Brilliant place to stay...quirky and friendly with the best pint of Guiness & cup of tea in Ireland!

Just returned from 2 nights stay, Ron was excellent, he encapsulated what a holiday in Ireland should be about, relaxed, good humoured and the Guinness was good. I would recommend this hotel for a perfect break.

We booked accommodation for five adults six months before we arrived. There was a worldwide family reunion being held at the house, which happened to have been the old family homestead many years ago, and hence was the perfect location. Some 32 people from all over had booked including 12 from Australia. We had read the Trip Adviser comments and had some concerns, but on arrival found it well signposted and the house did not have any peeling paint as commented, and appeared to have been recently, if not overly well painted. On entering there is an untidy desk serving as reception and the furniture is threadbare and stained. We were warmly greeted by the family members, but could not find anyone to check us in. We waited in the bar and had a cup of tea whilst we waited for 2 ½ hours for Ron to make an appearance. Everyone said he was rarely there and was in and out and hard to catch. All said they had had trouble booking in, and most had not received what they booked, and no one had been able to pin Ron to a price, which he quoted as between 35 and 45 Euro per person per day. Ron finally bustled in and started serving at the bar. There is an elderly gentleman who comes in every day and orders 2 Guinness as he know he can never find Ron to get the second glass. My sister in law who had made the booking finally went to the bar and asked him about checking in but was rudely told to go away as he was busy serving. Ron came out 10 minutes later and said there was no rooms, but he could make up one room for all of us. My wife asked if he could check the booking list, but it was very obvious that he did not have a list. I then made the comment that we had booked a long time ago and this delay and situation was a bit unsatisfactory. With this Ron exploded and shouted he was too busy to put up with this and that he didn’t have to take it. He then marched off, but then went back and forwards at the end of the corridor shouting abuse about how we were not telling the truth and that we had been there less than an hour and he would not put up with this. I told him if it was beyond his abilities then he should hire someone who could do the job. I am a retired police officer and used to dealing with people like this, but fronted him about calling us liars. It came very close to becoming very nasty until my sister in law stood between us telling me he was not worth it. We then decided to leave whilst the family member who had been tip toeing around for several days trying not to upset Ron pleaded for us to stay. Ron later came out and said he was moving other guests who had only know each other for a few hours in with each other to make room. I considered this unsatisfactory due to the lead time in booking. I was prepared to be conciliatory in the interest of family harmony, but I told him that I would not stay unless we had a firm price. He then walked away, sending a waitress back to say the price was 45 Euro a head regardless of where you slept. So we left and drove straight into an exceptional B&B 100m away which was 4 Stars and 30 Euro per person. Ron appears to be an oaf, has a fiery, short tempered personality with very limited people skills and is not up to the job that he has set himself. Maybe his is fine one on one, but cannot cope with pressure that he puts himself under. He tries to do the checking in, the bar work, the renovations which was very obvious with junk piled up all over the place and paint tins under the stairs, make beds and run it like a huge B&B and it is clearly beyond his limited abilities. Other people who came to the House commented on this very strange man that was there. We were forced to return several times for functions, but these were fragmented as large groups went into town to eat because of the slow service and excessive pricing. Ron single handedly seriously damaged the success of the reunion, especially as several people were unhappy with Ron and left early, so the planned get-togethers did not happen..
The Hotel is nicely located and once renovated could be really something, if run by someone else. People in the town even commented to us that he was an embarrassment to the area as our experience was not unique. Every other person we met in the area was excellent, very helpful and friendly. If you want to stay in the area, which is delightful, stay next door, where the accommodation and the landlady are exceptional.
We have stayed in at least 100 Hotels worldwide and have never had an experience even close to this. If I could enter 0 stars, I would have.

If you want prompt service or to be waited on hand and foot, then don't go to Crutch's. However, for th rest of us who enjoy the relaxed lifestyle, the charm of Ireland and a good craich, then this is the place for you.

I was recommended Crutch's by a friend, and was prepared to be disappointed. I was over visiting my family in Dubln and booked some nights over in Kerry. Instead of spending 3 nights at Crutch's we stayed for a week.

Sure, the house needs a bit of work, the menu is never correct and the water drawn from the mountain streams sometimes brown, but this place is soooo laid back (thanks in great part to the owner, Ron). My family and I were sad to leave.

Like the other review, don't go there - it'll spoil it for the rest of us!