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Hotel Westport

Just a short stroll from Westport town centre this large modern hotel offers excellent facilities for both leisure and business guests, numerous short breaks are offered and the conference and business centre provide a fine venue for corporate events.

Constant refurbishment and upgrading is an ongoing feature of this well-managed hotel and, although all bedrooms are well-appointed and have all the usual amenities, 48 Premier rooms and bathrooms were enlarged and refurbished to a high standard in 2008, and 25 rooms were given additional balconies.

The hotel’s extensive leisure facilities include the white flag standard Ocean Spirit Spa, and there is also a year round Cub’s Corner for children (0-3).

The whole hotel is unusually wheelchair-friendly, and staff are invariably helpful and friendly which, together with the quiet but almost-central location and outstanding facilities, make this a very pleasant place to stay.

Conference/banqueting (500/250); free broadband wi/fi; laptop-sized safes in bedrooms.

Rooms 129 (6 suites, 48 premier, 74 family, 8 for disabled, 104 no smoking, 42 ground floor); children welcome (under 3s free in parents' room; cots available without charge, baby sitting arranged; children's playground, playroom & kids club). Lift. 24 hr room service. B&B €140 pps, ss €20. Leisure centre (swimming pool, fitness room, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room); spa, treatment rooms, massage, hairdressing, beauty salon. Garden.

Islands Restaurant:

A typical hotel dining room in many ways, this is where both breakfast and dinner are served. A sensible policy of seating people towards one end of the room and trying to seat couples facing the same way makes for a good atmosphere at quieter times, and - as elsewhere in the hotel - charming service from the mainly non-Irish staff is invariably friendly and caring.

Guests are met promptly at the door and seated at tables simply set up with white linen cloths and napkins; a jug of water and basket of breads quickly follows, along with the winelist and upbeat traditional menus which are strong for a hotel, and may include organic salmon (from nearby Clare Island), and treats such as pheasant when in season, along with favourites like chargrilled Angus rib eye steaks and at least one imaginative vegetarian option.

In the Guide's recent experience predictable desserts may be the weak point in a meal here, but the offering overall is well above average hotel standard, and with enough daily changes to ensure that you look forward to your meal each evening on a short break.

Breakfast is cooked to order off-season and there is a decent range of stewed fruits on offer, also a fish of the day.

Seats 140; children welcome (high chair, childrens menu, baby changing facilities); D daily, 6-9.30pm; L Sun only 1-2.30pm; set Sun L €26; set D €41. House wine from €23. Bar food also served daily, 12-9.30pm. SC discretionary. Open all year. Amex, Diners, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

From Castlebar Street, turn right onto north mall (do not go over the hump back bridge), then turn onto Newport Road, 1st left and at the end of the road.