Salthill Hotel

The Salthill Hotel stands on the promenade at Salthill, Galway's seaside suburb, with views over Galway Bay. It is a four-star hotel with 161 rooms, and the page on Expedia describes it as only a few steps from the beach. Room types include Classic and Deluxe doubles and twins, with sea-view rooms among the Deluxe categories, plus triples for small families. The leisure facilities are the draw: an indoor pool and a children's pool, a sauna, steam room and hot tub, and a health club with classes. There are two restaurants, a bar and lounge, and a coffee shop, a conference centre and a banquet hall, so the hotel is also used for events. Free Wi-Fi is available in rooms.

Location and getting around: Salthill is about three and a half kilometres from Eyre Square, roughly a forty-minute walk along the sea or a short bus or taxi ride. The promenade is the main attraction, a long seafront walk that locals use daily and that gives views of Galway Bay and, on clear days, the hills of Clare. The Spanish Arch and the Latin Quarter are a short drive away, and the bus into the city centre is straightforward. If you want to spend evenings in the pubs of the Latin Quarter, plan to take a taxi home or a bus.

Rooms and who it suits: the Deluxe sea-view rooms are worth the supplement for the water view, and families can use the triple rooms and the pool. It suits families, couples who want a spa-style break and travellers who like a seaside walk before breakfast. It is less suited to visitors who want to be at the Christmas Market or in the old town each evening without transport. The size of the hotel means it is lively at weekends, with events and wedding parties, so ask about quiet rooms if you want peace.

Good to know: breakfast is charged separately according to the Expedia listing, at roughly eighteen euro for adults and twelve for children, and parking is available for a small daily fee with limited spaces. Winter is calmer in Salthill and the sea can be dramatic in storms, so check conditions if you plan a promenade walk. Day trips to the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara usually collect from the city centre, so allow time to get into town in the morning. A car makes this base more flexible.