Bernice Harrisonvisits St Helen's Hotel, Rosslare Harbour.
'WHAT DO YOU expect for €99 a room?" We said it so many times during our brief stay at St Helen's that it became a sort of mantra to ward off the gloom that descended on us the moment we turned into the driveway.
There was no mulling over brochures or surfing websites when it came to choosing this hotel. I had booked for purely pragmatic reasons. We were taking the early-morning ferry from Rosslare, and, knowing we had a full day ahead of us when we arrived on the other side, we opted not to get up in middle of the night to drive down from Dublin but to stay locally.
That was the "why" for the overnight. The "why" for choosing St Helen's was based on two things: location and price. It's in Rosslare Harbour, minutes from the ferry, and it was cheap: €99 for a room for a family of four in August is attractive.
Also, somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that the hotel used to be part of the Great Southern Hotel Group, which I dimly recalled as one of our original, prestigious hotel chains. The group, once state-owned through Dublin Airport Authority, was sold off in 2006. Seven of the hotels in the group were snapped up for €265 million, leaving one, Rosslare Harbour.
Whoever eventually picked it up, and changed its name, does not seem to have done very much with it so far. Decorwise it's stuck in a
1980s time warp, with busy carpets, an oppressive burgundy and cream colour scheme, past- their-best sofas and dingy paintwork. There's a sense that this is a place that has seen better days.
The excitement of spotting a games room just off the reception area while we were checking in was tempered by the stuff on offer. The attractions in the grim-looking space included a rickety table-tennis table, without a net but with two ancient bats minus their rubber coating, and some prehistoric video games. After a look in there we didn't feel too motivated to check out the swimming pool.
It's a huge hotel, with 100 bedrooms. Our family room, on the second floor, was large, but instead of the standard double and two singles it had a double, a single and a very low small camp bed with a spongy mattress and not enough laths to support it. It was so uncomfortable that eight-year-old Ellen woke in the middle of the night, and an exhausting game of musical beds (familiar to any parent who has ever slept with small kids in a family room) ensued. So much for a good night's sleep before the ferry.
The kids were fascinated by the textured wall in the room, a bit like pebble-dash and probably all the rage in 1969, when the hotel was built, but decidedly strange now.
On the plus side, the room and its bathroom were clean, with crisp white sheets and good towels, but our overall impression was of shabbiness.
Instead of opting for dinner in the Mariners Restaurant, which has a fantastic view through huge picture windows out over the harbour (and a budget-breaking €38 set menu), we ate in the less attractive bar. The menu was good: the fish and chips, steak and salad and bangers and mash were all tasty, well presented and well priced. Our bill came to €57.
Breakfast (€32 for us four) the following morning was another story, though. The buffet is a mean and poorly presented sort of affair with a limited selection of cereals in boxes and jugs of fruit juices. Canned pears and grapefruit were the highlights of the miserable-looking fruit selection, and the hot option was the standard full Irish.
A walk down to the beach after dinner showed just how lucky this hotel is in terms of location. It's perched on a cliff, and whoever designed it at least did the sensible thing by putting the dining room upstairs, to make the most of the views, but the garden has been let go and the exterior looks run down in places.
What the hotel has is truly great staff. Unfailingly polite, helpful, cheerful and delivering good service at every turn. They were a real pleasure.
By the look of the car park, St Helen's does a roaring trade in overnight ferry business. It was very busy on the Friday we stayed. Even at that low price it's not the cheapest hotel in the area. A sign in a hotel nearby boasted rooms from €79, although what it's like I don't know. Next time we take the ferry I'll resist the temptation of what seems like a good idea at a good price - by the time we added meals, that €99 bargain ended up being just shy of €200 - and we'll hit the N11 in the middle of the night." Next time we take the ferry I'll resist the temptation of what seems like a good idea at a good price, and we'll hit the N11 in the middle of the night.
WhereSt Helen's Hotel, Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford, 053-9133233, www.sthelenshotel.ie.
Rates€99 for a family room. Offers, including weekend deals, on its website.
AccessTwo of the hotel's 100 guest rooms are adapted for guests with disabilities.
EatingSet menu in the Mariners Restaurant €38. Good bar food. Full Irish breakfast €12. Continental breakfast €9. Served in the enormous main dining room with views over the harbour.
Leisure facilitiesSwimming pool, jacuzzi, games room, snooker room, kids' club in summer, tennis court.