We had a fab stay in the Connemara Lake hotel , its in the heart of Oughterard which is was great as some of the older people in our group don t drive any more. This hotel is excellent for touring Connemara due to its location near Galway but right on the edge of Connemara . The Staff ,though limited in number, were so helpful it was refreshing really , one lady welcomed us and brought us to the most beautiful rooms we thought she was the receptionist .Later we came down to explore the bar and have a drink and we were welcomed at the bar by the same lady and she served us our dinner that night, she even accompagnied us on a sightseeing tour to make sure we did nt miss out on anything It was only at the end of our stay that we found out she was the owners wife we all thought that was really dedicated and so considerate to her guests.
The Rooms were excellent especially considering this Hotel only charges 70 to 78 euros including breakfast per Room and because we were there as a group we had a further reduction which in these times was very welcome indeed.
Breakfast was a choice of continental or Irish Breakfast we went for the Irish and were very happy ,we have been in many hotels where Irish Breakfasts are served on these tiny plates with one sausage one egg etc this was THE REAL DEAL one of the biggest and best breakfasts we have ever had. This time it was the owner and another family member who looked after us as they did for the week we were there.
I think that this was actually one of the main reasons we enjoyed this stay it was a small Hotel but it was obvious from start to finish that it was a family run business and that all the family were there, from the big welcome we received when we arrived, to the packed lunches for the lake trips and the french owner/chef who welcomed us every morning was also there to look after all our needs for dinner in the evening as well and to say good night . Some of our older members particularly remarked on this that it was rare to see this in Hotels today . We chatted one evening and considering the difficult recessionary times they really were trying to make our trip a memorable one and to recommend their village and the surrounding countryside. We all said it really was a credit to them and to their family and a special word goes to their local barman who can really make you re night in the bar an interesting one he regaled us with tales and local stories in true connemara fashion .
The only problem we encountered was a lack of choice of restauants in general in the area The Connemara Lake is not open everyday for dinner as the chef appears to be on his own for three services and it was difficult to find somewhere else locally.
Finally I would like to recommend the excellent food in particular the seafood dishes I think we tried all of them .
I definitely would recommend this hotel to friends and family for a great value break ,beautiful rooms , relaxtion and excellent excellent location in the west of Ireland .