Hotel Review: Gregans Castle Hotel

The Burren is one of Ireland’s most biodiverse rich areas, famous for wildlife, fossils and its unique landscape. Picture perfect Irish stone walls, Arctic–alpine and Mediterranean Basin plants side-by-side and still unexplained dolmen rocks hanging starkly on the horizon.

For my first 24 hours within the 1,500 hectares I did not see any of it.

A great Irish mist accompanied by his most reliable mistress, Irish drizzle, had descended off the sea and across the land. This meant as I careered one of “Ireland’s Most Beautiful Roads”, according to lord knows who, I may as well have been in a dimly lit grey tunnel or just slept. In natures defence it was early August, no time to be expecting summery weather…

Speechless for the wrong reasons, we veered left down an unassuming drive into our hotel for the night, Gregans Castle. The walk from the car park to the house is short but we learnt the next morning that it was manicured to perfection with raked gravel, box hedges, electric green lawn and mown croquet pitch ready to use. On arrival however, we didn’t see any of it, not out of stubbornness, only because now, without the protection of a car, we were running at an angle against the weather, tumbling damp into reception.

We must have looked completely mad. Yet we were welcomed without so much as a snigger by warm reception staff, a crackling turf fire and two pumps of hand sanitiser. It is corny to say a hotel can feel like home, but if pushed, I would say this is as close as it comes.

Gregans Castle Hotel is the type of place where you know instinctively it is family owned. In fact, it seems that homeliness is being pumped through the air, woven into the welcoming fire side armchairs and decorated with flowers from the garden. There mightn’t be a pool or spa but this is Ireland so the thought of thrusting my soggy self in an armchair by the fire was so much more desirable than slumming it in the sauna.

Peel yourself away from the fire and into the privacy and comfort of your room. Pastel greens and mustard yellows print the walls and fabrics. Run a hot bath, excuse the peat coloured water and lather yourself in Bamford products. Beautifully appointed and marvellously comfortable: all fine linens and unique furnishings. Some rooms open into the gardens; upper rooms offer splendid views of the surrounding landscape and of Galway Bay.

Bring an empty stomach, for the food here is some of the best in Galway. All the better for us as the rain picked up speed and lashed against our chocolate box windows, you do not even have to leave the building.

Visit in Spring when the wild flowers litter the landscape, forging through rock and wall broken up by mushroom and trampled on by boxing hares.  

There is something about a wet day in summer. Where the weather is so revolting there is no point in even attempting to drum up the courage to head out. When you can guilt free go square eyed in front of a screen, finish a book cover to cover or bake something indulgent and sticky with sugar. Gregan’s Castle Hotel, is exactly the place you want to be when the rain strikes.