaining balance is due 14 days prior to the arrival date. Please note that pre-authorization for incidentals is required upon check-in.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 3 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Parking

    Public parking is possible at a location nearby (reservation is not needed) and costs EUR 1.50 per hour.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available extra bed.
    Children from 3 years old to 12 years old stay for € 20 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.4
Based on 731 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.9
Service: 9.4
Location: 9.4
Room Quality: 7.4
Amenities: 7.9
Value for Money: 7.9
Food and Beverage: 8.4
Overall Experience: 8.9
P
Petra couple cz
9
Pros:

Pokoj krásný čistý , super lokalita a úžasný personál. Skvěle snídaně

Cons:

Pro dva trochu menší postel a velmi měkká matrace , pokoj je hůře větratelný , ale na pokoji mají čističku vzduchu značky Dyson , takže chválím !!!!

2026-06-18 via Nuitee
D
DHanafin69 solo_traveller gb
7
Good location no parking
Pros:

Reception staff were great

Cons:

Breakfast staff poor non attentive

2026-06-16 via Nuitee
E
Erin extended_group ie
7
Amazing location and customer care.
Pros:

Excellent location, fabulous food and the best customer service, in every department, that I’ve had in ages. Isla at front desk was super and the restaurant staff were wonderful. Housekeeping staff also so friendly and helpful.

Cons:

For the money, the bedroom was really, really ‘tired’. And small! Mould (black)on the ceiling of the shower, water leaks out of shower, light over bathroom mirror not working… the room definitely let the hotel down.

2026-06-15 via Nuitee
M
MARY solo_traveller ie
8
2026-06-13 via Nuitee
W
Will_1988 solo_traveller ie
6
Pros:

Great location, nice staff & excellent breakfast.

Cons:

Room was facing onto street and lots of noise until about 2am (Fri eve). Then at 7am was work men making loads of noise for about an hour or so with a truck. Poor nights sleep despite being in bed at midnight.

Painting being done in the hallways in the middle of June!! Could this not have been done all winter!!

2026-06-13 via Nuitee
R
Roving40367599490 Couples Dublin, County Dublin
10
Lovely Hotel in the centre of the town
Pros:

Lovely hotel in the centre of the town. We stayed at The Blue Haven Hotel for 2 nights. What can I say ….. the staff were superb. We were very welcomed by the reception team on arrival. We dined in the Bar on the first night as their fine dining restaurant Rare was closed on a Monday. The food was delicious. To top off the night they had live music & the two guys playing were very good. The breakfast team in the morning were very friendly and got time to speak with all the guests.
The hotel was under refurbishment which all looks very exciting.
While we didn’t get the chance to dine in Rare on this occasion we will most definitely be back over the summer to The Blue Haven Hotel their fabulous hospitality again.

5 stars all round we will be back

2026-06-11 via Tripadvisor
C
Catherine O Keeffe solo_traveller ie
10
Incredible place to stay
Pros:

Great Staff - Arrived late that staff were so helpful - even kept the kitchen open so that I could get something to eat - Everyone went out of their way to help - real hospitality!!

Cons:

Nothing, everything was perfect

2026-06-10 via Nuitee
K
K7420SNbrianm Friends getaway
10
Great hotel, central location, good food and excellent service. Donna was a star!
Pros:

Centrally located, good food & excellent service. a special mention Donna who did a great job of looking after us and could not have been more friendly and helpful

2026-06-09 via Tripadvisor
K
Kathryn extended_group ca
8
2026-06-07 via Nuitee
S
Sofia solo_traveller pt
10
Cons:

Size and view

2026-06-07 via Nuitee
K
Kjetil Grønnerød couple no
8
2026-06-06 via Nuitee
A
alisonh800 Couples Reading, Berkshire, England
2
Shocking Blue Haven
Pros:

Shocking ! We had booked 6 months in advance from Australia. 2 Double rooms were booked and the Blue Haven confirmed by email.
We arrived to find one room was a single room no 21. The stairway carpets were filthy and stained the landing and hallway smelt damp and musty. The Room was the size of a shoe box the shower one could hardly step into. The bed was 4ft wide!!! The grey carpet was heavily stained and rucked up with wear and tear! When we complained to the lady Manager she did after a longish conversation, move us to Room 9. The room had filthy carpet again rucked and stained. The windows in the place are filthy. The outside window sill in Room 9 was disgusting and the roof top outside the window was covered in pigeon poo!! Horrid!!!
We were woken at 5.30 with the awful smell of bacon cooking.
At €213 for the first night and an exorbitant €323 for the second night - a complete rip off. Stay away from this awful 4* RIP OFF .
Breakfast obviously cooked hours before and not cooked to order.
A very very sad end to a wonderful trip to Ireland where we stayed in wonderful real 4* hotels.
I wouldn’t recommend The Blue Haven to my worst enemy!

Stay away

2026-06-05 via Tripadvisor
R
RobynM46 Couples Perth, Greater Perth, Western Australia
4
4 STAR……. NO WAY!
Pros:

My husband & I have been driving around Ireland & staying at 4 star hotels along the way, which were all booked in January 26. We left the 4 star Victoria hotel in Killarney( absolutely fabulous) before arriving at The Blue Haven, supposedly 4 star, in Kinsale. What a huge disappointment it was. I had booked a Double room, which was barely adequate in size. The bathroom was tiny, with insufficient storage for your bathroom products. The toilet seat had a broken hinge, there were stains on the carpet which was worn and the upholstered chair had a large stain on the seat, see the photos ….. this hotel is definitely NOT a 4 star hotel like the others we experienced. . And I’ve never had to pay the total cost at the beginning of our stay. Even more annoying was our 2 night stay had 2 different charges….. €213 the first night & then a more than 50% increase for the second night, at €323 !! Honestly, at €323 for the night you expect better quality accommodation.
Same room, same everything….. that did not happen in any other hotel we stayed at during our 2 week trip. The hotel rates are exorbitant for what we got. We had stayed at other places with similar rates that were far superior. This hotel should reduce its rates while it is in such a poor condition. It is in serious need of an upgrade and I would not stay there again or recommend it. Such a pity to end our journey in Ireland here.

2026-06-05 via Tripadvisor
E
Explore08079325224 Business New York City, New York
10
Great place
Pros:

Great location in centre of Kinsale - amazing food- we ate in rare restaurant - music in bar was an added bonus

2026-06-03 via Tripadvisor
J
John solo_traveller ie
1
Pros:

doubke charged

Cons:

I hmcalled to reception 3 timrs to attempt to resolve doublencm charge & they woulf not deal with it. I am now chsrging bsck the card

2026-06-01 via Nuitee
S
siejoepuntnl Couples Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant Province
6
Kinsale's Charm in a Central Location, with a Few Caveats
Pros:

The Blue Haven Hotel puts you right in the heart of Kinsale, and for exploring one of Ireland's most beloved coastal towns, the location is hard to fault. Everything is on your doorstep... the harbour, the restaurants, the winding streets. As a base, it works beautifully.
That said, being in the thick of it comes with trade-offs worth knowing about before you book. Rooms on the street side can be on the noisy side. Kinsale is a lively town, and between the traffic and the live music drifting up from below, light sleepers may want to request a quieter room or pack earplugs. The windows offer limited sound insulation, so this is worth bearing in mind. We also visited during a heatwave, and the rooms ran quite warm... not the hotel's fault exactly, but ventilation is something to factor in during summer visits.
Where the Blue Haven genuinely shines is at breakfast. The spread is excellent and the morning staff are warm, attentive, and a real pleasure to deal with... the kind of start to the day that sets a good mood. We also caught the Tuesday night trad session, which was brilliant. It drew a big, lively crowd and had exactly the atmosphere you hope for in Ireland. Don't miss it if you're there mid-week.
Overall, the Blue Haven is a comfortable and characterful hotel in a prime spot. Our one reservation is value: at the price point, you're paying a premium for the location and the name, and a few of the practical comfort details don't quite match up. Not a dealbreaker, but worth factoring into your expectations.
A good base... just go in with eyes open.

2026-05-31 via Tripadvisor
J
Jennifer couple gb
8
2026-05-31 via Nuitee
A
Anthony solo_traveller gb
10
Pros:

A real gem of Ireland, staff so friendly and couldn’t do enough for me, definitely will be returning 🙏

2026-05-30 via Nuitee
D
Debra couple us
7
Wonderful staff great location but very worn and dated.
Pros:

Great staff; very helpful courteous and friendly. Location also great. Musician was excellent.

Cons:

Our room was stifling hot making it difficult to sleep. The hotel us also worn. Carpets are stained and worn, chair in our room was stained and worn and mattresses were old and uncomfortable. I could feel the coils when I laid down. Basically it needs an update.
That said it was clean - bathroom fixtures and floor were clean.

2026-05-28 via Nuitee
W
Wazzo1000 solo_traveller ie
8
Loved my stay - will return
Pros:

All of the above - very good to excellent and staff very helpful and friendly. I only had breakfast on this occasion but it was very good.

Cons:

Angle lamps in bedroom were a bit awkward beside the bed -perhaps they are too big? Small complaint.

2026-05-22 via Nuitee