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Some of Ireland's finest country-house and castle hotels are in this area. Dromoland Castle, between Shannon Airport and Ennis, provides a standard of luxury that you should experience at least once, if you can stretch your budget. Star country-house destinations include Gregans Castle Hotel, a tranquil retreat with views of the Burren and Galway Bay, and the more modest but also charming Ballinalacken Castle, a shooting lodge set in 100 acres of wildflower meadows next to the ruins of an O'Brien castle. Other memorable destinations include the cliff-top Moy House at Lahinch, and, in total contrast, the exuberantly glitzy "g" Hotel in Galway. Indoor pools and tennis courts are the exception rather than the rule in this region, where business is largely seasonal and the emphasis is on outdoor pursuits. Note: During peak events, such as the Galway Festival Race Week, hotel rates in Galway shoot up.
This 144-room quality property is one of the few full-facilities hotels in the region, with a gym, spa, and the same in-room facilities you would expect from a quality-brand hotel. Its location is hard to match---on an elevated site overlooking Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, just off the N18 and close to public transport.
Galway's grande-dame hotel (formerly Hotel Meyrick) was built to accommodate train passengers to the heart of Galway in the middle of the 19th century, but even after an expensive makeover, the hotel has managed to retain its Victorian character and restrained opulence with black-and-white-checkered tiles, sash windows, solid oak fixtures, and crystal chandeliers. The upstairs corridors are still wide enough to cater to the wide-hooped dresses worn by its earliest guests. Smaller "carriage rooms," at a reduced rate, are good for single guests. The gaslight brasserie and Oyster Bar are a welcome addition to Galway's evening scene.
Understated modern bedrooms and a cornerstone location on O'Connell Street, right in the town center, is the key to the enduring success of this 18th-century ivy-clad landmark hotel. Old-fashioned charm meets contemporary élan at this winning entry to Ennis's hotel stakes—rest on the lobby's inviting brocade sofas as you study paintings on the wall from the hotel's striking collection of new Irish artists, including Donald Teskey, Cecil Maguire, and Mick O'Dea. In contrast to the period furnishings of the public rooms, guest rooms have an uncluttered but sophisticated style, with furniture painted in soothing shades of taupe or eau de Nil, crisp white linen, and spacious bathrooms. For dinner, go formal with a four-course menu in the Brendan O'Regan Room, or enjoy a casual meal in the hotel's Town Hall Bistro, one of the finest restaurants in town—roast rack of Clare lamb with rosemary ratatouille, perhaps. Then adjourn to the Poet's Corner pub, which, set on Ennis's main street, is the very heart of the town's social life, with award-winning live Irish music sessions most nights.
