Note: all my recent vacation in Ireland Yelp reviews will have the same 1st paragraph preamble, for just the review itself skip to the 2nd paragraph.
On a whirlwind 2 week vacation to Ireland, the girlfriend & I tried to see & experience absolutely as much of this incredible land as we could. We did not accomplish every last activity we wished we could have on our rather ambitious itinerary. Nonetheless, we did discover a land of numerous stunning & magical wonders. We did see a land of unending natural beauty. We did learn of a land with a monumentally long history of trials, tragedies & triumphs. We did get to meet many kind, humorous, warm & generous people. Our vacation to Ireland was just 2 weeks, but that was time enough to know this is a land easy to love & a land to be sorely missed.
4-5 star accommodations, 1-2 star price.
Out of the 5 different hotels we stayed at in Ireland for this trip, 4 were very good for the price but the Riverside Hotel in Killarney was easily the best. Located about 1 km south of city center next to the River Flesk, there's plenty of free parking available in a private lot conveniently right in front of the hotel. To me, parking is where many other hotels fail. Some don't have parking facillities at all & a good percentage of the ones that do charge far too much for parking. Forget the valet & just give me some place to park the car for free that isn't a total hassle.
The lobby is fairly large with a contemporary, comfortable & opulent feel. There is restaurant & pub next to the lobby. Though we did not dine on premises during our stay, both the restaurant & pub looked neat, well-dressed & quite serviceable. Check-in was a breeze & all of the staff we encountered during our entire stay were friendly, helpful & professional.
The room itself was spotlessly clean & spacious, the biggest of the 5 rooms we stayed in. For our arrival, a copy of the local newspaper, chilled wine & a thank you note were left in our room. In addition to being well-appointed overall, the room had a nice, big, cozy king size bed. There was free Wi-Fi in the room. That's right, both free & in the room. Free Wi-Fi, not €20/day or £20/day or even $20/day, but free & in the room, not just the lobby or any other particular area of the hotel, in the room. The Riverside Hotel was the only hotel on our trip to provide washcloths in the bathroom.
The Riverside Hotel in Killarney got it all right & did it with style for a surprisingly low price. If/ when the girlfriend & I are ever back in Killarney, we will undoubtedly be staying here again. read more