As highlighted by many other reviews this hotel is located superbly - IF - you are up for a good time in the local area.
We stayed over in the Jury's on a Wed/Thur night while attending
a local wedding. Our first few hotel choices were not available due to the arts festival and races - so we defaulted to Jury's.
So how did we find it ?
Room - our room was on the first floor - one of the larger rooms - by the lifts and vending machine. The room was large, clean - apart from the stale smell of smoke in a non-smoking room.
The room was extremely hot - when I stated this at reception, they stated "that will be the heat !" - I think they were referring to the 23C temp outside. The carpeted floor was actually hot - to this day we cannot work out why - and no - it was not installed underfloor heating !
Our room view was a side view - some river but mostly airco units. A 2nd or 3rd floor front view would be nice.
Anyway our room did not include breakfast, so we took the optional irish bkfast at 9 Euro and ate it in the small garden behind the hotel - very nice, and lets be honest - few hotels include breakfast mid-week in the high season these days.
The parking was 10 Euro a day, in a very good spot in the middle of town. For anyone who knows the traffic and parking in Galway, this is a very good deal, with a multi-entry ticket.
The staff were fine. Busily efficient. Our Room was made up by lunch time and no queues at breakfast, check in or out.
This central position is clearly noisy. Solution - the best 2 pounds/euro/dollars spent - earplugs - they even come with us to the five star hotels - as all hotels have guests, doors, piano bars and lifts ! Our room was in a pretty noisy spot - but it was not particularly noisy in my opinion - though it was not the weekend.
My feeling is that if your in Galway for a few late nights and an easy walk home - this hotel is great. If your on a touring holiday and are up at dawn and tucked up in bed by 10.00 - head out to the B&B's or Salthill. There is alot of choice for those who dont want this urban weekend 'experience'.
For those who became lost finding the hotel - I find this a little strange - it is smack bang in the busy spanish arches area and you approach the hotel car park right by the front entrance. Just ask for the arches if you need directions.
I didn't feel security was an issue - but we look the simple precuations anyway - better safer than sorry.
All in all, this is a simple budget hotel in a good spot for a bit of fun- maybe to be avoided at weekends if your looking for a quiet nights sleep.