There is a reason why this hotel is ranked #1 in Galway. It is SUPERB! Not cheap, but also not outrageously expensive, it could take on any of the well-known boutique hotel chains for decor, service, location, luxury, and so on.

I had been staying in Galway alone in another hotel, which was adequate for my needs but certainly nothing special. With my man about to join me in a couple of days, I was looking for somewhere more romantic, and having seen the ratings on TripAdvisor.com I walked a few minutes up the road and popped into the lobby of the Park House Hotel.

The decor was stunning, luxurious and sensual, but warm and inviting as well, so I immediately thought I could be onto something here.

The staff at the desk were so very welcoming and friendly, and went out of their way to help me, which made a great impression. The rates I was quoted were naturally far higher than the basic hotel I was in at the time, but they were not as high as I was expecting from the quality of the presentation. I went away to think about it, then rang and booked by telephone. I happened to get the same receptionist by phone as had assisted me in person, and she remembered all of the details of our discussion.

When my man arrived at the hotel and we checked in together, he was every bit as impressed as I had been. It only got better too. The interior of the hotel is magnificent, very much like a gracious and historic mansion, but with a warmth that such places often lack. Even the carpeting on the stairs appeared fresh and not worn through in the centre, as I have come to expect. The room itself was truly luxurious in every way, down to the trouser press and the complimentary daily newspaper!

What really elevated the Park House Hotel above all others I have stayed in was the universal friendliness of all staff. Whenever I happened to be passing a room being made-up, the housekeeping staff would always acknowledge me with a friendly smile and a "hello". Every single time, and every single one of them! You would hope that all hotels have very polite and friendly staff on their front line, but for even the "behind the scenes" staff to be so welcoming, that is something I have never encountered before, and that was delightful.

The 3 staff on the front desk were outstanding in their attention to detail, their warmth and willingness to help, and I was further impressed by the fact that they remembered our previous conversations about the places we intended to visit, and enquired how we enjoyed them.

They kindly held our bags for us overnight while we were away in the Aran Islands, even though we did not have a room booked at the Park House for that night. I had expected a charge for this, but there was none.

The bar staff were kept very busy, yet still were very courteous and helpful. When we went to breakfast in the mornings, the restaurant staff anticipated everything we might need before we had thought of it ourselves, and took wonderful care of us. The food was beautiful too.

I absolutely cannot speak highly enough of the Park House Hotel. Not only the best hotel in Galway, but the best hotel I have stayed in ANYWHERE (which is out of rather a lot!!)

Incredibly enough, it is also right in the centre of town, only a few minutes walk away from everything you could want, and 2 minutes walk from the train / bus station!

Thank you very much to the hotel management and staff for a truly memorable romantic getaway. Top marks for everything.

I hope that the management are made aware of what a fantastic impression every one of their staff members is giving to guests, and that they value and retain their wonderful employees. 10 out of 5 :) :)

Thank you