Owned by the Great Southern Hotels Limited company, the Corrib Great Southern Hotel offers top notch accommodations directly on the outskirts of Galway City, Ireland. As the hotel is owned and operated by a chain, some might be at first turned away, however, once you give the hotel a try you will be glad you made the Corrib Great Southern Hotel your place of stay.

The rooms during the summer were running about 100 euros a piece, which was not overly expensive for all that you received at the hotel. There were three people in my party, so we shared a double room which entailed a double and single bed. The bedroom was very clean and was spacious enough for 3-4 people. The room was equipped with a television (which also featured a built in wake up system, awesome, I know), a coffee maker, tea bags, a pant press and a bathroom that allowed one to shower with more than enough room as well as plenty of space to sit and read the paper.

The hotel lobby was large and inviting, full of large couches and chairs where some had a pint of Guinness or a cup of tea and read the paper.

Also in the Corrib Great Southern Hotel was an indoor pool area, complete with a sauna and hot tub. A different rule, maybe an Irish law, required all pool users to wear a head cap while swimming, which I found a bit odd.

Plenty of choices for food and drink within the hotel, all at very reasonable prices. Skylights Lounge was off the main lobby and served as a coffee bar/bite to eat kind of place between the hours of ten and seven. I had a capuccino there that was standard and my younger brother enjoyed an apple cake, which he said was great. This was the place to find sandwiches, desserts, and drinks in the hotel. The main restaurant, which served a great breakfast in the morning as well as a dinner done right was named Currach Restaurant. The food at both meals was plentiful and cooked to perfection and the service was professional and highly efficient. The key to service here was that the efficiency of it did not make it seemed rushed!

O'Malley's Pub was a sort of modern Irish pub that had all of the essentials: Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks. For the two nights that we were there, not weekend nights I might add, there was live Irish music, as well. It was a nice pub to go to our last night in Ireland, because we didn't have to travel anywhere and allowed us a great calm atmosphere to relax prior to our flight the next morning.

The Corrib Great Southern Hotel was a great hotel to stay at while in Galway City. Although it was not in walking distance to downtown Galway, there were plenty of taxis to take you into town, and the bus, which was some of the best public transportation I have seen, stopped right across the street and cost one euro fifty cents.

The hotel overlooked the water and you had one of the best views from either the restaurant or the pub. Perfect hotel to actually watch "the sun go down on Galway Bay."

The Corrib Great Southern Hotel was a magnificent choice to stay at and for the price provided both fabulous accommodations at a very reasonable price. If you have a trip planned to Galway, make sure your reservations are made for the Corrib Great Southern Hotel. It is a must stay hotel that you will not regret.

Oh and by the way, did I mention, there is a heated towel rack in the bathroom? Swanky, I submit it is.

Recommended: Yes