Pros

  • Peaceful location outside city center, yet walking distance from attractions
  • Set in a quaint row of townhouses, with pleasant interiors
  • Comfortable, functional rooms with mini-fridges; some with whirlpool tubs
  • Excellent cooked and continental breakfast
  • Lovely free tea, coffee and cakes provided on arrival
  • Friendly atmosphere; motherly owner full of local recommendations
  • Free and reliable Wi-Fi throughout
  • On-site parking available
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Cons

  • Rooms have outdated TVs; some bathrooms are tiny
  • Breakfast not included in all rates
  • Some rooms located outside main building, elsewhere on street
  • Few facilities: no full restaurant or bar
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Bottom Line

The mid-range Garnish House has a peaceful yet convenient site, just across from Cork’s university and within walking distance of the city center. Its 40 pleasant rooms have comfy beds and mini-fridges, and some have whirlpool tubs. But the size and sprawl of the property means some rooms are located in other buildings down the street. The fantastic breakfast is a highlight here, though it’s not included in all rates; guests are also welcomed with free hot drinks and cakes on arrival, and the hands-on, mothering owner enhances the friendly atmosphere. Free (limited) parking and free Wi-Fi add to the Garnish's value, but there are few other on-site features. As an alternative, the Fernroyd House B&B offers a more intimate experience, with just eight rooms.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Internet

Oyster Hotel Review

Garnish House

Scene

Friendly approach despite larger operation; elegant decor, if slightly dated in parts

Garnish House appears cozy, with a motherly owner that keeps the atmosphere warm and friendly, but its larger scale and sprawl means you're unlikely to find a bed-and-breakfast level of intimacy here. Lodgings are split between the main building -- an attractive block of three converted townhouses in tasteful pastel green -- and other properties along the street, up to an 11-minute walk away. The lobby is elegant but small and a tad dated in parts, with just a few built-in shelves for a desk. Crisp and smart interiors have parquet wood flooring, white walls with framed prints, and white wood trim, though the patterned carpet is a bit garish. Attractive vintage heater covers and bronze-framed mirrors add character, but the clear banisters and metal handrails on the stairs feel a bit charmless. A number of cozy, stylish lounges have parquet flooring, fireplaces, and elegant retro-style armchairs, plus floor-length curtains at large windows.

See More Scene

Location

Walking distance to the university and city center; a short ride to most other sights

The hotel’s main building is set slightly back from the busy street, in a more peaceful neighborhood teeming with other guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts, plus pubs and cafes. It’s around a 17-minute walk into Cork’s city center, or a seven-minute drive; the bus stops outside the hotel, too. Closer to the hotel, University College Cork and the Cork Public Museum are a seven-minute walk away, while it’s a 10-minute walk to St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral; all three are two minutes away by cab. The English Market is a 14-minute walk, six-minute drive or bus ride from the hotel, and the Crawford Gallery is a 15-minute walk, nine-minute drive or bus ride away. St. Anne’s Church and Shandon Bells Tower, the Cork City Gaol museum, City Hall, and the Butter Museum are all within a six-minute drive or 20-minute bus ride. Blackrock Castle Observatory is a 13-minute drive or 55-minute bus ride away. Cork Kent railway station is an eight-minute taxi ride or 18 minutes from the hotel by bus; Parnell Place bus station, for intercity and international services, is 10 minutes away by car or a 13-minute bus ride. Cork Airport is an 13-minute drive or 55-minute bus ride from the hotel.

See More Location

Rooms

Pleasant but generic rooms, some with tiny bathrooms and others with whirlpool tubs

Guest rooms at the Garnish House tend more toward functionality than design, and can feel generic overall. Still, they’re pleasant and quiet, with large comfy beds and modern headstands against attractively wallpapered accent walls. Small bedside tables have lamps in addition to the overhead reading lights. Carpets and padded armchairs in various colors are smart, and large windows have floor-length curtains, but neighboring roofs obstruct views from some rooms. Some rooms have old-fashioned tube TVs; in others, even the flat-screens look dated. Some are also haphazardly positioned on top of closets. Standard amenities include individual heating, hairdryers, irons and ironing boards, mini-fridges, and coffee- and tea-making facilities, plus safes, phones, and free Wi-Fi. Standard Double and Standard King Rooms are compact and lack desks.

King Rooms (not to be confused with Standard King Rooms) add generic tan wood desks. More spacious Standard Double Single Rooms are actually triples; each has a double and single bed plus an attractive modern sofa, armchair and small desk, but they’re awkwardly arranged. Large, airy Standard Triple Rooms are similar to Standard Double Singles, except that each has the bizarre inclusion of a whole wall of no fewer than five double tan-wood closets. Bathrooms vary enormously; some are attractive but tiny, with white wall tiling and black slate-effect floor tiles, and small walk-in power showers. Others are bright and spacious with white tiles, but dated-looking shower/tub combos, with whirlpool jets and power showerheads, look out of place. Standard Double Single bathrooms have both built-in whirlpool tubs and separate walk-in showers. Individual toiletries are a welcome touch across the board.

Self-catering options (in nearby buildings) range from studios to one-bedroom apartments that sleep two to three with a pullout sofa bed, both with kitchenettes, and townhouses with three en suite bedrooms, a living area and full kitchen.

See More Rooms

Features

Pleasant lounge, free tea and cakes on arrival, and excellent breakfast for a fee

Though Garnish House has little in the way of conventional amenities -- there's no full restaurant, for instance -- there’s a warm and inviting lounge with a flat-screen TV, and guests are also welcomed on arrival with free tea, coffee, and cakes. The excellent cooked and continental breakfast includes homemade bread, scones and yogurt, plus other local produce. But breakfast isn't included in all rates, and it’s served in the main hotel, so those staying in other buildings need to make a morning trek over. The hotel’s motherly owner adds a personal touch to the place, and she's helpful with local recommendations. There’s reliable free Wi-Fi access throughout, and free on-site parking.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Garnish House

Scene

Friendly approach despite larger operation; elegant decor, if slightly dated in parts

Garnish House appears cozy, with a motherly owner that keeps the atmosphere warm and friendly, but its larger scale and sprawl means you're unlikely to find a bed-and-breakfast level of intimacy here. Lodgings are split between the main building -- an attractive block of three converted townhouses in tasteful pastel green -- and other properties along the street, up to an 11-minute walk away. The lobby is elegant but small and a tad dated in parts, with just a few built-in shelves for a desk. Crisp and smart interiors have parquet wood flooring, white walls with framed prints, and white wood trim, though the patterned carpet is a bit garish. Attractive vintage heater covers and bronze-framed mirrors add character, but the clear banisters and metal handrails on the stairs feel a bit charmless. A number of cozy, stylish lounges have parquet flooring, fireplaces, and elegant retro-style armchairs, plus floor-length curtains at large windows.

See More Scene

Location

Walking distance to the university and city center; a short ride to most other sights

The hotel’s main building is set slightly back from the busy street, in a more peaceful neighborhood teeming with other guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts, plus pubs and cafes. It’s around a 17-minute walk into Cork’s city center, or a seven-minute drive; the bus stops outside the hotel, too. Closer to the hotel, University College Cork and the Cork Public Museum are a seven-minute walk away, while it’s a 10-minute walk to St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral; all three are two minutes away by cab. The English Market is a 14-minute walk, six-minute drive or bus ride from the hotel, and the Crawford Gallery is a 15-minute walk, nine-minute drive or bus ride away. St. Anne’s Church and Shandon Bells Tower, the Cork City Gaol museum, City Hall, and the Butter Museum are all within a six-minute drive or 20-minute bus ride. Blackrock Castle Observatory is a 13-minute drive or 55-minute bus ride away. Cork Kent railway station is an eight-minute taxi ride or 18 minutes from the hotel by bus; Parnell Place bus station, for intercity and international services, is 10 minutes away by car or a 13-minute bus ride. Cork Airport is an 13-minute drive or 55-minute bus ride from the hotel.

See More Location

Rooms

Pleasant but generic rooms, some with tiny bathrooms and others with whirlpool tubs

Guest rooms at the Garnish House tend more toward functionality than design, and can feel generic overall. Still, they’re pleasant and quiet, with large comfy beds and modern headstands against attractively wallpapered accent walls. Small bedside tables have lamps in addition to the overhead reading lights. Carpets and padded armchairs in various colors are smart, and large windows have floor-length curtains, but neighboring roofs obstruct views from some rooms. Some rooms have old-fashioned tube TVs; in others, even the flat-screens look dated. Some are also haphazardly positioned on top of closets. Standard amenities include individual heating, hairdryers, irons and ironing boards, mini-fridges, and coffee- and tea-making facilities, plus safes, phones, and free Wi-Fi. Standard Double and Standard King Rooms are compact and lack desks.

King Rooms (not to be confused with Standard King Rooms) add generic tan wood desks. More spacious Standard Double Single Rooms are actually triples; each has a double and single bed plus an attractive modern sofa, armchair and small desk, but they’re awkwardly arranged. Large, airy Standard Triple Rooms are similar to Standard Double Singles, except that each has the bizarre inclusion of a whole wall of no fewer than five double tan-wood closets. Bathrooms vary enormously; some are attractive but tiny, with white wall tiling and black slate-effect floor tiles, and small walk-in power showers. Others are bright and spacious with white tiles, but dated-looking shower/tub combos, with whirlpool jets and power showerheads, look out of place. Standard Double Single bathrooms have both built-in whirlpool tubs and separate walk-in showers. Individual toiletries are a welcome touch across the board.

Self-catering options (in nearby buildings) range from studios to one-bedroom apartments that sleep two to three with a pullout sofa bed, both with kitchenettes, and townhouses with three en suite bedrooms, a living area and full kitchen.

See More Rooms

Features

Pleasant lounge, free tea and cakes on arrival, and excellent breakfast for a fee

Though Garnish House has little in the way of conventional amenities -- there's no full restaurant, for instance -- there’s a warm and inviting lounge with a flat-screen TV, and guests are also welcomed on arrival with free tea, coffee, and cakes. The excellent cooked and continental breakfast includes homemade bread, scones and yogurt, plus other local produce. But breakfast isn't included in all rates, and it’s served in the main hotel, so those staying in other buildings need to make a morning trek over. The hotel’s motherly owner adds a personal touch to the place, and she's helpful with local recommendations. There’s reliable free Wi-Fi access throughout, and free on-site parking.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Babysitting Services

  • Basic Television

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.