B&B Reviews

Below is the listing of the B&Bs that we stayed at on this trip. These are our personal opinions based on our own tastes so take whatever meaning you like from the reviews. There was no set standard. Rated 1-5, 5 being the best and they REALLY have to earn it and to get a 1 you had to be VERY BAD.

General:

I found that a talkative and pleasant owner tended to bring the talkative side of the guests out. In Northern Ireland and Donegal we were the only guests so that was tough to tell, but with The Reefs, Bunratty Lodge and Scaragh House proved this supposition true.
6 words: Service, service, service, location, location, location.
Bring or purchase when you arrive, a bath soap. A good number of B&Bs do not provide this.
Just in case the owner doesn't warn you, some of the showers require that you give a pull cord a tug to start either the hot water or the water pressure in the shower.
Rooms don't have facial tissue and the toilet paper is generally industrial strength. You may want to purchase in advance.
It is very rare that the hot and cold water come from the same faucet in the sink. Be prepared for trying to wash your face or hands under those circumstances.
Many B&Bs require cash as payment. Don't assume that if they take your credit card number to hold the room, that they will accept credit cards. They're just fooling. The Town and Country website notes which B&Bs take credit cards.
It's appropriate to try to check in between 4:00-6:00 PM. If you are going to be later or earlier than that, make sure you call ahead to make arrangements.

The Reefs - Skerries - north of Dublin

View - 4.5 - Looks out over Balbriggan Coast road to the sea. Despite a little road noise, still quite peaceful
Rooms - 4.0 - Great views from rooms, comfortably decorated. Very comfortable beds. No TV
Bathroom - 3.5 - Decent power-shower, spacious by Irish standards, bad toilet paper.
Service - 5.0 - Great service, room was ready by 11:00AM and had tea for us while we waited
Food - 3.0 - Standard but HUGE quantities
Comments - This is a great place for a first or last night in Dublin. I will stay here every time I fly into Dublin.

Drumkerrin - Cushendun - Antrim coast

View - 5.0 from the porch, 2.0 from the rooms
Rooms - 4.5 - Nice decorated with fresh flowers in the room. Very comfortable beds. TV in room
Bathroom - 4.0 - Good shower with decent water pressure. Good TP but ran out. No soap of anykind in shower.
Service - 4.0 - Very good, though she was confused by my emails. We were the only guest that evening.
Food - 3.0 - standard
Comments - Beautiful location looking out over Torr Rd. The owner had just returned from London where she had received the award of Innkeeper of the Year from AA. The link above takes you to a general B&B page. You'll need to select Antrim as the county. Currently, the B&B is listed on page 3 of the Antrim section.

Seawater View - Red Castle - Inishowen Peninsula - No web page Tel: 353-077-82514

View - 4.5 - Beautiful view of Lough Foyle
Rooms - 4.0 - We had a large family room. Recently redecorated with comfortable beds. TV and coffee maker in room.
Bathroom - 2.5 - Adequate, but very small shower. Water only made it to warm. Average TP
Service - 4.0 - Very nice woman
Food - 3.0 - standard - one table in the dining room, we were the only guests.
Comments - this was a drive by choice and we were pleasantly surprised.

Corncrakes Rest - Dunfanaghy - Northern Donegal

View - 5.0 when the tide is in, 4.0 when it is out.
Rooms - 3.5 - Bed was not the most comfortable. The room with the view had a shower and sink but no toilet. TV in room
Bathroom - 3.0 - Toilet was across the hall. Comfortable though. Better than average TP
Service - 4.5 - Very nice service. We had a great chat with the owners in the morning.
Food - 3.0 - standard
Comments - This is in a wonderful and remote part of Ireland and the owners were so nice. They are hard to get in touch with because the email address on the web page is currently wrong and I had to work to catch them at home on the phone. Still, a nice place to stay.

Credo House - Killeybegs - South Donegal Coast

View - 4.5 - beautiful view of the Harbor
Rooms - 5.0 - Beautifully decorated with views of the harbor. Our bathroom had an operating porthole. Bed was very comfortable. No TV in room, but we didn't care.
Bathroom - 4.0 - Better than most. The only downfall was that the shower didn't drain real well and the floor of the shower was a bit uncomfortable. But the water pressure was fantastic and there was PLENTY of hot water. Better than average TP
Service - 4.5 - Frankie is very talkative and is always glad to tell you about the area. His accent was very thick, so we missed about 30% of what he said. I'm sure he missed as much from us.
Food - 3.5 - Better than average. Frankie is working on his chef's degree.
Comments - We really enjoyed our stay here. Very convenient to the beautiful south Donegal coast.

St Anthony's - Westport - Co Mayo

View - 2.5 - Room looked out on garden. In town
Rooms - 5.0 - Beautifully decorated. We had a very large room for three. Beds were quite comfortable. We had a King size .... a bit of a rarity in Ireland. TV in room
Bathroom - 5.0 - Great Shower and Jacuzzi tub. You have to pay extra for the rooms with the tubs by the way. Good TP.
Service - 1.0 - The real draw back. She was taking a shower when we arrived at the standard 4-6 PM time, didn't want to serve breakfast before 9:30 AM and made us sit at the same table with other guests. These people clearly didn't want us at their table so it was a bit uncomfortable. There were two other tables in that room (which had no view and three in the room that looked out on the garden. Apparently she didn't want to clean more than one table.
Food - 3.0 - the usual
Comments - I wouldn't go back. Despite the beautiful rooms, the service was a huge disappointment.

Sky Cottage - Clifden - Connemara

View - 5.0 - Great view of Clifden Bay
Rooms - 4.0 - Nothing special in decorating but very comfortable. They had an extra quilt and pillows which was wonderful since I was dying of a cold
Bathroom - 3.0 - Good shower average TP
Service - 5.0 - Wonderful people. father greeted us and we had a nice chat with him.
Food - Standard
Comments - This is a great place, but you would have to drive by it to find it since they don't appear on the internet and I don't have a phone number. The other bad news is that it appears that it is up for sale. The cost by the way is about €510,000. The view is spectacular, but it is pretty small.

Castle View - Oranmore - Outside of Galway

View - 4.0 - Nice view of Bay and Castle
Rooms - 3.0 - Spacious but nothing special
Bathroom - 2.0 - Only two towels, no drinking glasses. Decent shower pressure
Service - Well she meant well, but was a bit of a used car sales person. She wouldn't stop trying to convince us to stay another night. Her suggestion on a traditional music spot turned out to be TERRIBLE!
Food - 2.5 - Same ol' stuff but smaller portions
Comments: Nice location, but I will look for another place if I stay in the area.

Bunratty Lodge - Bunratty - down the road from the castle

View - 1.0 - Had a view of the laundry line. Other rooms had nicer views.
Rooms - 4.0 - Beautiful rooms though the bed was a slight bit uncomfortable.
Bathroom - 3.5 - Nice but average or less shower pressure
Service - 5.0 - Mary Brown is extremely pleasant and is willing to go the extra mile. Will book banquets and help with other travel plans. Definitely a great place for an Ireland novice.
Food - 4.5 - Finally something other than the standard breakfast. We were actually presented with a menu. She has won awards for her breakfasts.
Comments - Definitely a great place for an Ireland novice. The level service is what separates it from others.

Tahilla Country House - Sneem - On the Ring of Kerry.

View - 4.5 - Wonderful view but not expansive.
Rooms - 5.0 - Comfortable, spacious, warm, all around great. Has a patio that looks out to the bay. Unfortunately, the weather was so bad we didn't really get to enjoy it. TV in room
Bathroom - 4.5 - Great shower, huge room. Only the TP was below expectations
Service - 5.0 - James will help you plan your trips. Bed is turned down at night. A bar is open all day long and the lounge area is beautiful and comfortable.
Food - 4.5 - Great but not many choice. Porridge was INCREDIBLE!!
Comments - This was a high point on the trip. Tahilla Country House has all the charm and personal service of a B&B but the privacy of a hotel. We were treated so well and fortunately had three days here. Don't be confused, this is a guesthouse, so more would be expected and thus the price is higher. I will stay there again!!!

Heron's Cove - Goleen - Mizen Peninsula

View - 5.0 when tide is in, 2.5 when tide is out.
Rooms - 4.5 - Very nice rooms. We had a balcony with a view of the bay. TV in room
Bathroom - 3.5 - Would have been higher except the shower door was broken. Probably a 4.5.
Service - 2.0 - The woman that greeted us was very nice, but the owner was a bit gruff. She seemed to hurry us out in the morning.
Food - 3.5 - Very good, but standard fare. The owner insisted I try the white pudding which she claimed had won awards. She was right, it wasn't completely nauseating. I could stomach it.
Comments - Clearly service is why I go to B&B's and this didn't cut it. This was our 1st B&B ever so we wanted to stay there again. We will probably try a new place next time we are in the area.

Scaragh House - Cahir - Co Tipperary

View - 3.0 - Looked out to the forest, Nice but not spectacular.
Rooms - 4.0 - Slightly small, but nicely decorated. Weird carpet on floor. Just a little uncomfortable to walk on. TV in room
Bathroom - 4.0Nice but small. Other than the shower size it all fit. Good pressure. Average TP.
Service - 5.0 - Very good. We had a wonderful chat with Patricia and the other guests. Very enjoyable
Food - 3.0 - standard stuff again though plenty of it.
Comments - This was one of our favorite places. We will definitely return!

Glendalough River House

View - 4.5 - Beautiful other than not looking out on a coast. Looked out on the Glendalough River and bridge
Rooms - 2.0 - Nothing fancy. Beds were not very comfortable.
Bathroom - 3.0 - Average water pressure, Bad TP
Service - 0.0 - Owner avoided us and sent her "staff" to collect for the room. Clearly was not interested in the customers.
Food - 3.0 - standard
Comments - The owner is from New York. The rooms are almost twice as expensive as most B&Bs and clearly not as nice. The romantic location the the T&C ad suggest is lost because it is attached to a woolen store. This was easily the worst B&B I have stayed in. Stay somewhere else.

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