2011 Award Winners HIDEAWAY OF THE YEAR 2011

Saratoga Lodge - Templemore, Co Tipperary

 “Everyone loves the idea of a hideaway, and this is one of our most popular awards. Whether it’s the establishments itself which offers that sense of privacy and seclusion, or its location, there is something very appealing about a place that you can disappear to and escape everyday pressures.

Saratoga Lodge has been in business for some years, yet it will be new to many. It is in a beautiful part of the country, yet not a place that many visitors reach.

But Val Beamish’s lovely classically-proportioned house on a working stud farm, just below the Devil’s Bit in Co Tipperary, is an idyllic destination that many will be delighted they have found, with warm hospitality, friendly animals, immaculate maintenance, comfort, bikes available for guests - and fresh garden fruits and new-laid eggs among the treats for breakfast.

And Val Beamish is a wonderful host, who knows the area inside out and loves nothing better than introducing people to it. What a gem.”