Review: the Three Towers & Slieve Aughty Centre, Co. Galway

I had been planning a weekend break in Ireland with my boyfriend for some time. We wanted to go somewhere in the northwest that we hadn’t been before. A Groupon voucher appeared in my inbox for the Three Towers& Slieve Aughty Centre, and due to the fantastic savings (and element of adventure…horses!) we knew we had found our place.

Situated just outside Loughrea in County Galway, the centre comprises the ‘Three Towers', an almost brand new eco hotel with organic kitchen, and the well-established Slieve Aughty Riding Centre.

The directions on the website were good, and the receptionist (Jenny) gave us one of the friendliest welcomes imaginable. She greeted us like old friends, and made us a cup of tea, with mini biscuits and organic nougat which would be almost worth the long drive to Galway for on their own.

She designated us an absolutely gorgeous room (the pictures we’d seen on the website didn’t do the rooms justice) with high ceilings and pretty grey and pink décor - my favourite! Even my overnight bag matched the bedroom, so I thought it must be a good sign. ;) Some unoccupied bedrooms had the doors propped open, so we were able to see that all rooms were unique, and rather lovely.

The style of the hotel is somewhat eclectic, and d­one beautifully. There are interesting things dotted around and everywhere you look makes a pretty picture (especially the lovely dining room). I can imagine it would make a fantastic alternative wedding location - I believe a number of wedding receptions have already been held here.

We then went down the buffet style dinner, which was tasty soup, followed by baked aubergine, mashed potato and salad, and homemade rolls (there was also meat, but I chose the veggie option). It was all delicious, and accompanied with tasty organic wine. The only problem was there is no device to keep freshly cooked food warm, so it got cold quite quickly. This was followed by a banana cheesecake, which I’d never seen anywhere before…interesting!

The beds were comfortable, and everywhere was spotlessly clean, which is no mean feat in the countryside next to a riding centre. The rooms are quiet and also comfortably warm, which is important when you come inside after a long country walk. There is also a table of books to borrow during your stay – a very nice touch. The centre seems to offer a lot of activities such as English courses and organic gardening lessons from time to time, which sound fun. It also seems very child-friendly, with a number of other guests bringing along their little ones.

Unfortunately the next morning’s breakfast, my favourite meal, was a disappointment. Only some tables were laid out for breakfast, and we weren’t sure where to sit, so after looking around for a little while made for a table for four. The owner immediately told us not to sit there, as it was set for a family, so we were to sit at a table that had just finished being used. I don’t mind a few crumbs, but it did make us feel a bit second class.

It was a European-style breakfast, which was unexpected in Ireland. There was cereal, a lot of bread, cheese and meat. The only hot items were eggs and mushrooms, but again with no heating device these got cold quickly. I took an egg as had been looking forward to a hot breakfast before our horse trek, but the egg white was extremely runny (aargh!), so I couldn’t eat it. There was also toast, but as you don’t toast it yourself it gets cold very quickly. The hot things ran out as there was a queue of other guests waiting for them, and I did feel that there was a bit of competition for the hot food! The owner is Dutch, so a lot of the food was from the country. I was surprised at the omission of more Irish long-life products, but guess it was too expensive to source food here.

And now to the horses. They are wonderful, and clearly treasured by the small army of equine-loving girls and boys there on that Saturday morning. We went on an hours’ trek. As beginners, we found that the girl leading the trek (whose name I unfortunately cannot recall) was excellent - very relaxed, and patient and encouraging with those who were a bit nervous. It was a fabulous experience, and highly recommended.

I do feel the centre has made the most of the wonderful location with well-signposted trails in the nearby forest for those that fancy a woodland stroll, and laminated maps you can borrow.

Recommendations? I should mention that the Groupon offer was an absolute steal but I tried not to take that into consideration when evaluating the centre.

This is a newly opened place, so there are bound to be a few teething problems. I would recommend a seat in the bedroom, reading lamps on both sides of the bed, and shampoo as well as shower gel in the bathroom. Also, I think it should be mentioned on the website there is no TV in the bedrooms – I don’t own one so always look forward to surfing the channels when I’m in a hotel, especially on rainy Saturday afternoons.

Also, an accessible tea/coffee station nearer to the bedrooms (maybe located where the books are?) would be nice, so that you don’t have to walk through the busy dining room to make your evening cuppa. It just feels a bit weird to go behind the bar and help yourself.

A fully self-service buffet-style breakfast and lunch (with guests picking up their own cutlery, delph and food and choosing where to sit) would avoid confusion by allowing guests to look after themselves and ease the staff and kitchen’s workload. Heating devices for the food, and allowing guests to toast their own bread would also be a welcome element.

This place is obviously a hit with locals, as the restaurant was packed on Saturday night. The mission statements available to read in the bedrooms prove that this is a place that is committed to its vision of organic, sustainable travel, and that is admirable in an economy where cheaper is becoming better at any cost.

Finally, I have to mention Jenny again – she’s a sparkling asset to the hotel (without her, we may have felt a bit unwelcome!)

For something a little different, this is the perfect place to get away from it all. I have recommended it to a number of people, and will definitely return. Once the glitches are sorted out, this is going to be spectacular destination.