I arrived at Ballyfin after a long drive in a cold rain.  How wonderful to pull up to the main house and see Lionel, a member of the hotel staff, waiting with umbrella, eager to usher me into the warmth of the main house.  Once inside, I was immediately shown a blazing fire in the library and in the house’s main living room, two spots ideal for afternoon tea.  I changed quickly in my room – a beautiful suite overlooking the front of the house and the lake – and opted for a restorative tea in the library.  Sitting there by the fire as tea and cookies and scones were served, I felt a deep sense of contentment.  At Ballyfin, I was treated like a long-awaited friend, and within a few minutes, I felt completely at home.  Although the main house is grand, there are only fifteen guest rooms within it, ensuring quiet and lots of personal attention.  The estate itself is as well cared for as its guests, and the love and attention with which the house was restored – a process that took over nine years – is evident in every detail from the delicately inlaid floors to the plasterwork on the ceilings.  Rolls of antique wallpapers were purchased from auctions, gilt was painstakingly restored on surfaces, and modern amenities were blended seamlessly and artfully into the period décor.  Now that the restoration is over, the estate’s staff continues to look after Ballyfin with the same devotion and sense of purpose, welcoming guests to the magnificent property.  The grounds of the estate are spectacular as well, and although I visited on what felt like the coldest day of year, it was a joy to wander the paths along the estate, passing by gorgeous stone follies, Ballyfin lake, and some stone ruins farther out on the 600-acre property.  I was well equipped for wandering, having been carefully wrapped in a tartan blanket by Lionel and provided a golf buggy that afforded some protection from the wind.  Returning to the main house (where tea was once again waiting for me in front of the library fire) I wanted to stay forever!  I was not surprised to learn that many guests spend three or four days at the estate without ever venturing off the property – content with exploring the grounds on foot, by golf buggy, or on horseback – or indulging in fishing, falconry, reading, sitting by the fire, or in the estate’s first-rate spa.  The dining room offers yet another reason not to venture out.  Ballyfin takes cuisine very seriously, and the chef, French-born, Jean Michel Chevet, seems well on his way to garnering some Michelin stars for the property.  The atmosphere at Ballyfin is one of warmth, familiarity, relaxation, and thoughtful comfort.  Now that I have experienced Ballyfin, I will not be able to stay away for long.