Updated August 2024–Is Galway City on your itinerary when you get to Ireland?
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It’s a fun city for sure but like any other urban area, it can be expensive, which is why finding affordable accommodation in Galway City is key.
Here are 10 affordable hotel stays in Galway that you should consider when planning a vacation in the City of the Tribes.
All prices are based on rates in the off-season (late fall through early spring) for the most affordability.
Keep in mind that the rates you find for your particular vacation may be different to what you see here. This is meant to be a guide only.
1. The Nest Boutique Hostel
(Budget)
For value and convenience, The Nest is a great option for travelers who are on a budget.
Technically, this is considered a hostel, but there are also 1, 2, and 3-bedroom self-catering apartments available across the city that are suitable for up to 5 people.
They include the Salthill Sea View Apartment, along with three other apartments in the heart of Galway’s Westend.
Each apartment comes with a fully equipped kitchen, comfortable living room, and of course bedrooms.
The Nest boutique hostel offers equally good accommodation. Most of their twin and double rooms are ensuite, meaning they come with a toilet and electric shower.
Family bedrooms are also available, and for groups or individuals, the Nest Hostel offers six and seven-bed dorms, all ensuite, in addition to one dorm with a shared bathroom.
The open areas of the boutique are ideal for relaxing, and a guest kitchen is a great alternative for those who want to prepare their own meals.
There is an additional charge for continental breakfast, which consists of fresh bread, pastries, cheese, fruit, yogurt, cereal, as well as tea and coffee.
Free parking is available on site. However, there are only 5 parking spaces. You can try parking on the street outside the hostel if you can get it.
Rate: A single bed in a mixed dorm will cost you €38/$41 US/£32 Sterling/$57 CAD/$62 AUD per night and a standard twin or double private ensuite room at The Nest Boutique Hostel will cost you approximately €110/$121 US/£93 Sterling/$165 CAD/$181 AUD per night.
2. The Eyre Square Hotel
(Mid-Range)
The Eyre Square Hotel has been a fixture in the city center for more than 20 years.
The 3-star hotel is, as the name implies, located in Eyre Square and is within walking distance of the city’s iconic landmarks, restaurants, and the railway/bus station (handy if you’re not renting a car).
At the Eyre Square Hotel, its 80 bedrooms have been designed to a high standard, with all the conveniences you would expect in Ireland's hotel accommodation.
They include en-suite bathrooms, cable TV, tea and coffee machines, and free WiFi.
You can choose from double, twin, and triple-sized rooms.
A full Irish and Continental breakfast are both available in the hotel’s Merchant Bar and Café at an additional cost.
The hotel does not have on-site parking, but there is discounted public parking available nearby.
The parking lot is open from 7 a.m. through 10 p.m. Be sure to get a discounted ticket at the front desk.
Rate: A standard double room at The Eyre Square Hotel is approximately $165 US/€148/£127 Sterling/$225 CAD/$245 AUD per night.
3. The Connacht Hotel
(Mid-Range)
This is another great 3-star hotel, which is located about 2 km (1.24 miles) from the city center.
With 358 bedrooms, suites, and self-catering apartments, there’s a lot to choose from.
The Connacht, a Travel & Hospitality Award-winner, is popular with Irish families looking for a short break away from home, given its abundance of bunk bed family rooms and family suites, some of which are interconnecting.
There are also bedrooms with twin, double, triple, and quad beds.
The bright and modern rooms all include the usual conveniences you’d expect of a hotel these days, with free Wifi and the delivery of a daily newspaper.
If you are thinking of staying in Galway for a week or so, the self-catering apartments are ideal.
The one- and two-bedroom units include comfortable living rooms, dining areas, bedrooms, and modern kitchens.
Rates go from $116 to $161 per night.
The hotel also includes a leisure center and a 24-hour fitness center.
Breakfast, at an additional cost, is available at the hotel’s Reubens Restaurant and its Bar Solo is a great spot to grab a quick bite to eat or relax in the evening as you listen to live music groups.
Free parking is available at the hotel, but if you don’t want to bring your car to the city center, no worries. There’s a bus stop outside the hotel with regular services to downtown Galway and other areas of the city.
Rate: The average rate, including bed and breakfast, at The Connacht Hotel is approximately €211/$233 US/£180 Sterling/$318 CAD/$347 AUD per night.
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4. The Imperial Hotel
(Mid-Range)
This is another great city center option.
The 3-star Imperial Hotel is within a half-mile (1 kilometer) of Eyre Square and 2 miles (3 km) from the busy and popular Shop Street area.
There are 80 guestrooms in this family-owned accommodation, each equipped with flat-screen TVs, free WiFi, coffee and tea makers, and all the other amenities that you’d expect to find in a hotel these days.
A free newspaper is also delivered to your room each day.
Enjoy breakfast, at an additional cost of around €9, in the hotel’s restaurant. There is also a bar and lounge where you can relax in the evenings.
Carvery lunch is served daily from noon to 4 p.m.
Parking is not available onsite. You can use the Merchants Street public car park. The rate is around €10 for 24 hours.
Rate: The average rate at The Imperial Hotel, including breakfast, is €171/$189 US/£145 Sterling/$258 CAD/$281 AUD per night.
5. The Nox Hotel
(Mid-Range)
Not quite in the city center but still within walking distance (about 20 minutes) of all the tourist sites and shops, the Nox Hotel is ideal if you are traveling by car since this hotel has its own free on-site parking.
The 3-star hotel has a trendy, modern vibe to it and its 102 bedrooms include the usual amenities like free Wifi and flat-screen TVs.
The rooms at The Nox Hotel are clean and comfortable. You’ll find solo, duo, trio, and quad rooms at this accommodation, as well as the hotel’s Signature King rooms.
Enjoy the hotel’s award-winning breakfast, at an additional charge.
Its Fork Restaurant serves up a full Irish breakfast for €12 and a mini-Irish breakfast for €9. Continental breakfast is also offered.
In 2018, the hotel received an Irish Breakfast Award from the Irish hospitality reviewer Georgina Campbell.
You can also avail of lunch and dinner in the restaurant, and a bar and lounge is also part of the hotel and the ideal place to rewind after a busy day of sightseeing.
Rate: The average rate at The Nox Hotel is approximately €141/$156 US/£120 Sterling/$213 CAD/$232 AUD per night.
Read More: The Best in Irish Food: Traveling Through Mayo and Galway
6. The Menlo Park Hotel
(Mid-Range)
Like The Nox Hotel, this Galway City accommodation has its own private parking facilities.
Located on the Headford Road, this 4-star hotel has 81 stylishly furnished rooms that are available as classic guest rooms (single, twin, double, or king rooms) or a Superior King, complete with a six-foot bed and more elaborate furnishings.
Free Wifi is available throughout the hotel, which is about 20 minutes from the city center.
A nice touch is a welcome tray that guests receive when they check-in.
Breakfast (which includes homemade bread and jams) is served in the Bia Beo Restaurant at an additional cost.
A full Irish and Continental breakfast is available. Carvery lunch is served between noon and 3 p.m. on weekdays and between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sundays.
The hotel bar offers live music at night.
Rate: The average rate at The Menlo Park Hotel is approximately $153 US/€138/£117 Sterling/$208 CAD/$227 AUD per night.
7. The Western Hotel
(Mid-Range)
This 3-star hotel is a short walk from the city center, which makes it a very convenient choice for tourists who want to spend some time exploring downtown Galway.
Its 40 rooms were renovated in 2016 and include tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wifi, and updated bathrooms.
The rooms do not have air conditioning and are not equipped with mini-fridges or safes to store valuables.
Single, twin, and double beds are available in the triple, quad, and family-style rooms.
Breakfast is served daily in the hotel’s on-site restaurant, at a cost of about €10 per person. Lunch and dinner are also available, and you’ll find lively Irish music in the hotel bar most evenings.
Free on-site parking is available but can be limited depending on the number of guests staying at the hotel.
Rate: The average rate at The Western Hotel for a double deluxe room is approximately €169/$187 US/£144 Sterling/$255 CAD/$278 AUD per night.
8. Western Hotel Citypoint Apartments
(Mid-Range)
The hotel also owns the Western Citypoint Holiday Apartments, which are suitable for up to 4 people per apartment and are conveniently located in the city center.
The two-bedroom apartments, which are in two separate buildings, come with a washing machine/dryer, dishwasher, stove, microwave, fridge, freezer, flat-screen TV, electric fireplace, and more.
Free parking is available for each apartment dweller at The Western Hotel.
Rate: A 1-bedroom apartment for two at The Western Hotel Citypoint Apartments is approximately €179/$198US/£152 Sterling/$270 CAD/$294 AUD per night. The accommodation is self-catering.
9. The Hardiman Hotel
(More Expensive)
This iconic hotel, located in the heart of the city beside Eyre Square, was once known as The Railway Hotel and was built in 1852 and catered to the rich and famous.
It later became known as The Great Southern Hotel (one of the country’s railway hotels that were owned by CIÉ).
Today, it has a more modern vibe but still retains its historic roots.
There are just over 100 rooms in the hotel, including 19 luxury suites.
Rooms are designed with a Victorian flavor in mind, but are thoroughly modern, with en-suite bathrooms, plasma-screen TVS and complimentary toiletries.
The more expensive rooms have mini bars.
Several amenities can be found at The Hardiman, including a health club/spa with hot tub.
Dry cleaning and laundry services are available, as is free WiFi.
Guests can choose from valet parking, when available, at €25 per day or park at a discount in the nearby Hynes Yard Multi Story car park located on Merchants Road.
Rate: A deluxe double room at The Hardiman Hotel is approximately €244/$269 US/£208 Sterling/$368 CAD/$404 AUD per night.
10. Jury’s Inn (now called Leonardo Hotel)
(More Expensive)
Located in Galway City’s Latin Quarter, this 130-room hotel is part of a hotel chain that can be found across the country.
Everything is convenient to the Jury’s Inn/Leonardo Hotel, including shops and tourist attractions like the Spanish Arch and the various trendy restaurants that surround it.
Rooms are clean and comfortable and include flat-screen TVs, coffee, and tea-making facilities and free Wifi. You’ll find some with views of the nearby Corrib River.
Most, however, do not have air conditioning (not an absolute in Ireland given its mild climate during the summer months).
The hotel does not have any fitness or spa facilities.
A Continental breakfast and a hot buffet selection is available each day, at an additional cost.
The beer garden at Jury’s Inn Galway/Leonardo Hotel is one of the largest in the city, overlooking the Claddagh and Galway Fishery watchtower. You can enjoy a coffee during the day or a few drinks at night.
Parking is available in a public lot adjacent to the hotel. It costs about €10 for a 24-hour period.
Rate: A superior double/single room at The Leonardo Hotel Galway is approximately €315/$349 US/£268 Sterling/$476 CAD/$518 AUD per night.
Have you considered any of these 10 affordable hotel stays in Galway? If so, let me know in the comments below.
