Stayed in Galway for a week during a conference for work and was traveling with my wife. We had a standard double room. The hotel staff were very outgoing and helpful. Everyone was very nice to deal with and the hotel gladly stored our baggage and made a room available prior to normal check in following our arrival on an overnight flight from the states. Front desk staff helped us with directions and restaurant reservations on more than one occasion. The common use areas are smartly appointed in modern decor, very clean, and provide a comfortable place to have conversation, read the paper, or wait for friends.

The room was well appointed and adequate. I appreciated that we had a desk as well as an easy chair. We left the windows open frequently as the room could get a bit warm during sunny weather but I wouldn't dare complain about the amount of sunny days we had on our trip. The television was circa 1990 and the channel selection was fairly limited with a few basic RTE and BBC selections, but it was of little consequence as we spent little time watching TV. We headed pubs to watch EPL and champion's league matches. The bed and linens were comfortable enough. There were ample pillows. The washroom was clean and similarly well appointed. Ample hot water was available in the bath and water pressure was average.

WiFi was available in the rooms and easy enough to use with the access information provided on check in. There is only one common use computer terminal in the hotel and it was in use very often.

The morning breakfast options were stellar and really a highlight of the hotel. I already miss having the components of an Irish breakfast now that I've returned home.

We did not dine in the restaurant but did get take away one evening. The food was fine, though better lunch and dinner options exist within a short walk from the hotel. The pub was friendly and usually filled with rousing conversation but better options exist within the immediate area. In a pinch, both will do, but I'd recommend heading into the city centre for other options.

The hotel is a short walk past the docks to get to the city centre. My wife and I appreciated this fact, though some travellers may not. The hotel does not have an on premise convienience shop to my knowledge, so we would often bring back snacks from stores and shops a short distance away. An extensive shopping center is less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Our room type did not have an en suite refrigerator but did include the aforementioned television, a tea kettle, trouser press, iron and iron board. There was sufficient closet room to hang clothing, though there was little drawer space to completely unpack for a week's stay.

If there was any sizable complaint that I could register it would be that there is a fair amount of noise adjacent to and sometimes within the hotel. Walls are thin and there are several flats near the hotel and adjacent to the car park. We were on the back side of the hotel, so I cannot speak to ambient noise from the street or docks. We heard several folks out having a good time on the weekend, including the couple in the adjacent room (I now unfortunately know all too much about how much Alan loves his girlfriend as he kept professing it at 0300). We could also hear casual conversations in the morning coming from adjacent rooms and the hallway To be fair, this is, I think enevitable in most smaller hotels which I would categorise this as. My wife and are are good sports and tended to just laugh the noise off or put in ear plugs if it persisted for too long. We have young children at home so uninterrupted sleep is not a luxury we know well. Should you desire complete solice, perhaps you a better served looking for a more exclusive appointment with larger suites and in a more secluded location.

Overall we were very satisfied with our stay and would recommend the Harbour to friends with no hesitation.

This hotel is centrally located, about 5-10 minutes maximum walk to central galway city. Our bedroom was small but fine although you can most definately hear your hotel neighbours. The walls are not sound proof! From what we could hear, we had a singing boy band or most likely stag party staying in the room next to us. It was ok in this respect because it was only my friend & I in our room but if we were an older couple or couple with a baby, it might be wise to ask receptionist to put you in a quieter part of hotel. The bathroom was small but fine but shower pressure could have been better. The reception area & bar were lovely in the hotel. If you arrive back at the hotel late after your night out, you have to flash your room key/card to security on the door to gain entry to hotel. Security, while no complaints in particular, could be nicer, really. The breakfast was very nice and good selection of freshly cut fruits. The breakfast room was very well run. The pots of coffee werent great, kinda tasted burnt but the hot food & cheese & bread etc were lovely. I found that when checking in, the receptionists were nice & helpful. As always, on check out, receptionists seem to be in bad mood which, when you've paid up front and barely in hotel let alone coz trouble, puts the customer in bad mood too. Even though we checked out on time, you always get the feeling that they want you gone out of there earlier. You have to pay for parking but it is a discounted rate.

The Harbour Hotel is in a reasonably good location, about five minutes from the centre of Galway (Eyre Square, Quay St), but oh the noise! (1) the noise of the (sometimes heavy duty) traffic going past all night (2) the noise of the people going out for a cigarette and talking loudly from the bar until all hours (3) the noise of the cleaner setting up the cleaning trolley outside the room with attendant rustling of plastic bags and clattering of hoover (4) the noise of the buses pulling up outside with engines running and (5) --not the hotel's fault-- the setting up of a marathon outside the hotel from 7am on a Sunday morning. Those factors coupled with very uncomfortable pillows meant that the next day was spent very bleary eyed and quite cranky.

There were some other people we met who had a room on the other side who were badly affected by noise too - the hotel rooms don't seem very sound-proof.

The room is fine, basic but clean. One thing that is increasingly amusing me about hotel rooms is the weird balance of "room amenities" - in this case we have a trouser press AND and iron / ironing board (yes, both methods of pressing trousers), but no fridge. Hmm.

I didn't go for the express purpose of the "Health Suite" but I would imagine that some account for this is factored into the overall price of the room. First, you are directed down the back stairs, past flip charts and overturned furniture to the "Health Suite", which consists of a gym, steam room and jacuzzi. Gym - fine. Steam room - out of order. Reception - unmanned so it wasn't clear where to go. Towels - 5 euro deposit!!! Lockers - 1 euro deposit! Not being weird about deposits, but it somewhat detracts from the relaxing "health suite" ambience to find yourself in your swimsuit and flip flops wondering from where exactly you are to produce this euro. Jacuzzi - fine, nice and hot, but small and in a little windowless room.

The staff were extremely friendly and very efficient and without that I would reduce my mark by a star.

Also, you had to pay for parking. The Athlone Sheraton allows you to park in the nearby car park and will validate your car parking for you so it is free. It is 8 euro a day for parking, which is a bit much. Also the spaces are very small and someone damaged my side mirror, possibly as a result (or maybe not, who knows?).

En summaire, staff very good, but hotel very noisy leading to bad night's sleep.

lovely lovely hotel, great value and really friendly helpful staff. will be going again without a doubt