Maldron Hotel Galway

This hotel is part of the Dalata Hotel Group, among Ireland's largest hotel groups. The attractive four-story building features a brick and stone exterior accented by teal windows and roof detailing. A large parking lot surrounds the building, and potted plants in front of the entrance offer a nice welcome. Guests enter through glass double doors trimmed in purple. The purple theme continues inside in the colorful lobby, which has bright purple rugs, lighting, and seating. A softer purple is used on the walls. Multiple seating groups encourage guests to linger, and the lobby is often filled with families, businesspeople, and couples. The hotel also attracts those on longer stay for business. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the hotel can become especially lively when its event spaces are being used for local gatherings. 

The hotel is situated in the village of Oranmore, outside the city of Galway. Immediately across the road from the hotel, at the entrance to Oranmore Business Park, is a family activity center that includes a cinema, bowling alley, and rock climbing wall.
The hotel is surrounded on one side by the business park and on another by the Galway to Oranmore main dual carriageway. The remainder is farmland. Many multinational companies are in the area, and the Maldron is a convenient base for corporate guests with work nearby. The hotel's location close to Exit 19 on the M6 means that guests coming from Dublin or the North don't have to navigate the notorious Galway traffic. For those coming from the South (Cork or Limerick), it is easily accessible before hitting the city.
The dual carriageway outside the hotel reaches Galway city center in 15 minutes, depending on traffic, and the main rail line from Galway to Dublin stops four minutes from the hotel. Oranmore village, with great restaurants and bars, and a selection of shops, is reachable on foot in 15 minutes. Rinville Park -- a large public park with children's play areas, barbecue pits, woodland walks, a nice lake, and Galway Bay Golf Club -- is a 10-minute drive from the hotel, and Oranmore Castle is a five-minute drive from the hotel. The Cliffs of Moher are about 90 minutes away by car, and the closest major airport is in Shannon, a one-hour drive.

Guest rooms are modern and colorful, with floral, abstract, or striped drapes and bed runners in shades of red or purple, purple or red chairs, and accent walls of pale green or peach. Medium-toned wood furniture has simple lines, and some rooms appear more updated than others -- some furniture can appear quite basic. Walls are hung with a token piece of soft-color landscape art. Standard Family Rooms offer extra space with a double bed, single bed, and sofa bed, though some sofa beds look rather beat up. Standard Triple Rooms have a double bed and two single beds as well. All rooms come with electric kettles for coffee and tea, hairdryers, flat-screen satellite TVs, and irons and ironing boards. Bathrooms have white tile walls, bathtub/shower combos, large vanities, and toiletries in large eco-friendly containers. Views are mostly of the parking lot and surrounding businesses. 

Stir restaurant serves all meals, including a breakfast buffet and lunch carvery. The menu features Irish and international favorites, and kids and teens get their own selections. No meals are included with room rates. The Q Bar serves drinks and bar fare in a typical Irish pub setting with wood floors, a wooden bar and barstools, and purple accents on walls. Lounge and banquette seating adds to the coziness. Guests also can also dine alfresco on the brick patio and live bands perform on Saturday night. The hotel's Club Vitae fitness center is open to guests and locals. It features more than 40 cardio and weight training machines. Personal trainers are available, and regular fitness classes are held. The indoor pool is suitable for swimming laps, and there is also a hot tub, sauna, and steam room. The Kangaroo Kids Club for ages 4-12 offers games, arts and crafts, and movies. A spacious game room has air hockey, foosball, and billiard tables, as well as board games and video-game system. The six meeting rooms are popular with local businesses. The Residents Lounge is a cozy space with sofas and chairs, a fireplace, flat-screen TV, and books on the shelves flanking the fireplace. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.