Forster Court Hotel

Housed in a striking contemporary white building, Forster Court offers a hint of style throughout its interiors. The lobby features walls and a reception desk in slate blue along with a chandelier, leather armchairs, and a table topped with tourist brochures. The restaurant is decked out with hardwood floors, red upholstered seating, and tan leather banquettes, accentuated by natural light from skylight windows. The bar has attractive dark wood counters, hardwood floors, and black-and-white photos. The Forster Court draws a largely domestic and international tourist crowd, while locals like to visit the bar for its parties and cocktail classes. The hotel participates in the many Galway events by decorating in the theme of the festival of the moment. The bar can get a little noisy, but in general the hotel has a relaxed atmosphere. 

The hotel boasts a superb location in central Galway on the busy but pleasant Forster Street, which has a mix of businesses, offices, shops, and cafes. The property is a block northeast of Eyre Square and two blocks northeast of Eyre Square Centre shopping mall. The Galway train and bus station is a two-minute walk southwest while Galway Coach Station at Sean Duggan Centre is a half-block northeast. The Shop Street pedestrian area with stores, restaurants, and pubs is about a five- to 10-minute walk south. Located an eight-minute walk southwest of the hotel is Nora Barnacle's House and St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Ireland's largest medieval parish church still in use. The Spanish Arch, Galway City Museum, and additional pubs and nightlife are also southwest. Sports fans can walk 10 minutes northeast for Galway Sportsground (Home of Connacht Rugby) or drive 10 minutes southwest for Pearse Stadium. Featuring a 145-foot tall dome that’s one of the city's main landmarks, Galway Cathedral is a 13-minute walk west of the hotel while Galway Airport is a 15-minute drive northeast.

The Forster Court has 50 non-smoking guest units on three floors of a four-story building. Modern rooms range in size from 204 to 322 square feet; the 204-square-foot rooms feel a little small. Spaces are tastefully decorated and the color palette is largely white, beige, and brown, with a dash of color in the mauve doors, carpets, and throw pillows. Additional accents include wood furnishings, striped curtains, and wall art. Rooms also come with hairdryers, coffee/tea makers, free Wi-Fi, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs with cable, and plush white cotton bedding with duvets and cotton-rich linens. Rooms lack air-conditioning but do come with fans. There are also no mini-fridges, mini-bars, in-room safes, or irons, but the reception desk has safes and irons and ironing boards. Rooms facing the street may experience noise while other units don't get a lot of natural light. Some spaces are a little worn and could use refurbishment. Bathrooms, some of which are shower only, are clean and well lighted, and come with ample counter space. 

As a relatively small hotel, the Forster Court has few property facilities. It has no business center but does offer a lobby computer with Internet access (for a fee). It also has no fitness center, but does offer discounted access to the gym and swimming pool at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, located a few minutes walk southeast. The Forster Court has an excellent breakfast (for a fee) with a continental spread of fruit, yogurt, pastries, cheese, ham, cereal, toast, and more. The hotel also offers cooked-to-order items like eggs and bacon and traditional Irish fare like sausages, tomato, beans, and black and white pudding. The on-site restaurant serves lunch and dinner with fare like seafood chowder, Galway Bay prawn rolls, goat cheese and red onion tart, sirloin steak, Atlantic salmon, and vegetable curry. The bar pours a variety of wine, beer, and liquors, also hosting bachelor and bachelorette parties with cocktail classes. Also on hand are a 24-hour front desk, concierge service, and public parking at an adjacent lot (for a fee).