6 Best Hotels in Galway City, County Clare, Galway, and the Aran Islands

Following its cool and cutting-edge brothers in Dublin and Cork, the Dean has added a splash of design to drab Prospect Hill, offering state-of-the-art facilities and trendy dining to the West. The 100 bedrooms offer quality bedding, rainfall power showers, Netflix-enabled smart TVs, Marshall Amps and retro record players, along with Brooks toiletries. The popular Elephant and Castle Restaurant from Temple Bar in Dublin makes an appearance along with Sophies Rooftop Restaurant, a bar and restaurant with city views. The Dean is in the city center.

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.

Sheltered from noise on a one-way street with views overlooking the River Corrib, the House Hotel is arguably Galway's best-appointed property, just a stone's throw from the best of the city's vibrant restaurant and pub scene and a two-minute walk from the Quays. The intimate boutique style has endured even with a change of ownership in 2017, and rooms are contemporary and smart, with modern en suites and sharp linen. The reception area is a small, popular meeting place with a trendy bar.

Expect good-quality budget accommodations at this four-story hotel set beside the historic Spanish Arch and the river. Each room is big enough for three adults, or two adults and two children, and the rates are the same regardless of how many guests stay in each unit. The light, airy rooms have modern pine fittings, plain carpets and walls, double-glaze windows, and fully equipped bathrooms. Those overlooking the river are quieter than those in front. The atmosphere runs toward anonymous international, but the inn is central—at the foot of Galway's busy Quay Street, right on the bank of the Corrib—and the level of comfort is high for the price (note that rates shoot up at peak times, such as during the Galway Races).

Even though this is a large, luxury hotel in central Galway, snazzily converted from a 200-year-old warehouse, it feels like a home away from home, thanks to attentive owner-managers. From the porter who organizes the valet parking of your car to the friendly reception and bar staff, everyone seems to want to help. The Park House actually only reveals its origins in its exterior; inside, a modern wing has been cleverly incorporated. Furnished with sofas and coffee tables, the lobby area is a quiet rendezvous for morning coffee. The lively bar has a big local clientele, and serves food until 9:30 pm; there is also a large formal restaurant. Guest room windows are triple-glazed—in some cases twice (against the noise of late-night revelers). The very quietest ones overlook an interior roof garden. The fanciest have high ceilings and antiques, combined with striking modern prints in warm colors. All are spacious, with good-quality Art Deco–style furniture, and have generous-size bathrooms.

Not your typical West of Ireland bolt-hole, this B&B has the elegance of a luxurious, small, boutique hotel with the charm and warm welcome of a B&B. The walnut flooring, large modern en suites, and marble-floor conservatory where breakfast is served are all divine, but pale in comparison to the magnificent views over Galway Bay. It's tucked into a Salt Hill residential area close to a golf club, away from Galway's heady nightlife, so a good night's sleep is guaranteed.