Hotel Westport - a perfect break for all the family

Hotel Westport offers an excellent children’s club as well as fine dining and outdoor activities.

PERFECT for energetic kids and even more perfect for weary parents, Hotel Westport packs in everything, from fine dining and a tranquil setting to stunning walks and an excellent children’s club.

The hotel is nestled in woodland, with plenty of parking right outside the door — ideal for a family that doesn’t travel light. The main entrance to the hotel is very welcoming and from the minute our family of four bundled through the door we felt at ease. It was evident from check-in to check-out that the hotel’s staff is its best asset. Everyone we encountered during our stay, from the general manager to the bar and restaurant staff, was extremely helpful and friendly.

We stayed in a family suite on the ground floor, with two separate sleeping areas, ideal for putting little ones to sleep at night while we sipped after- dinner drinks. The room was finished very well, with a modern-style bathroom including walk-in shower, three flat screen TVs (ensuring there was no fighting over the remote) and plenty of crisp white sheets and ultra fluffy white towels — bliss!

There was no shortage of space for the baggage that comes with a family of four. The view from the room was to the back of the hotel grounds, which was not the most scenic but ideal for that weekend sleep-in — not that sleeping in was an option with two energy-filled boys to entertain.

Boredom is not an option for adults or children and the day we arrived the boys (age four and seven) were enrolled in Panda Club. At 4.30pm parents and children meet the “Fun Fellows” and find out how the junior and senior clubs will entertain the children for the evening.

The junior Panda Club is suitable for children aged four to seven and the senior Panda Club for eight to 12-year-olds, with opening hours from 9.30am to 12.30pm, and 4.30pm to 10pm.

Over the weekend the boys enjoyed a wide variety of activities, including face -painting, games, art and craft, a talent show, movie nights and even dined with the Panda Club on two evenings. There is an option for kids to have breakfast in the Panda Club also.

Safe in the knowledge that the kids were being looked after and entertained, we had the rare luxury of getting ready without being under pressure, then enjoying an excellent meal in the hotel’s AA Rosette Islands Restaurant, which offers an á la carte menu with excellent choice of dishes. I polished my meal off with an excellent cheese selection including Cashel Blue, Milleens, and a fabulous Mature Irish Cheddar. The hotel bar offers a good value traditional bar menu, healthy children’s menu, sharing platters and afternoon tea.

We decided to check out the famous 42km Great Western Greenway cycle route. As a family with small children we were advised to start on the Newport entrance to the route, a 15-minute drive from Westport. This part of the route has fewer hills and is away from the main road.

For €50 we were kitted out at Clew Bay bike hire for a half-day’s cycling, with helmets, hi-viz jackets, two adult bikes, one child’s mountain bike and a tag-along bike for our youngest,!!!! plus the option to call and be picked up on the route if our legs weren’t up for the cycle back. We managed to cycle 6km before we had to ‘phone a friend’.

It’s worth packing a light lunch and drinks before you set off as there are not many places offering refreshments on the route, but plenty of picnic spots.

A three-night family break at Hotel Westport including B&B, dinner on one evening for the adults in the AA Rosette Islands Restaurant, dinner and daily activities with Panda Club for the children and use of hotel leisure facilities is €499. Contact: 1850-536373 or visit www.hotelwestport.ie.