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Downings Bay Hotel: Traveller Reviews

Main Street, Downings, Ireland
Hotel amenities
Downings Bay Hotel
Ranked #3 of 3 hotels in Downings
4.0 of 5 stars 43 Reviews
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43 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    16
    13
    8
    4
    2
Date Rating
Dublin, Ireland
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Run of the mill 3 star - don't eat in the restaurant”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 October 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Due to recent flooding in the area & at the hotel we were meant to stay in, my partner & I were booked into this hotel for a two night Dinner B&B break. The rooms are a very standard 3* Double & Single affair, comfortable but nothing special. The view from the room was pretty grotty - a caravan park & unfortunately there was a very audible din from the local bar & night club on the Saturday night. The low point for us was going for Dinner in the hotel - as part of the package deal we were offered a paltry menu and were frankly treated like second class citizens in the restaurant. We were ignored for 20 minutes after being seated (restaurant only half full) & were only served after I had to point out to the waitress who came to take the order of the table beside us (who were seated after us) that nobody had even so much had offered us a glass of water! We both had the "Steak" of the limited menu but I could not bring myself to eat hardly any of it it was very gristly & tough. Breakfast is pretty standard, but we were impressed at how promptly Room service breakfast was delivered when we changed the time of our order.

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Ask looouise about Downings Bay Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Nice place let down by poor service”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Firstly let me say that I am only reviewing a dining experience and I have not stayed here. Whilst on holiday in the area we went to the hotel for early dinner on the lastpublicholiday weekend. The Hotel was really busy and we couldn't find a seat in the bar area so we asked if we could eat in the main restaurant. I am unable to eat dairy so asked if we could eat from the bar menu which was better for me. This request was not well received and the waitress said we had to eat from the a la cart menu to sit in the main restaurant. After much explanation she conceded to find out if our request could be met. We waited for a long tine so I had to leave my 89 year old mother to find out what was happening. When I asked another waitress she was very exasperated by my request and after several calls it transpired we could sit in the main restaurant. When we got there there were plenty of other diners eating from the bar menu. There were no napkins on our table and we had to ask fir water three times before it was delivered to the table. The food was fine but the service was lacking on the day. We were looking forward to going there as friends recommended it. I may return but would definitely avoid a bank holiday weekend. I understand that the waitress staff were under a lot of pressure but they showed it which was very dissapointing.

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Discerning46 about Downings Bay Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Palo Alto, CA
Senior Contributor
38 reviews 38 reviews
Reviews in 32 cities Reviews in 32 cities
52 helpful votes 52 helpful votes
“Great Place, Best in Downings”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 September 2011

I cannot find a fault with this hotel. Room was better than expected considering the cost. The service was lovely, they assisted us with information, maps, and directions.The only minor negative detail might be that the adjacent bar/restaurant was quite loud one night because there was a wedding. I think it ended by midnight though, and not a big deal with the earplugs I brought.

Otherwise, I would totally recommend this place and will definitely be back again!

Room Tip: Front of the hotel is further from the bar/event area if you are concerned about noise.
See more room tips
  • Stayed September 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Will Work for Plane Tickets about Downings Bay Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Cookstown, United Kingdom
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
“Lovely, warm, friendly hotel, great location on the beach”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 September 2011

Staff were great, from checkin, to the bar, to breakfast team. Very helpful with location things to do.
Our room was very spacious, hot powerful shower and nice toilitries. Room had tea/coffee facilities and biscuits.
The location on the beach is fantastic and good parking facilities.
It is popular with families so eating in the bar could become a bit noisy. The restaurant is much quieter.
There was brilliant live music when we stayed on the Friday night. Would like to be able to stay longer and I have no complaints about the hotel at all.

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Lisa04 about Downings Bay Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Dungannon, United Kingdom
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“What a great Hotel, well definately be back.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 August 2011
1
person found this review helpful

From the moment I telephoned this hotel to book and spoke to this lovely lady called Joan who was so professional, yet very welcoming on the phone, I just knew we were going to enjoy it and we certainly did. Joan had always time for a quick chat and was so keen to know if everything was ok for us that I actually asked her was she the owner! We have stayed in many hotels but this one had charm and character that we rarely come accross. We were made to feel at home by everyone. The rooms were very spacious and clean and it is so central for exploring around this beautiful area. We really enjoyed the beach which is basically at the back door. What a quaint little village. The breakfasts were very good and although we didn't get the opportunity have dinner there, the menu looked exceptional and according to other guests we spoke to, we missed out by not dining there. But there is always the next time an there will be a next time!

Stayed August 2011, travelled as a couple
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Ask Anne M about Downings Bay Hotel
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Additional Information about Downings Bay Hotel

Main Street, Downings, Ireland
Price range (per night):* 66 AUD - 144 AUD

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