Story and photos by Aefa Mulholland
The
7 reasons I love the g Hotel, Galway, Ireland
1.
The sumptuous, five star g Hotel is reason enough to visit the west ofIreland
in itself. The g consists of 101 rooms of utter loveliness, frivolous
lounges, and the sexiest spa I have ever seen. Galway-bornPhilip Treacy, gay
milliner to the stars, has designed a playful confection of a hotel good enough
to eat.
2.
Sure it’s within easy driving distance of the Cliffs of Moher, the rugged
Burren, the pony-dotted hills of Connemara, the Irish-speaking Gaetacht, and
close to Ireland’s best bars, but once you check in to this address, you may
not want to leave. If you do, the g is situated on the lakeshore 15 minutes’
walk from the heart of the Ireland’s most outgoing city. Known as the City of
Tribes, Galway is a small town with a huge personality, known for its
traditional music and boisterous bars. The vibrant college town’s calendar is
confettied with festivals.
3.
The hotel’s 101stunning guest rooms are just as beautiful as downstairs. The g is
so delicious, in fact, that when it was time for my +1 and I to leave for
dinner, she resolutely refused to accompany me, pointing out the bathroom’s
swooping stand-alone tub and LCD TV, shell-shaped pillows and Frette linen, and
enticing room service menus. It was a winning argument.
4.
Philip Treacy said, “A hotel is a catwalk too” and you walk through an electric
series of costume changes as you walk from the chic, dimly lit lobby through
the Grand Salon with its 300 twinkling mirror balls, the Pink Lounge, the deep
Blue gentleman’s lounge, to the decadent, sparkling crystal cocktail bar. This
beautiful, whimsical hotel is one of the most dramatic, eye-catching addresses
I have stayed at.
5.
Espa, the sexiest spa in the land, is set within a Zen Garden. Some of the
enticements on offer include a black stone tranquility pool surrounded by a bed
of white Galway pebbles, a crystal steam room, rock sauna, tepidarium, ice
fountain, glass-walled roof garden, and vitality pool above which hundreds of
origami birds fly.
6.
Restaurant Riva is a playground of lush velvet banquettes and chairs in lime,
turquoise, scarlet and violet. Walls are decorated with photos of models
wearing Treacy’s elaborate creations. We breakfasted on a voluminous Irish
breakfast beside a black and white photograph of Naomi Campbell in wonderfully
farfetched headgear.
7. They actually serve a Breakfast Martini, the perfect drink to start or finish the day.
The G Hotel, Wellpark, Galway; +353-91-865-200; www.theghotel.ie
Story and photos by Aefa Mulholland
The
7 reasons I love the g Hotel, Galway, Ireland
1.
The sumptuous, five star g Hotel is reason enough to visit the west ofIreland
in itself. The g consists of 101 rooms of utter loveliness, frivolous
lounges, and the sexiest spa I have ever seen. Galway-bornPhilip Treacy, gay
milliner to the stars, has designed a playful confection of a hotel good enough
to eat.
2.
Sure it’s within easy driving distance of the Cliffs of Moher, the rugged
Burren, the pony-dotted hills of Connemara, the Irish-speaking Gaetacht, and
close to Ireland’s best bars, but once you check in to this address, you may
not want to leave. If you do, the g is situated on the lakeshore 15 minutes’
walk from the heart of the Ireland’s most outgoing city. Known as the City of
Tribes, Galway is a small town with a huge personality, known for its
traditional music and boisterous bars. The vibrant college town’s calendar is
confettied with festivals.
3.
The hotel’s 101stunning guest rooms are just as beautiful as downstairs. The g is
so delicious, in fact, that when it was time for my +1 and I to leave for
dinner, she resolutely refused to accompany me, pointing out the bathroom’s
swooping stand-alone tub and LCD TV, shell-shaped pillows and Frette linen, and
enticing room service menus. It was a winning argument.
4.
Philip Treacy said, “A hotel is a catwalk too” and you walk through an electric
series of costume changes as you walk from the chic, dimly lit lobby through
the Grand Salon with its 300 twinkling mirror balls, the Pink Lounge, the deep
Blue gentleman’s lounge, to the decadent, sparkling crystal cocktail bar. This
beautiful, whimsical hotel is one of the most dramatic, eye-catching addresses
I have stayed at.
5.
Espa, the sexiest spa in the land, is set within a Zen Garden. Some of the
enticements on offer include a black stone tranquility pool surrounded by a bed
of white Galway pebbles, a crystal steam room, rock sauna, tepidarium, ice
fountain, glass-walled roof garden, and vitality pool above which hundreds of
origami birds fly.
6.
Restaurant Riva is a playground of lush velvet banquettes and chairs in lime,
turquoise, scarlet and violet. Walls are decorated with photos of models
wearing Treacy’s elaborate creations. We breakfasted on a voluminous Irish
breakfast beside a black and white photograph of Naomi Campbell in wonderfully
farfetched headgear.
7. They actually serve a Breakfast Martini, the perfect drink to start or finish the day.
The G Hotel, Wellpark, Galway; +353-91-865-200; www.theghotel.ie
