Kim Kardashian has given a shout-out to a castle in Laois, naming it as one of her favorite hotels worldwide. The reality TV star spent her honeymoon with ex-husband Kanye West at Ballyfin Demesne in 2014 following their extravagant Italian wedding. The endorsement came during a rapid-fire Q&A with travel content creator @firstclasjerk, where Kim casually mentioned the Irish country house hotel.
She replied: “Nothing like an Aman. Especially in Tokyo. So many more to try. Love Ballyfin in Ireland, love Villa San Michelle, Belmont in Florence.”
Ballyfin Demesne is a five-star retreat featuring three Michelin stars, acres of landscaped gardens, and a reputation for discreet, ultra-luxury service. Over a decade later, it appears the Irish getaway has remained a favorite for Kim despite her travels around the globe. The news comes as Melania Trump’s ‘true feelings’ about UK exposed by body language expert.
Celebrity agent Siobhan Byrne Learat told the Sunday World in 2021: “Kim is ultra cautious and we had initially planned for them to stay in Lugalla but when she heard about the filming there she decided to ask to stay elsewhere here, so we booked them into Castle Oliver in Co. Limerick and later Ballyfin Demesne in Co. Laois.”
During their stay in Ireland, she managed Kim and Kanye’s requests and itinerary.
“We looked after them and people in our team dealt with them,” she points out. “I only get involved if I need to because it’s better to keep your distance. They are coming here first of all to vacation, or in Kim and Kanye’s case their honeymoon. So you are trying to give them space and let them know if they need you, but not necessarily be in their face.”
Kim and Kanye had originally intended to head to Scotland for their honeymoon but then opted for Ireland instead. “In that case, I think we got 48 hours before they came,” she recalls.
“With Michael Jackson it was different. We got the inquiry in twice before he came. A lot of these people do it on the spur of the moment.” There are a limited number of properties they provide. “We have a shortlist – like we always think of the Lismores, the Luttrellstowns, they spring to mind,” she notes.
“Lugalla (castle in Co. Wicklow) was a perfect one for us because it was isolated.
“I really wish they (Kim and Kanye) had gone there, because I knew he had wanted to go but she was worried because they were filming the Vikings there at the time.”
She discloses that Kim and Kanye had previously stayed in Ballyfin a few years before their 2014 honeymoon here. “We weren’t involved in their first trip, I think it was when he was here for a concert,” she reveals.
“They had loved Ballyfin the first time they were there. In fact, I did suggest Ballyfin at the beginning but they were against the idea because they felt it was a hotel. They don’t want to be overserviced, but they want discreet staff, that anticipate their needs and know when they should be around.
“They don’t want staff in their face and that’s what places like Ballyfin excel in, and that’s why they’re perfect for celebrities.”
The couple also added personal touches during their honeymoon here. “They also went to the cinema (in Portlaoise and Tullamore),” she recalls.
“They had a wonderful woman cooking for them when they were in Castle Oliver, a lady who ran a cookery bed and breakfast down in Cork who used to get rave reviews for her breakfast, so they had her cooking for them in Castle Oliver.
“I know they were very appreciative in the sense that Kanye always thanked her for her food,” she added at her time.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
