Shane Hegartyvisits the Radisson SAS in Galway
ON A FRIDAY evening at the Radisson SAS in Galway the people milling about the giant lobby are a mix of conference attendees, tourists, kids and their slightly frazzled parents. There is also an ever-changing smattering of people huddled outside the front door, sucking on cigarettes and exhaling at anyone walking through the revolving doors.
Situated in a large, somewhat uninspiring cul de sac behind the bus and railway station, the hotel is clearly pitched at the mid-market. Those using the spa who then wander up a level to the swimming pool and outdoor hot tub could find themselves sharing it with children, and there is also a toddler pool attached. That's no big deal for most, and it doesn't mean there is anarchy in the pool area, but it's indicative of the hotel's focus. This isn't a place that can market itself as a refuge into which the outside world will not impinge.
The location is excellent. One side looms over Lough Atalia Road, to the front, although its view over the sea also takes in the railway tracks, stationary trains and the docks. The front entrance leads towards the direction of Eyre Square, although it's worth noting that taking the short cut through the back of the railway station means dodging coaches, passengers and bags. (Eyre Square itself is currently so shabby and unattractive, despite its expensive revamp, that it should be treated only as a short cut to Shop Street.)
The interior of the hotel is so large that it reminds you of the main concourse in a shopping centre. Two impressive glass lift shafts plunge through the middle. With so many people milling about at the weekend we visited, it at times hovered a little towards the chaotic, but I didn't have to queue for a receptionist at any stage, and the service was generally efficient. And Lego blocks are available to keep young guests entertained, so it's a hotel more likely to ruffle the hair of a little tyke than to tell him that children should be seen but not heard.
The Veranda Lounge is a good-looking spot that comes into its own in the evenings, while the Atrium Bar & Lounge is bright and comfortable. There is a decent children's menu in the Marinas restaurant, although we opted for bar food at the Atrium. We had second thoughts about that after paying €17 for an ordinary, and underwhelming, portion of battered cod and chips with mushy peas. Cod must be pretty endangered if it's coming at that price. But breakfast the next morning was a hefty and tasty buffet of the sort you hope for but don't always get from city hotels.
As for the rooms, the hotel's website claims: "Traditional hotel decor has been ceremoniously sidetracked in favour of furnishings with pizzazz." Really? Our double room was pretty much indistinguishable from rooms in city hotels across the country. There was no ceremony. There was no pizzazz. The bed was comfortable, and the room and bathroom were as compact as you'd expect from a city hotel. To the hotel's credit, we booked a double room having been told there was no problem with putting in an extra bed so that we could share with a toddler without having to shell out for a bigger room.
Actually, the room would have been utterly forgettable if a lengthy problem with the electrics hadn't resulted in a disruption at 3.30am, which required rummaging in the room's fuse box. It followed a problem earlier in the day that, after a little prompting through the helpline button on the phone, had been fixed by a friendly engineer.
The timing of the subsequent problem - a loud, sleep-disturbing electrical buzz - contributed to a morning-after grumpiness. So I mentioned the episode at checkout. The receptionist went into the office, then promptly returned to tell me that €85 had been taken off our bill. Just like that. This was pretty stunning service. It was an overly-generous chunk of what we owed, but, more importantly, it was the kind of gesture that a customer does not forget.
Plenty of hotels would have sympathised; others may even have argued back. The Radisson dealt with the issue quickly and without fuss, and when the receptionist expressed the hope that it wouldn't prevent us from returning, I could honestly answer that it would encourage us to come back.
WhereRadisson SAS Hotel Galway & Spirit One Spa, Lough Atalia Road, Galway, 091-538300, www.radisson hotelgalway.com
AmbienceBustling.
Rooms282 guest rooms, including one- and two-bedroom duplex apartments. There are also executive suites on the fifth floor, with private access by keycard. With spa treatment, these are currently available at €485 per room.
Best rate€80 per person sharing, including breakfast.
AmenitiesSpa, gym and swimming pool. There are 10 conference rooms, including the large Inis Mór ballroom, which can host 1,000 people.
Child-friendlinessThe box of Lego, high chairs, children's menu and the toddler pool say it all. For a babysitter, ask 24 hours in advance.
Food and drinkThe bright and airy Marinas restaurant doubles as the breakfast room, and there are expensive alternatives in the two bars. Good Guinness, though.
AccessRamps, lifts, guide dogs allowed.
ParkingShared with the bus and railway station, it is free if validated at reception.