I had been planning a weekend break in Ireland with my
boyfriend for some time. We wanted to go somewhere in the northwest that we
hadn’t been before. A Groupon voucher appeared in my inbox for the Three Towers& Slieve Aughty Centre, and due to the fantastic savings (and element of
adventure…horses!) we knew we had found our place.
Situated just outside Loughrea in County Galway, the centre
comprises the ‘Three Towers', an almost brand new eco hotel with organic
kitchen, and the well-established Slieve Aughty Riding Centre.
The directions on the website were good, and the
receptionist (Jenny) gave us one of the friendliest welcomes imaginable. She greeted
us like old friends, and made us a cup of tea, with mini biscuits and organic
nougat which would be almost worth the long drive to Galway for on their own.
She designated us an absolutely gorgeous room (the pictures we’d
seen on the website didn’t do the rooms justice) with high ceilings and pretty
grey and pink décor - my favourite! Even my overnight bag matched the bedroom,
so I thought it must be a good sign. ;) Some unoccupied bedrooms had the doors
propped open, so we were able to see that all rooms were unique, and rather lovely.
The style of the hotel is somewhat eclectic, and done
beautifully. There are interesting things dotted around and everywhere you look
makes a pretty picture (especially the lovely dining room). I can imagine it
would make a fantastic alternative wedding location - I believe a number of
wedding receptions have already been held here.
We then went down the buffet style dinner, which was tasty soup, followed by baked aubergine, mashed potato and salad, and homemade rolls (there was also meat, but I chose the veggie option). It was all delicious, and accompanied with tasty organic wine. The only problem was there is no device to keep freshly cooked food warm, so it got cold quite quickly. This was followed by a banana cheesecake, which I’d never seen anywhere before…interesting!
The beds were comfortable, and everywhere was spotlessly
clean, which is no mean feat in the countryside next to a riding centre. The
rooms are quiet and also comfortably warm, which is important when you come
inside after a long country walk. There is also a table of books to borrow during
your stay – a very nice touch. The centre seems to offer a lot of activities
such as English courses and organic gardening lessons from time to time, which
sound fun. It also seems very child-friendly, with a number of other guests
bringing along their little ones.
Unfortunately the next morning’s breakfast, my favourite
meal, was a disappointment. Only some tables were laid out for breakfast, and
we weren’t sure where to sit, so after looking around for a little while made
for a table for four. The owner immediately told us not to sit there, as it was
set for a family, so we were to sit at a table that had just finished being
used. I don’t mind a few crumbs, but it did make us feel a bit second class.
It was a European-style breakfast, which was unexpected in
Ireland. There was cereal, a lot of bread, cheese and meat. The only hot items
were eggs and mushrooms, but again with no heating device these got cold
quickly. I took an egg as had been looking forward to a hot breakfast before
our horse trek, but the egg white was extremely runny (aargh!), so I couldn’t
eat it. There was also toast, but as you don’t toast it yourself it gets cold very
quickly. The hot things ran out as there was a queue of other guests waiting
for them, and I did feel that there was a bit of competition for the hot food! The owner is Dutch, so a lot of the food was from the
country. I was surprised at the omission of more Irish long-life products, but
guess it was too expensive to source food here.
And now to the horses. They are wonderful, and clearly treasured
by the small army of equine-loving girls and boys there on that Saturday morning.
We went on an hours’ trek. As beginners, we found that the girl leading the
trek (whose name I unfortunately cannot recall) was excellent - very relaxed,
and patient and encouraging with those who were a bit nervous. It was a fabulous
experience, and highly recommended.
I do feel the centre has made the most of the wonderful
location with well-signposted trails in the nearby forest for those that fancy
a woodland stroll, and laminated maps you can borrow.
Recommendations? I should mention that the Groupon offer was
an absolute steal but I tried not to take that into consideration when evaluating
the centre.
This is a newly opened place, so there are bound to be a few
teething problems. I would recommend a seat in the bedroom, reading lamps on both sides of the bed, and shampoo as
well as shower gel in the bathroom. Also, I think it should be mentioned on the
website there is no TV in the bedrooms – I don’t own one so always look forward
to surfing the channels when I’m in a hotel, especially on rainy Saturday
afternoons.
Also, an accessible tea/coffee station nearer to the
bedrooms (maybe located where the books are?) would be nice, so that you don’t
have to walk through the busy dining room to make your evening cuppa. It just feels
a bit weird to go behind the bar and help yourself.
A fully self-service buffet-style breakfast and lunch (with
guests picking up their own cutlery, delph and food and choosing where to sit) would
avoid confusion by allowing guests to look after themselves and ease the staff
and kitchen’s workload. Heating devices for the food, and allowing guests to
toast their own bread would also be a welcome element.
This place is obviously a hit with locals, as the restaurant
was packed on Saturday night. The mission statements available to read in the
bedrooms prove that this is a place that is committed to its vision of organic,
sustainable travel, and that is admirable in an economy where cheaper is
becoming better at any cost.
Finally, I have to mention Jenny again – she’s a sparkling
asset to the hotel (without her, we may have felt a bit unwelcome!)
For something a little different, this is the perfect place to
get away from it all. I have recommended it to a number of people, and will
definitely return. Once the glitches are sorted out, this is going to be
spectacular destination.