Fota Island Resort can take a conference of up to 380 people theatre style, a gala dinner for up to 300 guests and a board meeting of 20, with 131 bedrooms on site. The five-star hotel stands on a 780-acre private estate on Fota Island in East Cork, about 15 minutes from Cork city.
Seminars and company events
The resort lists 10 meeting rooms, from a dedicated boardroom to a ballroom with its own terrace. The events team handles conferences, training days, incentive groups and awards nights, and every service used on the estate can be billed together through one main contact. Corporate activities can be added between sessions, with golf on two courses and the spa on the same grounds. When a group needs more beds than the hotel holds, delegates can be housed in self-catering lodges on the estate.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are held in the Smith Barry Suite, the main ballroom, which has a pre-function area with a marble bar and opens onto a landscaped terrace. The suite can be divided for smaller parties while keeping access to the terrace. The golf clubhouse offers a second setting, and the resort also hosts civil ceremonies, christenings, communions and confirmations. A winter wedding showcase is planned for Sunday, November 22, 2026, with tours and supplier meetings by appointment.
Rooms and capacities
The Smith Barry Suite is the largest room, with up to 300 guests for conferences and gala dinners and an outdoor terrace. The resort's event FAQ quotes up to 380 people theatre style for its conference space and private dining for up to 300. The Dorothy Bell Suite seats up to 90 delegates theatre style. It has natural daylight with full-length blinds that darken the room, wall screens on both sides, a projector, a pull-down screen and a flipchart. The Fitzstephen Boardroom takes up to 20 people around a boardroom table, also with daylight and a wall-mounted screen. In the clubhouse, the Library and Niblicks Function Room suit networking, seminars, workshops and awards nights.
Accommodation
The hotel has 131 bedrooms over three floors, including four suites on the third floor. Classic rooms have rainforest showers and free WiFi. Two- and three-bedroom lodges with a kitchen and a garden stand about five minutes on foot from the hotel entrance. Residents have access to the Fota Island Spa and a heated indoor pool.
Catering
Catering is handled by the resort. Conference menus can carry a personal message or a company logo, and the team prepares table plans for dinners. Food and drink outlets include Fota Restaurant, the Amber Lounge, The Clubhouse and The Cove, and afternoon tea is served in the hotel.
History and setting
The estate covers 780 acres of parkland next to Fota House and Fota Wildlife Park. The Deerpark and Barryscourt golf courses and a golf academy share the grounds, which gives groups open space for outdoor activities between working sessions.
Getting there
Cork Airport is about 20 minutes away by car, and Cork city about 15 minutes. Fota station, on the Cork to Cobh commuter line, serves the island. Parking is available at the front and side of the hotel, with overflow car parks for large events.
