Galway
Where To Stay

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Tourism has always been a substantial part of the life-blood of Galway. So much so, in fact, that an appreciable percentage of Galway's population is constantly refreshed on a regular basis, when visitors decide to stay on. Unsurprisingly, then, there is a wide and varied range of accommodation from which to choose. Whatever their preference, any prospective guest of Galway can be assured that they will find lodgings which will easily meet their needs in both price and facilities. Both hotels and their less affluent siblings, hostels, are dotted extensively throughout the city and surrounding areas.

Due to Galway having a youthful and more arty ambiance than many cities, it is no surprise that accommodation is plentiful for those for whom a mini-bar and conferencing facilities are less important than having the craic. Hostels abound in the city centre, with no fewer than ten well-appointed lodgings within walking distance of Eyre Square in the centre of the city. These hostels provide inexpensive accommodation, and often serve as meeting places for people from all corners of the globe. It is said that during the summer season the most common phrase heard on the streets is 'So, where are you from?'!

The trendy west end of the city is home to the Arch View Hostel on Dominic Street. This area is also home to some of Galway's more popular pubs, and is only a short walk to the resort and suburb of Salthill, overlooking picturesque Galway Bay. In immediate proximity to the city centre are a number of hostels. Kinlay House, Woodquay Hostel and the Eyre Square Hotel are all within minutes of Eyre Square. All boast good facilities with both private and shared accommodation on offer.

Since Galway is one of Europe's fastest growing cities, areas which were previously on the outskirts, or even in the surrounding countryside, have become incorporated into the city. Expansion in the number of hotels corresponds with this, with new hotels constantly being built within convenient distances of the town. This type of hotel, along with the increasing trend towards good value accommodation, gives the visitor an increasingly superior choice of places to stay. Within the city and surrounding area, a multitude of hotels can be found with features one would have found in only the most exclusive accommodation only a few years ago.

Galway city itself has a number of fine hotels: Ardilaun House near Salthill, the Galway Bay Hotel and Salthill Hotel overlooking the waters of Galway Bay and Brennan's Yard Hotel in the city centre.

The city can boast two Great Southern hotels, a unique claim in Ireland. The quality of these hotels is renowned, and sets the standard for hotel accommodation in the area. The other hotel groups which have made Galway their home are Ryan Hotels with their Galway Ryan and Leisure Centre, Jury's with their Galway Inn on the River Corrib, Ibis, whose hotel on the main Dublin/Limerick road is much favored by business travellers, and Quality Inn who have a very conveniently located hotel on the outskirts of Oranmore, about five miles from Galway.

Oranmore can also boast the Galway Bay Golf and Country Club Hotel. This hotel on the southeast coast of Galway Bay has a panoramic view of the bay. It also features a beautifully designed par 72 golf course designed by famed Irish international golf star Christy O'Connor. For those fond of a round or two, it is hard to beat. Luxury cottage accommodation can also be provided for extended periods, ideal for those who find it hard to leave this beautiful corner of Ireland.

Further to the south of the city, we find the Clarenbridge Court, the Oyster Manor and the sumptuous Lady Gregory Hotel. All on the main Limerick road, the relative seclusion of these will appeal to those seeking repose in this one-time home of W.B. Yeats.

For the more exclusive visitor, there are many guesthouses in and around Galway which specialise in quality instead of quantity. Most of these have a much smaller capacity than their more commercial brethren, but this is more than compensated for by the increase in personal attention. On the way to picturesque Connemara lies Galway's only five-star accommodation, the famous Glenloe Abbey. On the main Dublin road is St. Cleran's in the village of Craughwell, once home to film director John Huston and his actress daughter, Angelica. Other houses of note are Norman Villa in Salthill, Killeen House in Bushypark and Lisdonagh Manor on the road north towards Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.