Warming in the West
Visions of crowds spilling out from Matt Molloy’s bar, kids whizzing around the rides at Westport House, and fishing boats bobbing amid the drumlins of Clew Bay seem to say ‘summer’.
But Westport does winter well. If you can handle the ice-cream headaches, the surf is up.
There’s no end of winter walks to beat off that January gut, before returning to roaring fires and cosy restaurants in the cosmopolitan town.
Turning from Castlebar Street into the sycamore-shady courtyard shared by the Castlecourt and Westport Plaza, you are entering a Westport institution. Joe and Anne Corcoran’s busy hotels are small-town workhorses built on DNA, not developer greed.
The Castlecourt’s reward (apart from staying in business) is its status as one of Ireland’s newest four-stars. Everything about it, from the sash windows spilling over with flower boxes out front to the kids’ ‘buzz club’ noticeboard, a friendly check-in and the cheery late-night sing-song outside the bar, hint at happy guests in a hotel that knows them well.
The Castlecourt and Westport Plaza share the same leisure and spa facilities, but retain their own bars, restaurants, public areas and rooms.
Both are four-star, but the Castlecourt has a country-comfort feel, with 153 rooms to the Plaza’s 88, and cheaper rates.
I check into Room 261. It’s a deluxe, as I discover when I flop onto a King-size four-poster and eye up the Jacuzzi tub. Brown, burgundy, aubergine and gold tones create an opulent atmosphere, enhanced by an abundance of lamps and marble bathroom tiles.
A good night’s sleep is had courtesy of a snap-fresh duvet and dangerously effective blackout curtains.
I notice a few chips off the wood, and my view over a car park and bike yard isn’t Croagh Patrick, but it’s a very comfortable and well-maintained space.
There are two eating options in the Castlecourt — the fancy Orchard restaurant with its mix of Irish and Continental cuisine (a two-course set menu costs €25), and the more casual Courtyard bistro, which serves carvery lunches and all-day menus.
I eat out in Westport town, but grab breakfast in the Orchard. It’s a sumptuous room, broken up into sections by raised levels and transparent satin, though big prints of classic French and Dutch paintings are unimaginative.
After picking through a buffet featuring cereals, fresh grapes, and pastries laid out in wicker baskets, I order the full Irish.
It arrives on a small and hot plate, crammed with one black pudding, two poached eggs, two rashers and two sausages.
The leisure centre shared by the two hotels is decent, with a 20m pool in a bright building that also has a paddling pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. Handily, the receptionist has a model of the changing room locks — she shows me how to work the combinations before I change, saving one of those embarrassing return-to-the-desk-in-your-togs moments.
Across the courtyard, Spa Sula has all the whistles and bells (outdoor jacuzzi, ice fountain, lifestyle showers) required for a pamper-tastic afternoon, and there’s live music and dancing in Petite Joe’s bar.
A five-night dance package including dinners, dancing workshops, cookery demos and table quizzes will be available in March from €289pps.
One of the hotel’s nicest spaces is the library near the lobby, with quirky touches like an old typewriter playing off the comfy, white-leather furniture. Seats go quickly here.
Busy as the Castlecourt is, its bedroom and public corridors are spotless.
The Great Western Greenway, a new cycling trail following the route of the old Westport to Achill railway line, was one of the surprise tourism successes of 2011.
You’ll get wind and rain in your face at this time of year, but isn’t that what January’s all about? The most scenic stretch is the final one, stretching 13km from Mulranny Park Hotel to Achill Island, and Clew Bay Bike Hire (clewbayoutdoors.ie) is happy to do a drop-off. See greenway.ie.
The Castlecourt Hotel has several special offers, including a weekend break bundling two night’s B&B and one dinner from €109pp. Contact 098-55088; castlecourthotel.ie.
Hotels like the Castlecourt should be case studies for a struggling hospitality sector. What they lack in glamour they make up for in honest, hands-on family management, and value for money.
Almost 90% of its reviews on TripAdvisor are either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent.’
The odd finicky detail, like a €10-per-hour charge for late checkout, jars, but that’s a small price for an affordable break to beat the January blues.
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