County Donegal Hotel Tips by BillNJ Top 5 Page for this destination

An Teach Bán: Subsidized Residential Centre Dedicated to Peace

In Downings, I stayed at a residential centre named An Teach Bán. In the Irish language, it means the white house -- and the pronunciation sounds like "an chah bwan". The centre was founded in 1985, and it was created as a place for refuge during the Troubles. Today, it is subsidized by the European Union and the governments of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

I stayed at the centre as part of a workshop, and the total cost for lodging and meals during my 6 day/5 night stay was only 125 Euros! The cost is so low because of the subsidies. I was fortunate to have my own bedroom (with a private en suite bathroom), but most of the other rooms appear to have been double and triple occupancy. The meals were served family-style in the dining room -- and they were excellent! The centre also includes a large recreation room, a large room for workshops/meetings, and a large rooftop patio.

I really enjoyed my stay at An Teach Bán -- it is a special place. If you have an opportunity to stay here, I highly recommend it. Since the centre is the site of many workshops and programs -- there are probably restrictions on when you can stay. Below, I have included the link to a website with a contact number for the centre if you want more information.

Unique Qualities: Subsidized residential centre dedicated to peace.

Meals included -- they are home-style and delicious!

Tea and biscuits are available in the kitchen at all times -- day or night.

Within walking distance of the beach and everything else in the village of Downings.

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: US$20-40

Theme: Other

Gallaghers Hotel: Modern Hotel in the Letterkenny City Centre

After my workshop concluded in Downings, I stayed one night at Gallaghers Hotel in Letterkenny. The reason that I chose this hotel was that it is located within short walking distance from the Letterkenny bus station -- from which I took a bus to Galway City.

I booked my room in advance through a website named booking.com -- and everything went smoothly. The cost for my 1-night stay was 65 Euros. The reception desk at the hotel was very pleasant at both check-in and check-out.

My room was very spacious and well-furnished. I ate dinner at the pub in the hotel -- and it was pretty good. Breakfast was included in the rate -- and they served a full Irish breakfast. The quantity of the breakfast was ample, but I would only rank the quality as average.

My stay was on a Wednesday night. As it turns out, Wednesday is a big night at the Milan Nightclub that is adjacent to the hotel. Since I could faintly hear the music from my room on the second floor (it wasn't too bad), I decided to venture over and take a look. It's a large, multi-story nightclub that is geared toward a young crowd. The cover charge was 5 Euros -- and most drinks were 3 Euros. There didn't appear to be a dress code.

Overall, I was satisfied with my 1-night stay at Gallaghers Hotel. It's a nice modern hotel, and it served my purposes.

Unique Qualities: Located in the heart of Letterkenny's city centre -- within short walking distance to the bus station.

Full Irish breakfast included in the rate.

Within the hotel complex, there is a restaurant, pub, and nightclub.

Address: 100 Main Street, Letterkenny

Comparison: about average

Directions: City centre

Price: US$80-120

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.gallaghershotel.com/