Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate in Galway

First, the good: Glenlo Abbey is a GORGEOUS property, with sweeping views and amazing buildings. You really feel like you've stepped back in time. It's close enough to the Galway city center to experience that but far enough to feel like you're on a provincial estate away from it all. The golf course looks gorgeous, the Pullman car is a fantastic touch (unfortunately we didnt have a chance to partake in a meal there), and the rooms are very well appointed and spacious. Breakfast was delicious and classy, with some unfortunate service hiccups (discussed below.) This is definitely a place you want to come to for several days to enjoy all of the amenities. Unfortunately, there were several missteps that will probably inhibit our return. Generally, the service was friendly but chaotic and absent. Both in the bar and in the breakfast restaurant they are both understaffed and undertrained. People waiting 15-20 minutes to just order a drink at the bar. The nicest bartender had no idea how to make cocktails (at over 15 euro/pop) and we had to have them remade by a more experienced guy. (Again, super nice about it, but admitting you don't normally make drinks in the bar is a not a good start!) And at breakfast we were just ignored. 10, 15, 20 minutes until we could order something. no offer for coffee. finally the coffee did come AFTER we were done with our meals, about 30+ mins after we sat down. I'm not a rushed person, but when you're paying $500+ per night for a room, you expect a certain level of service that this hotel just doesnt have, unfortunately. Finally, we booked our room through a credit card travel portal, as we had points to burn. I never do this, but it was clear that the hotel treated us worse than others. We only stayed for one night and one of our rooms was horrible. they claimed they were sold out, but why not give someone who checked in after us that horrible room? It was a handicap room with a terrible bathroom and the entire room smelled like paint. Just not what you expect when paying this kind of money (even through an OTA). Next time we will book directly, but the hotel should not relegate certain bookings to their terrible rooms.

Highly recommend, guys! 10/10 location 10/10 service 10/10 prices

I liked everything. the staff is friendly. The rooms are clean. Service at the highest level

We stayed in a two-bedroom lodge at Glenlo Abbey, which was wonderful. The lodge was immaculate and was well-equipped with everything we needed, including a washer and dryer. The beds and rooms were comfortable and well-sized, and the lodge was quiet. The grounds are beautiful. Would definitely recommend especially for larger groups or families.

Glenlo Abbey is a beautiful 5 star hotel! We were looking for a short break and couldn’t have picked a better hotel for a luxurious but relaxing stay! The rooms are excellent, the facilities are superb and the staff is extremely good. I’m sorry I couldn’t remember all names but Michael at the door and Storm (hope i got the name right) at reception were providing genuine hospitality from the moment we parked our car. We will certainly be back ! Thank you Katy & Michael

We had the most memorable of experiences at Glenlo. I proposed to my partner and we couldn't have asked for a more special occasion. The staff were extremely hospitable and their attention to detail was brilliant. We are forever grateful to the Glenlo team and will definitely be back!

A lovely hotel, but not 5 star. The grounds are stunning, and so well maintained. The rooms are lovely, comfy beds and powerful shower. We also had a beautiful view from our room. The Pullman restaurant is a nice experience. Service was ok. The Palmer restaurant is very shabby and really needs a renovation. Breakfast buffet options are very limited. Hot options are good, and tasty. The spa is very small, and missing all the extras of a 5 star experience. Very basic facilities. Towels and robes were crispy and rough. Limited post-treatment experience - no tea or blankets etc. Treatment rooms and the treatments we received were good though.

The Glenlo Abbey hotel is quite fancy, maybe too fancy for this more simple guy. Everything was very formal, reservations suggested for dinner and breakfast. We did have dinner in the “casual” restaurant as it was clear we were not their formal type to dine in the rail car restaurant. We were given a free drink for the lounge and ended up sitting for two drinks. The bartender was attentive and friendly. Dinner was tasty and comparably priced. Now comes the breakfast dilemma. We were strongly advised to have a reservation for breakfast as it is popular. We had a 9:00 reservation and arrived on time. Once finally seated, it took 15 minutes for the coffee to arrive. We attempted the baked goods and typical fare at the buffet area as we waited for them to come for our order. The buffet area was not well supplied with plates empty and nobody seemed to be attending to refilling the plates. Our order was finally taken at 9:29 when we were about to leave. Observation and commentary of other guests clearly showed that some work needs to be done on how they manage breakfast. I did write to their general email address early in the day, but never heard back.

We loved our anniversary stay at Glen lo abbey! The estate is beautiful,its very secluded with lots of greenery surrounding.Our room was equally stunning the decor is classic and the marble bathroom was lovely. We also had a view of the Pullman train restaurant from our room which is where we had our 4 course meal.We both got steak and asked for medium rare but it was cooked very rare.My partner did have stomach issues after eating our meal. The cocktails though were lovely and the overall vibe of the restaurant is really unique,we loved it! Its a once in a lifetime dinner. The breakfast room was beautiful! The only downside was my fry that I ordered,there was some soggy toast underneath the scrambled eggs which made me believe it was someones leftovers which wasn’t nice to find as it was a small piece of bread not a full or cut slice. Overall its a lovely hotel! More attention to detail and it would be a 5 star.

The staff was amazing!!! The room was beautiful, the bed was perfect! I could sleep in that bed forever! The breakfast and lunches were all delicious. We had an amazing experience, we will definitely be back. ❤️