Galway - Eat, Drink, and Be Merry - Accomodations
Choosing accommodations while traveling is very personal and depends on lots of factors from your height; to how heavy you sleep; to how convenient you want to be to sites and restaurants; to how much you want to pay …. and many more factors. I will not try to make this decision for you, but I will point out the general localities for lodging in Galway and list some pros and cons.
As a side note, all of Galway is VERY safe by American Standards. You may see the occasional panhandler and sloppy drunk, but that is the worst you will see. Crime is NOT an issue.
I’ve included a google map of central Galway in the figure below. Here are the areas as I would categorize them:
1. Eyre Square
2. College Road
3. Dublin Road
4. N6
5. Spanish Arch
6. Salthill
Eyre Square
This is the area near the center of the map with Shop Street on one corner and the bus and train stations on the other corner. There are a large number of choices in this area from budget to old-style luxury hotels. Eyre Square can be a “party area”, so you will want to check the hotel ratings to see if noise is a problem, particularly if your B&B or Hotel is right on Eyre Square.
Some hotels in this area are:
3. Radisson Blu
The Meyrick Hotel
The Skeffington Arms Hotel
I have not stayed at any of these hotels but I have eaten at The Meyrick, The Park House, The Skeff, and The Western Hotel and the food is pretty good. I have also had business associates or guests who were happy with the accommodations at the Radisson Blu. The Western Bar in the lobby of The Western Hotel has one of the better Trad sessions in Galway on Thursday nights.
View from Radisson Blu
College Road
This area is mostly B&B’s that get very good ratings on Trip Advisor. This is about a 10-15 minute walk to Eyre Square. This area is very near the Dog Track that hosts dog races and Connacht Rugby matches. The Dog Races are on Friday and Saturday. The Rugby matches tend to be earlier in the evening, and usually not a big deal, but could be if you are a light sleeper and need some early nights after previous late pub sessions. Parking can be limited in this area.
A couple of the B&B’s in this area are:
3. Ardawn House
I have not tried any of these B&B’s, but they all seem to get reasonable ratings on www.tripadvisor.com.
Dublin Road
This is the area along Dublin road(R338) located NE from Eyre Square. The area has a large variety and price of accommodations. For the walkers this location is a 20-30 minutes walk to Eyre Square, but you will probably want to take a taxi back to your hotel at night or if the weather is wet. A taxi ride is about €10. A bus line to Eyre Square is also available with stops very near to most of the hotels and B&B’s. If you have a car this is a good area since parking is plentiful or provided by the Hotel.
2. G Hotel
3. Huntsman Inn
I’ve stayed at the Connacht Hotel under previous management and the price, comfort and food were all more than adequate. This is a kid friendly hotel. I’ve eaten at the G hotel and the Hunstman, both are good but I prefer the Hunstman, think upscale pub food.
N6
There are a series of good value hotels and B&B’s along the N6(Bothar na dTreabh) just N-NE of Eyre Square. These hotels are located a 15-25 minute walk from downtown. Parking is not an issue in this area.
Here are a few hotels in this area:
1. Nox
2. Maldron Hote
l3. Menlo Park Hotel
I have not stayed or eaten at any of these hotels. I have had business associates who had no complaints with the Maldron Hotel under previous management.
Spanish Arch
This is the area at the other end of Shop Street from Eyre Square near the Corrib River and Father Griffin Road. There are several B&B’s in this area as well as some pretty good low-medium end hotels. The B&B’s across the bridge from Quay Street (originally Shop Street in Eyre Square) are probably quieter since they are away from the partying, the buskers, and the bands along Quay Street in the Spanish Arch. The good news is that all the accommodations in this area have a great view of the Bay and/or the River and are near many of my favorite restaurants and music venues.
Some of the hotels and B&B’s in this area are:
1. Jurys Inn
3. Lawndale B&B
5. High Tide B&B
Jurys Inn Galway
Salthill
Salthill has a mix of Grand Old-Style Hotels and B&B’s, and most of them overlook Galway Bay. Along the water is the Salthill Prom (or Promenade) made famous by the song Galway Girl. There are a variety of restaurants and pubs nearby that tend to be a newer style than the Latin Quarter and Eyre Square. In general, parking is not an issue in this area, but it is a 15-30 minute walk to Eyre Square.
Some of the hotels and B&B’s in this area are:
3. Galway Bay Sea View Apartments
I have not stayed at any of these hotels. I have eaten at the Galway Bay Hotel (before Trad on the Prom) and it was OK, but I was eating there on a Sunday afternoon during the high season.
If you have a hard time finding what you want in Galway you may also want to try Oranmore or Athenry. You will find the accomodations slightly cheaper and very quiet. Both have access to Galway via the train or taxi. (taxi to Oranmore is €15-20 and Athenry is €30-35).
If you live in Galway or have visited Galway and have a favorite hotel, just let me know I can add to the blog
See You In The Pub!
Jet Lag Jack