Hotel Meyrick

Eyre Square
Galway
Hotel Meyrick, Galway
Hotel Meyrick Enquiries

• Location Location Location
• Little bit of Irish history mixed with contemporary charm.
• Good food, good service and good people-spotting!

I stayed at Hotel Meyrick many years ago when it was the Great Southern Hotel and it was then one of the most popular hotels in Galway. Now that it has re-invented itself, and the recent boom has added many more hotels to the city, this charming property has managed to retain its popularity with Galwegians and visitors alike. Situated right on Eyre Square, beside the train and bus stations, it enjoys without doubt the best address in town. And like historic Eyre Square itself, it has had a bit of a facelift to bring it slap-bang into the twenty-first century busy City of Tribes. Incidentally, Eyre Square was originally called Meryick Square, thus the new name for the historic hotel.

HOTEL HISTORY

I found it fascinating to learn that it is more than one hundred and fifty year since Hotel Meyrick first opened its doors to guests in Galway city. Through the years it has hosted such notable names as Prince Napoleon of France (1857) pilots of the first non-stop transatlantic flight Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown (1919), Charles and Annie Lindbergh (1933) and Queen Salote of the Tonga Islands (1953). Added to that list are numerous famous politicians and presidents, soccer stars, musicians and singers and actors and writers. I have heard of one well-known Hollywood movie star who refuses to stay anywhere else when he is in Galway!

ACCOMMODATION AT HOTEL MEYRICK

We had a spacious room on the fourth floor overlooking Eyre Square. It was bright and comfortable and included plenty of working and relaxing space and a very good sized bathroom with separate bath and power-shower. Having the view over the square was great, as we knew we were at the heart of it all. All the shops and attractions were right on our doorstep and we could watch all the activity from the warmth and comfort of our own room!
There are ninety-seven bedrooms in total, the same number as the hotel always had and while they occupy different floors and obviously are varying sizes, the hotel is small enough to remain cosy and compact unlike the larger hotels that have hundreds of identical rooms.

DINING AT THE OYSTER GRILL

We had a few options when it came to eating at Hotel Meyrick – there was a varied menu on offer in the main lounge, interesting dishes in the Oyster Bar, and a full A la Carte menu at and daily Table d’Hote menu at the Oyster Grill. Both are situated on the ground floor with views over the square. We were impressed with both the choices and excellent value on the Table d’Hote menu and from that we opted for starters of Marinated rigs of Squid with garlic mayo, and a seasonal leaf salad with local goat’s cheese respectively, which were both well presented and tasty. The dining room itself is very well appointed making great use of window space and warm red contemporary design adds to the historic atmosphere. While we dined mid-week, the room was busy and buzzing and service was attentive. The wine list is well balanced with old and new world choices, good half-bottle options and sparkling wines. We chose a New Zealand Pinot Noir from Sileni in Hawks Bay and the spicy cherry flavours were a good accompaniment to our Medallions of Beef and Pan fried Cod with Puy lentils. There were a good range of dishes to choose from on this menu including lamb, sea bream and a vegetarian option. The A La Carte menu offered a good range of steaks and fish dishes as well as several more entrees and soups.

We had breakfast the following morning back in the Oyster Grill, and while it was very busy, service was attentive and we were shown to a table immediately. It was obvious from the guests around us that the hotel is very popular with people from all around the west of Ireland, and is also a favourite wedding venue. Again it is the location, you just can’t beat being in the centre of town and together with good food and service, modern design and style, and a touch of tradition and luxury – the hotel is proving to be a real contemporary winner.

There was everything on offer for breakfast, with particularly good pastries, cheeses and cold meats as well as the Full Irish Cooked Breakfast and plenty of fruits, yoghurts and juices.

THE SQUARE SPA AND HEALTH CLUB

On the fifth floor of the hotel there is a spa and health club which we took a look at and it included a gym, an outdoor hot-tub and indoor Jacuzzi. All of these have fabulous views over the city centre. There is also a steam room, a relaxation room, a hydrotherapy bath and several treatment rooms for pampering massages and facials for both men and women.
We wanted to be in the heart of the city and to avail of the great shopping that Galway has to offer, and Hotel Meyrick was the perfect choice for us. Our car was valet parked on check-in, surplus shopping was taken from us and put straight into the car, we were even provided with an umbrella when it began to rain by the friendly concierge!