Some people commented about having small rooms. The rooms overlooking Eyre Square are very large, if a bit older and frayed. Not very bright, but with huge lovely bathrooms. The reception was being done up when I was there so it's hard to comment on that. The spa is absolutely fabulous - unfortunately the outdoor jacuzzi was also closed when we were there but the treatments are amazing and the indoor jacuzzi, massages, and hydro baths amazing - could easily pass a few hours there. The hotel bar is closed, but the place underneath where they give people a free drink is really nice.

This hotel is billed as a 4 star hotel and is priced accordingly. It cost 165 Euro per night for a midweek stay. However, in my opinion it's more like a 2.5 or low grade 3 star hotel. I've stayed in lots of hotels worldwide, so this is based on my total experience in all types of hotels in many different cities.

The location is great, right in Eyre Square and virtually attached to the train and bus station. It used to be the Great Southern Hotel but was renamed in recent years. The lobby, bar area, reception areas are all nicely decorated but they give a false impression as to what the rest of the hotel is like. It hasn't changed one bit since the name change. It is now owned by the Monogram Hotel group which also owns the G Hotel (a few minutes cab ride outside of the center of Galway) but it pales in comparison. You'd be far better served booking the G for a few dollars more.

The biggest problem was the room itself. The bathroom tiles were cracked and had the appearance of dirt from years of traffic. The bathroom fixtures were old and also the worse for wear. The fan in the bathroom was insufficient to handle the steam from the shower with the result that after taking the shower you have to exit the bathroom to escape the heat. That was the next problem.

The room was nuclear hot. None of the rooms have AC. The weather was only in the mid to high 60s while we were there but the room was about 85. We were provided with a small fan which provided some relief from the heat at night but this should not be necessary in a 4 star hotel. The staff made no apologies for the state of the rooms or the heat problem. They simply said they could give us a fan. Even leaving the window open provided little relief. In addition, the room was located on the third floor right above a street at the back of the hotel. Noise was continuous during the day with numerous delivery trucks, trash trucks and local buses arriving. The noise stopped at night and started again at 7am. So, between the heat, and the noise when the window was left open, it was very difficult to get a solid night's sleep. We kept the window closed the second night and tried to sleep with only the fan blowing in the direction of the bed. Overall, I was very disappointed with the quality of the hotel and should have chosen another hotel to stay in. I hate to think what the heat in the room would have been like if the temperature outside was higher than 65-70 degrees. If you're looking for a 4 star hotel, this is not the one. It's not worth the money which could be better spent elsewhere.

Loved this hotel. They had the most accommodating and service friendly employees. Our room was absolutely beautiful! I would highly recommend this location. Perfect for shopping as it is located in the City Centre. They are still remodeling in the lobby area but their service made us forget about it. Offered us Sherry upon arrival and a free glass of champagne in their lounge. The restaurant food and service was also great!

This is part of a letter I wrote to the manager of the hotel and she called me to "apologise" - how can a "sorry" compensate for a weekend in Faulty Towers???

When we arrived on Saturday afternoon, we could not park the car as there was another car blocking the valet area so we parked half on the road, half on the pavement, blocking the traffic. I ran into reception, was not greeted with a smile or a 'hello'- more a look of annoyance and told to "Leave the car there and someone will park it for you."


We got to our rooms and decided to go for a bite to eat in the bar and a glass of wine, but even this did not go smoothly. We asked a male member of staff where the bar was and he unbelievably told us to ask at reception! Instead of going back to reception, we opted to find the bar ourselves which we duly did. The bar had two other people in it. Yet, we waited an unbelievable fifteen minutes for three glasses of wine - we asked the girl twice if she had forgotten us and each time she said "I'll be right with you." At this stage we were justly annoyed, so had our wine and sandwiches and returned to our rooms.

We also ate at the restaurant which was average (I would liken the pasta dish to a Dolmio stir-in) apart from the fact that the waiter nudged my chair with his elbow and when I turned around he said "Will you move that?" nodding to a pitcher of water. I would have no problem doing this apart from the way in which my chair was nudged and I was asked so rudely. Also, only four people in our party ordered desert yet we were all charged for desert. Yet another nail in the coffin. We then found out that half of our party were given free champagne vouchers upon arrival and half did not - for what reason, I do not know.

That night we went out for dirnks and came back at 2.15am. We had to wait fifteen minutes for someone to answer the door - it was lashing rain outside and the notice sellotaped to the door informed us to knock. This was completely ridiculous as nobody was even in the foyer area, hence nobody heard us knock. The male who finally answered the door was dressed in the hotel uniform but said to us "Don't say that I let you in or I'll be killed."

The next day, we hit the shops and when we returned at 5.20pm our room was being cleaned!!!!We could not believe our eyes. The lady cleaning the room asked us to wait in the hallway until she had finished. I became so annoyed at this ridiculousness that I went into the room and sat as she finished cleaning the bathroom. 5.20pm cleaning the room? Absolutely ludicrous.

Piece of advise - DONT STAY HERE