When it comes to accommodation, there are plenty of choices. We've broken up this area into different topics, so you can decide which type of accommodation suits you best. We invite you to read through all this information, or feel free to skip ahead to any of the following categories:
	Booking by Phone Pricing Accommodation near the Wedding Reception The Park Lodge Hotel B&Bs Accommodation in and around Galway City Hotels B&Bs Holiday Homes and Self-Catering Apartments Hostels
Since we live in an apartment in Galway City, we rarely have the opportunity to stay in hotels or B&Bs around town, but this lists represents what's available. However, please feel free to search for reviews on the excellent Trip Advisor website about any or all of these listings for additional opinions! And, as always, please feel free to contact us at anytime if you have any questions about the information here. A small note about making international phone calls to Ireland: If you intend to book by phone, please remember that Irish Time (GMT) is five hours ahead of New York (EDT) and eight hours ahead of Seattle (PDT). For example, when it's 9 a.m. in Seattle, it's 5 p.m. in Galway on the same day. When it's 7 p.m. in New York, it's midnight in Dublin. You get the idea... If you're calling from the United States, simply pick up the phone and dial the international dialing code (011), followed by the country code for Ireland (353), followed by the area code or prefix for the region you're calling (Galway, for example, is 091) but drop the zero, and then the number (typically six or seven digits). For example, if you plan on calling the Park Lodge Hotel (091-553159), the number you would dial is 011-353-91-553159. Some phone numbers may be preceded by the prefixes 085, 086, or 087. These are mobile (cell) phones, and dialing these numbers will always result in a premium charge. If given the option, always try to dial a land-line first, and only dial a mobile number if there are no other alternatives. Pricing The Irish unit of currency, like all other members of the European Union, is the Euro and its symbol looks like this: € Irish accommodation prices are listed as "per person sharing" or "pps"; for example, if a room is listed as €40 pps, this means the room is €80 total for two people. Breakfast is almost always provided in the morning for all guests in hotel and B&Bs, unless a price policy specifically states "room rate only" or "bed only". Single rates are also available, so be sure and check with the proprietor where you wish to stay. All hotel rooms will have bathrooms connected to the rooms, but some B&Bs may have shared facilities between two or more lower-priced rooms. If you want to ensure you have your own bathroom, be sure and request a room that's "en-suite". Most all prices will include V.A.T., which is "Value Added Tax" for goods and services. With certain purchases (but unfortunately, not including accommodation), non-EU citizens can claim V.A.T. back upon exiting the country, so if you buy any souvenirs while in Ireland, be sure and ask your merchant if you can get a "TAXBACK" form. To help you convert from your particular currency to Euros, please visit this handy site. Accommodation near the Wedding Reception The wedding reception itself takes place in the Park Lodge Hotel near a small town called Spiddal, which is about 17 kilometres west of Galway City. For those of you who wish to book accommodation at the Park Lodge Hotel during your stay or only on the night of the wedding, please contact the hotel directly, preferably via e-mail at parklodgehotel@eircom.net or by phone at 091-553159. Rates are €45 pps for double rooms, and there are also a limited number of family-style rooms. There are two B&Bs located within walking distance of the Park Lodge Hotel (and two B&Bs less than two miles away), and all are quite accustomed to taking in guests who are attending weddings in the Park Lodge Hotel. Rates for these B&Bs will vary between €35-40 pps, and can be booked directly by phone or email (where provided): Contact Name: Mrs. Sally Flaherty — FULL or NEARLY FULL B&B Name: "Cois Caoláire" (located about 1 minute walk from the hotel) Phone: 091-553176 Contact Name: Mrs. Alice Concannon B&B Name: "Dún Lios" (located about 5 minutes walk from the hotel) Phone: 091-553165 Contact Name: Mrs. Noreen Harte Phone: 091-553735 (located about 2 minutes drive/taxi from the hotel) Mobile Phone: 087-6377182 E-mail: noreenharte@eircom.net Contact Name: Mrs. Bernie Thornton B&B Name: "Inis Fail" (located about 3 minutes drive/taxi from the hotel) Phone: 091-553322 Accommodation in and around Galway City Though it is beautiful and quiet in the coastal town of Spiddal, many of you may prefer to stay in and around the hustle and bustle of Galway City for a few days prior to or after the wedding; in fact, you may choose to stay in and around Galway City during your entire stay and simply commute to and from Spiddal on the day of the wedding. Hotels For those of you who prefer the standard comfort of hotels, there are a variety of choices and classes in the Galway City area. The following is a list of hotels in and around the city, categorized by proximity to the centre, and spa/leisure (health club) facilities are available where noted. More information and bookings can be made by visiting their websites and contacting them directly: Name: Radisson SAS — City Centre (spa/leisure facilities) Website: galway.radissonsas.com Name: Great Southern Hotel — City Centre (spa/leisure facilities) Website: www.greatsouthernhotels.com/galway/index-en.php Name: Harbour Hotel — City Centre Website: www.harbour.ie Name: Spanish Arch Hotel — City Centre Website: www.spanisharchhotel.ie Name: Jury’s Inn — City Centre Website: galwayhotels.jurysdoyle.com/jurysinn_galway Name: Ardilaun House Hotel — 1 km to City Centre (spa/leisure facilities) Website: www.ardilaunhousehotel.ie Name: Marriott Hotel — 2 km to City Centre Website: marriott.com/property/propertypage/GWYCY Name: Ibis Hotel — 2 km to City Centre Website: http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/index.html Name: Galway Bay Hotel — 2 km to City Centre (spa/leisure facilities) Website: www.galwaybayhotel.net Name: Waterfront Hotel — 2 km to City Centre Website: www.waterfront.ie Name: Westwood House Hotel — 2 km to City Centre Website: www.westwoodhousehotel.com Name: Glenlo Abbey Hotel — 2 km to City Centre Website: www.glenlo.com Name: Connemara Coast Hotel — 10 km to City Centre (spa/leisure facilities) Website: www.sinnotthotels.com/connemara/ B&Bs For those of you interested in staying in a traditional Irish Bed and Breakfast, there are plenty to choose from. As you can guess, B&Bs are generally family-run businesses and don't have the corporate support a hotel might have, hence the lack of official websites or 24-hour staff. For this reason, it is best to book B&Bs directly via telephone (keeping in mind the time difference, please) or e-mail. Though there are literally hundreds of B&Bs scattered throughout the Irish countryside, B&Bs tend to be located outside the centre of the main cities, and Galway is no exception. There are a limited number of B&Bs in middle of town, but if you plan on hiring a car, keep in mind that city-centre B&Bs will not provide parking facilities, and parking in the city can be extremely difficult and expensive (especially if you get clamped!). The following B&Bs will cost about €35-45 pps, and all four are located conveniently within the Galway City Centre: B&B Name: "The Forge" — FULL or NEARLY FULL Contact Name: Dolores O'Connell Phone: 091-561446 Mobile Phone: 087-7767302 E-mail: info@theforgehouse.com Website: www.theforgehouse.com B&B Name: "St. Martin's" Contact Name: Mary Sexton Phone: 091-568286 B&B Name: "Galway Arms Inn" (Pub and B&B) Phone: 091-564555 B&B Name: "Adare Guesthouse" (limited parking available) Contact Name: Padraic & Grainne Conroy Phone: 091-582638 or 091-586421 E-mail: adare@iol.ie Website: www.iol.ie/~visitirl/html/adare_guest_house.html Generally, we would recommended B&Bs located in the Salthill area, which is essentially a suburb of Galway. There are several B&Bs located in other suburbs of Galway, but we think Salthill is the most pleasant—it's close to the Galway seaside, and within a short drive (or cab ride) to Galway City (or about a 15-minute walk). The B&Bs out in Salthill are in one general neighborhood, and all of these listed below are within walking distance of each other. Prices at the end of June are approximately €35-45 pps, though these prices may vary from place to place, type of room, and availability. Because these are located outside the city centre, plenty of free parking is available. (Please note: The annual Salthill Air Show takes places this year on Sunday, the 25th of June, from 3:00 p.m., and usually lasts about three hours. Whether or not you are into this sort of thing, be prepared for large crowds of people in Salthill and noisy aircraft above. If you're traveling on this day, be sure to allow yourself plenty of extra time as traffic will be extremely congested.) The following five B&Bs are adjacent to each other, and these all boast a limited number of rooms with a panoramic view of Galway Bay. Be sure and ask for a sea-view room when making your booking: B&B Names: "Ocean Crest Guest House" and "The White House B&B" Contact Name: Barbara and Peter Walker Phone: 091-589028 (telephone bookings are preferred) E-mail: oceanbb@iol.ie Website: www.oceanbb.com B&B Name: "Westwinds" Contact Name: Patrick and Rita Joyce Phone: 091-520223 E-mail: westwinds@eircom.net Website: www.travelaccommodation.co.uk/westwind.htm B&B Name: "Atlantic View" Contact Name: Mr. and Mrs. Treacy Phone: 091-582109 Mobile Phone: 086-8524579 E-mail: atlanticbandb@hotmail.com Website: www.atlanticbandb.com/index.htm B&B Name: "Sunrise Lodge" Contact Name: Peadar and Joan Cunningham Phone: 091-527275 Mobile Phone: 086-8173069 E-mail: sunrisegalway@eircom.net These two B&Bs are adjacent to each other, also facing the seaside and within 100 metres of the beach: B&B Name: "Glencar" Contact Name: Esther Daly Phone: 091-581431 E-mail: esther@bedandbreakfastireland.com B&B Name: "Lawndale" Contact Name: Margaret Walsh Phone: 091-586676 The following three B&Bs are adjacent to each other, tucked away on a small side street within 100 metres of the beach: B&B Name: "Liskea" Contact Name: Brendan and Kathleen Melvin Phone: 091-584318 B&B Name: "Glencree" Contact Name: Maureen Nolan Phone: 091-581061 E-mail: glencreebb@eircom.net B&B Name: "Roncalli House" — FULL or NEARLY FULL Contact Name: Tim and Carmel O'Halloran Phone: 091-584159 or 091-589013 E-mail: roncallihouse@eircom.net Here are three more B&Bs located in the Salthill area: B&B Name: "St. Jude's B&B" — FULL or NEARLY FULL Contact Name: Tony Johnstone Phone: 091-521619 E-mail: info@st-judes.com Website: www.st-judes.com B&B Name: "Lynburgh" Contact Name: Teresa Burke Phone: 091-581555 E-mail: tburke@iol.ie B&B Name: "The Dormers" Contact Name: Maureen Tarpey Phone: 091-585034 Website: www.galway.net/pages/dormers/ Holiday Homes and Self-Catering Apartments Holiday homes and self-catering apartments are popular choices for families or groups traveling together. These facilities typically include full kitchens (complete with all items necessary for cooking and dining), one or two bathrooms, and a variety of bedrooms to cater to all different group sizes. Generally, these places do not include any cleaning services, but the lack of daily linen service is a small compromise for a place you can "call your own" during the duration of your stay. The single best resource for holiday homes and self-catering apartments in the Galway Area is Ireland West Tourism, and their extensive website contains the definitive list of what's available. Another alternative for self-catering apartments is student housing on the University of Galway campus. These facilities are unoccupied during the summer months, and available for rent on a weekly or daily basis. The apartments are located at Corrib Village, which is about a 20-25 minute walk into the city, and guests can also avail of a complimentary mini-bus service that runs every hour from noon to 8 p.m. daily, dropping you off at Eyre Square in the centre of town. While doing your research, be sure and take special note of the Booking Conditions of each holiday home or apartment. Sometimes, these places require a minimum weekly rental period "from Saturday to Saturday", and this may not be the most convenient schedule for certain travelers. For example, you may not be arriving as early as the Saturday before the wedding and you don't want to have to check out on the day of the wedding. Exceptions can be made if you contact these agencies directly and explain what suits your schedule best, but please bear in mind that June is a busy month for these holiday homes, many of which are privately-owned, and the booking schedules may not be flexible. Hostels For those of you who prefer the budget appeal of youth hostels, Galway City has a large assortment, but we'd only really recommend two that are worth looking into: Sleepzone is an award-winning hostel (recently voted one of the top ten in the world, if you can believe that), and the Barnacles Youth Hostel, which can be a little noisy but it's located smack dab in the middle of town.