I got a 2-night gift voucher for the Clybaun, so i can't complain too much as the stay didn't cost us anything... however there were a few areas that reduced the enjoyment of our stay...

- the water - sadly Galway is suffering problems with its drinking water - i.e. a cryptosporidium outbreak means you can't drink it or clean your teeth, having to use bottled or boiled water instead. We were not informed of this fact upon arrival and only the next morning (having both cleaned our teeth twice) did we see a small notice in the stairwell.

At the very least this should have been Numero Uno priority information to tell guests as they arrive, and at best there should be notices and bottled water in every room. Needless to say we spent the remainder of our stay wondering if and when we'd succumb to the disease.

- location - if you really want to enjoy Salthill choose a hotel in Salthill, the Clybaun is not convenient to it unless you wish to travel everywhere by car.

- room service - we arrived late on the first night of our trip and hoped to order some food to our room only to find that there was no such service at the hotel

Apart from these issues, the hotel is reasonably well equipped with generous bar food helpings, live music and pool and fitness centre but is let down by a utilitarian atmosphere geared for the convenience of staff and not guests.

Stayed 2 nights in a family room.
Nice to find a hotel with the right number of beds for a family without having to book an expensive suite.

The hotel is clean and comfortable. No character though as it is a typical hotel of its time built a few years ago with the advantage of recent tax breaks in the middle of a residential area off a roundabout. Nice looking bar and the bar food looked really good (I only walked through as I was mostly on my own with the 3 kids). Breakfast was very tasty and suitably quick.

Minor setbacks
- pool is not really for kids and anyway they wouldnt let me go in when we arrived at 6 pm to cool them off after a long drive because its adults only in the evenings.
- No where near enough drinking water - Galway has a water safety alert at the moment so you can only use bottled water. The hotel never seemed to have any left for sale
- only 2 very poor pillows in room which I didnt notice until the kids were trying to sleep. The front desk said they had run out and "what could they do?" A poor response I thought and it took threats of not paying bills to get more pillows.

Would I stay there again - I think so. For somewherecheap, clean, comfortable and close to Bearna with space for my family, I dont think there is better.

This is my second time staying here and I quite liked it first time around. But I feel compelled to write a second time about it.

We checked in and found that there were two receptionists. One checked us in and the other browsed through BEBO right in front of us. So it was a mixed start. We checked in to the room and the first thing I saw was a sweet wrapper on the floor! It shows me that housekeeping was negligent in checking it.

We rang for an iron at around six and rang again at twenty past to be told that they were looking for one, well it eventually arrived and we ironed what we had to and went down stairs and left the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. When we got back we found that the housekeeper let herself in to the room and took back the iron. I wouldn't mind but the DND was on the door and when it is on a door it doesn't mean walk in when you want.

We went down to the front desk to order a taxi and both receptionists were now browsing the BEBO website!

We arrived back to the hotel at around 1.15 and looked for a drink and was told that the residents bar would serve us at half past. They finally did at ten to two and they said to us that they would be finishing up at two and to get a double round in. We found the female manager on duty that night a lovely woman to deal with while chatty and smiling and it lovely to see that, especially at that hour of the morning! We sat in the lobby having the drinks and a guest arrived back in a taxi and stood at the desk for fifteen minutes and this is not an exaggeration because i timed him and nobody served him or approached him. The female manager had gone home at that point and the night porter was no where to be seen. At that point the hotel was wide open to whoever wanted to come in and do whatever.

The food was lovely and I bought carvery on the Saturday for 9Euro and the exact same thing on the Sunday for 12.50. I know every place ups its price for Sundays but for some reason this just stood out to me. Although we found the breakfast chef very surly and when I asked for fresh fried eggs and not the rubber like eggs on the buffet even though we were the only ones in the restaurant at that point he huffed and moaned about it. Another of our party joined us and asked for extra sausages and the chef asked him WHY? No lie.

Another reviewer commented that adults let their kids run around and that is very true. Also there was a party on when we were there and they were disturbing us and others with their play acting and loudness and security did nothing.

The hotel has a lovely outdoor jaqussi and a lovely spa so it has something to its credit.

We checked out on the Sunday and walked out our room door to about 6 housekeeping staff looking at us. One was eating a chocolate bar, another a buscuit and the rest were chatting in their language. I find it little wonder when I see this that little things like sweet wrappers in the room floor are not caught by the housekeepers when they openly eat in front of guests.

We went to the desk to check out and found the receptionist who checked us in on duty and again on BEBO. We paid our bill and left the Clybaun with my image of the hotel somewhat tarnised by the little things that should not have been happening.

have just returned from the clybaun and must say that after readin the reveiws i was a bit miffed by what past guests have wrote , to me i found the hotel perfect for what was a stay of a quick weekend away from everyday lilfe , i enjoyed the pool, outdoor tub , music in bar , good food and above all a hotel that makes you feel welcome, we booked thorugh a internet site at a very good rate and the hotel is out a bit from the city is was so easy to hop on the bus that serves the hotel to town and taxis are outside nealry every minute.
staff were very nice not over bearing and false and over all found this hotel very good for value and not overpriced as such hotels these days are, i will return this summer with my family .