Galway with Granny and Granddad

Travelling with three generations needn’t be a challenge, if the destination for your weekend trip is just right. So with my Mum, my Dad and ten-year-old daughter Nicole, packed into the car, we set off for the newly refurbished accommodation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Galway.

The hotel is in a great situation only a few hundred meters from Eyre Square and currently offering special packages for the over 65s. We ate lunch on arrival with oodles of choice from the hot buffet and salad bar. The delicious lemon meringue pies from the dessert tray were hard to resist so we had one each.

Granddad was keen to watch the Liverpool match so we dropped him off at Eyre Square in Garveys pub which offers music at weekends and was a delightful find. It left us three girls free to shop!

William Street was the start of our ramble through the shops and iconic bars that line the streets down to the Quay. The bustling street market sells the usual array of trinkets jewellery and handcrafts that put in a lovely afternoon.

When we returned with our purchases to the hotel we were keen to try the leisure facilities. While Granny had a pampering facial in the Spa, Nicole and I decided to try out the newly opened Salt Grotto. We found it to be a place of peace and respite for the whole family and apparently it has medicinal properties that help improve the respiratory system. Nicole and I sat through a peaceful thirty minute session and afterwards, with the taste of salt on our tongues, hit the swimming pool.

Salt Grotto

Only over-sixteens can enjoy the sauna and Jacuzzi in the leisure center and there is a hot tub out on the deck with a beautiful view of the estuary.

 That night we dined in Marinas restaurant and with a Liverpool win earlier everyone agreed that they had a terrific afternoon. Dinner was delicious with excellent choices – we ate lamb, duck and fish and Nicole loved the spare ribs and pasta from the kids menu. The Sushi in the Sky restaurant on the fourth floor catered for those looking for a more romantic setting and specialised cuisine. The hotel offers cooking classes among other activities to make your stay educational and more interesting.

All the nightlife of Galway was on our doorstep but we retired to the bar and relaxed until time to go to our rooms. It’s worth splashing out on the newly refurbished Business class rooms which are luxurious with spectacular views. The beds are made super soft by feather and down mattress topers and the personalised reading lights allowed Nicole to sleep while I read. Although I’m not a coffee drinker the nespresso machine in our room was a nice touch.

As a busy mum I love nothing more than a nice spa retreat and I will most certainly be back to the One Spirit spa. With an excellent choice of rooms in the thermal suite The Beach came as a pleasant surprise – using subtle lighting and warm sand to lie on I was whisked away to sunnier climes. I went from the beach to the rock sauna which was extra hot before trying the hammam steam room.

The suite wasn’t busy on the Sunday morning I was there and I had the laconium and aroma rooms totally to myself. The relaxation area is swaddled in a warm cocoon of cushions and couches with subtle lights to lure you into rest. The usual herbal teas and fruit bowls are on offer with plenty of reading material. While my feet were pampered with a top class pedicure, Granny and Granddad brought Nicole off to mass.

Before returning home to Dublin we took a trip to the Aquarium in Salthill en famille. Fish can be touched and observed with or without the guided tour but we preferred to just wander while Granny and Granddad enjoyed Nicole’s reaction to the creatures.

Galway hosts its annual Arts Festival in July and the famous Galway Races in August make it a great destination in summer. You might even want to stop off for a mini-break while dropping your teenager to Irish college and with competitive rates at the Radisson Blu it is probably the perfect hotel for all the family.

The ‘ Revive Pamper Package’ at spirit one spa includes the Elemis Pro-Intense Lift Effect Facial, use of the Thermal Suite, Pool, Hot-Tub, Jacuzzi and a delicious two course lunch in Marinas Restaurant for €100 per person. 
To book call spirit one spa on 091 538 423 or email [email protected]. Include an overnight stay in one of the newly refurbished bedrooms from €120 for two people sharing midweek or from €155 for two people sharing at the weekend. Guests booking midweek will also receive complimentary passes to the salt spa. For bedroom bookings call 091538521 or email [email protected].