Castlecourt Hotel

The family-owned Castlecourt Hotel is part of the Westport Hotel Group, a collection of three hotels in town. This is the more classic and traditional of the group when it comes to design, which will please some guests, but not others. The owners are keen fans of art and the hotel boasts a fine collection of work from Irish artists that decorates the hotel’s public areas. There's plenty of character and charm here, with touches like stained glass windows, ornate ceiling roses, chandeliers, and arrangements of fresh flowers throughout. The atmosphere is homey, including a cozy seating area in the lobby where sofas and armchairs are surrounded by bookshelves and open fireplaces. The hotel attracts a mix of guests, including many families, as well as couples and wedding parties. Locals also flock to the hotel regularly for the live music performed every evening in the bar, which also has a dance floor. The hotel attracts a huge amount of repeat customers who come back year after year.

The hotel is located right in the center of Westport and there are plenty of restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars within easy reach. The town's charming main square and the Westport Clock Tower are only five minutes from the hotel on foot. The hotel itself is accessed from courtyard just off the main road, Castlebar Street, and once inside the courtyard, the noise and bustle of the town is left behind. It’s an ideal base from which to explore the Great Western Greenway, a new walkway and cycle route along an old railway line from Westport to Achill. The hotel is on also on the Wild Atlantic Way and is a convenient place to start touring some of the highlights of Ireland’s stunning and rugged west coast. Golfers are well set up in the area, with Westport and Mulranny Golf Clubs both just a five-minute walk of the Castlecourt Hotel. Westport Train Station is a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and Ireland West Airport Knock is an hour’s drive. It's around 90 minutes to Galway by car, the closest major city.

The hotel’s 154 guest rooms are available in multiple categories, including those catering to families, and the look across the board is traditional, sometimes verging on dated. There are a good number of patterns in guest rooms, from the sharp all-over circle patterns on accents walls, to those in the taupe carpeting, the dark burgundy curtains, and in the armchairs. It's a bit busy, and some of the furniture is looking worn, like the table-and-chairs set that sits in the corner of most Standard Rooms. We also noticed a good deal of chipped paint on some corners. Wooden headboards look sharp, though, and some of the higher-category rooms have elegant wooden four-poster beds and high-end entertainment systems. 

All rooms have wall-mounted flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, tea- and coffee-making facilities, fans, safes, irons and ironing boards, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms are spacious and have large windows which let plenty of natural light in, though most views are underwhelming. Bathrooms have a shower/tub combo with cream tiling, although these too look a little dated, especially the slightly worn fixtures on pedestal sinks and slightly grimy tub basins.

The Castlecourt Hotel has a traditional bar on-site, Petie Joes, which has banquet seating and bar stools in a deep red leather with button backs. The bar hosts live music every night that's a crowd pleaser for guests and locals alike, and it also offers an extensive cocktail menu. The hotel’s Orchard Restaurant has a more elegant feel with crisp white tablecloths, a contemporary striped carpet, and bright, modern artwork on the walls. It serves Irish and Continental dishes such as baked sea bass and slow roasted lamb. There’s also the informal Courtyard Bistro Restaurant which offers a carvery lunch and a bar menu in the evenings, as well as sandwiches and pastries throughout the day. A breakfast buffet is offered, but is not included in room rates. The hotel has a fantastic large indoor swimming pool, plus a separate children's splash pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, and an outdoor hot tub. There’s also a fitness center and a hair salon on-site. The hotel has large events spaces for meetings and weddings. The property has a large secure car park that is free to guests and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.