Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [373]
Abbeywood Hostel ( 098-25496; www.abbeywoodhouse.com; Newport Rd; dm €20-24, d €60; daily May-Sep, weekends only Oct-Dec & Mar-Apr, closed Jan & Feb; ) Set back from the road at the northern end of town are this characterful old house and gardens, originally part of a monastery. The house still boasts some stained glass, wood floors and high ceilings. Rates include continental breakfast.
MIDRANGE
St Anthony’s ( 098-28887; www.st-anthonys.com; Distillery Rd; s/d €45/80; ) This genteel B&B sits under cover of a large hedge and thick, twisted vines inhabited by birds’ nests. The interior shelters six simple but elegant rooms; two have Jacuzzi-style baths. Call ahead to arrange your arrival time.
McCarthy’s Lodge ( 098-27050; www.mccarthyslodge.com; Quay Hill; s €45, d €75-80, 2-bed apt €120) Upstairs from a friendly timber-lined pub, McCarthy’s eight rooms are as tidy as the town, and as orderly as an Ikea showroom.
Westport Woods Hotel ( 098-25811; www.westportwoodshotel.com; Quay Rd; s €75-120, d €100-190; ) Behind part of Westport House’s 1840s-built stone wall, this large mid-20th-century hotel is green and then some. Eco-initiatives include solar power, wood-pellet boilers, reused timber and stone, playground matting made from recycled tyres and running shoes, and even recycled cooking oil fuelling the hotel’s vehicles. Skylights fill the neutral-toned interiors with natural light. Service is professional but impressively personalised, too, for a hotel its size.
Wyatt Hotel ( 098-25027; www.wyatthotel.com; The Octagon; s €89-99, d €198; ) Its epicentral position and the bonus of private parking distinguish this sunflower-yellow landmark. Rooms are straightforward but comfortable. There’s free guest access to the nearby leisure centre. Wi-fi extends to some but not all rooms.
Clew Bay Hotel ( 098-28088; www.clewbayhotel.com; James St; r €210; ) This revamped 54-room hotel in the centre of town has small but stylish rooms individually decorated with funky wallpaper and all-new mosaic-tiled bathrooms; three have river views. Guests have free access to the gym next door. Mains in the bistro (open 12:30pm to 9:30pm) are €9 to €22; in the restaurant (open for dinner nightly from Easter to September) they’re €15 to €26.
TOP END
Ardmore Country House ( 098-25994; www.ardmorecountryhouse.com; The Quay; s €100-160, d €170-220; Easter-Oct; ) In a secluded countrified setting overlooking Clew Bay’s stunning sunsets, Pat Hoban and his family run Westport’s most exquisite guesthouse. Its 13 rooms are luxurious, with sleigh beds, richly textured fabrics and a genuinely warm atmosphere, and its restaurant (right) merits a visit in its own right.
Westport Country Lodge Hotel ( 098-56030; www.westportcountrylodge.com; Aghagower; s €110, d €150, green fees €15; ) Launched in 2009, this built-from-scratch property still has a showroom quality about it, but Celtic-style prints and padded bedsteads add ready-made comfort to its 21 rooms. It’s peacefully set 4km from Westport on the Ballinrobe road overlooking its nine-hole golf course. Its restaurant should be in full swing by the time you’re reading this.
Eating
Curry’s Cottage ( 098-25297; James St; dishes €3.95-6.95; 9.30am-6pm Tue-Sat) This jovial little tea shop has a toasty open fire and a tempting display of scones, cookies and other baked goodies.
JJ O’Malley’s ( 098-27307; Bridge St; mains €14-27.50; dinner) Upstairs from the eponymous trendy meeting place. An ‘around the world’ menu circumnavigates the globe, with extended excursions to Asia, Mexico and the Med.
Sheebeen ( 098-26528; Rosbeg; mains €15-25; noon-9pm daily mid-Mar–Oct, Sat & Sun only Nov–mid-Mar) Father and son Colm and Simon Cronin have turned this thatched treasure on the shores of Clew Bay into one of the best seafood restaurants in the west. Starters such as steamed mussels in cream and white wine from the bay out front are followed by mains like pan-fried king halibut with crab butter, but there are also inventive meat and vegetarian