Review – Glenlo Abbey 5 Star Hotel

The Grand Entrance

I took a trip with my husband to the luxurious Glenlo Abbey in Galway this month and i have to say, I was blown away. From the moment you walk in you feel 5 star. I couldn’t believe how close it was to Galway city plus it was only 2.5 hours from Dublin.

On arrival as you drive up you will be blown away by the scenery. To the right there is a a golf course and beyond that is Lough Corrib. All I could think of was how amazing that backdrop would be for Wedding pictures. It is really impressive but no pictures will ever do it justice. You really need to drive up and take a look. To the left you will see the Abbey and it still has all of the original structures. As you drive by the Abbey you will see a little gate and secret garden behind that. Drive a little further and there you will find The Pullmans Restaurant which isn’t your ordinary restaurant. This restaurant sits within an original carriage from the Oriental Express (Yes this is true!).

View From My Room

From the moment we checked in I couldn’t praise the friendly staff enough. What I loved about the staff was that they were naturally nice. Now what I mean by that is, in some 5 stars, staff have to follow scripts of service and have certain responses for certain situations. In Glenlo’s case, it didn’t feel scripted. There was a lovely natural loveliness from all that we met.

We arrived in our room and the only word that I had was ‘wow’! The decor is vintage/classic. We were lucky as we managed to get a room with a four poster bed and separate lounge area. Whilst the room was old world, it had all of the mod-cons with massive flat screen TV, Nespresso machine and jet pool bath. One of the most impressive features of the room was the view of Lough Corrib. There was a floor to ceiling window which allowed you to take in the full breath-taking view. Oh and they have toiletries by Orla Kiely which smell divine!

The Pullmans Restaurant – Carriage from the Orient Express

We went for dinner in the Pullmans Restaurant and both myself and Eoin agreed that this is probably the most special restaurant that we have ever eaten in. We were in a private carriage and had dedicated service. The food was stunning and this quality of food travelled across to the bar and for breakfast. Again, service was impeccable and we were blown away. This is the perfect engagement spot!

While I was there I took in a wedding show around while Eoin went to the driving range which is beside the golf course. There is no doubt in my head that wedding pictures would be amazing. The bonus is that this is a lovely place to bring your guests. The rooms are gorgeous and its priced very reasonably for a 5 star luxury hotel. The food is fabulous. Your guests will be happy to be fed there!

Glenlo Abbey Weddings

I really like the wedding ballroom. Its best feature is the view overlooking Lough Corrib. The decor is elegant and has gorgeous fresh creams, silvers and golds throughout the room. The bar is in the room so that means that you wont be breaking up your wedding party. There is a balcony which can be used and its fantastic in the evening as you can watch the sun set over Lough Corrib.

Overall, I can’t recommend this venue enough and would encourage you to take a visit for a romantic break, foodie break or a wedding!

For more information visit www.glenloabbey.ie.

Here are some of my snaps from my trip!