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Cork: Arran House

49 Lower Glanmire Road

Reviewed by: Momma's Traveling from VA, review #2431

When: September 2008

A basic B&B, convenient to the Railroad Station, with very cramped rooms and an old, un-kept-up feel.

A word about who we are and what we were looking for: 3 adults, ages 63, 73 and 80, traveling via public transportation, needing a double or twin and a single ensuite. We did not need (or want to pay for) luxury but did want a pleasant place, clean, in a safe area for walking at night, moderately-priced and comfortable.

I would like to recommend this B&B. The owners were very, very nice and helpful. They had an interesting and very useful guide in each room giving the history of the house, information on attractions, train schedules, etc. We enjoyed them very much.

However, there were also some things that were not up to the standard we have come to expect even from moderately-priced B&B's. In the end I could not say I recommend it, so I put "neutral."

The building is old and settling, the floors uneven as a result. It was an uphill walk from our bathroom to our beds which was amusing rather than a problem. However, the looseness of the stair railings was a concern and should be fixed. There was also just a feeling that things were old and not given attention.

The double room (had a double and a twin bed) was so cramped there was no room to open a suitcase. The bathroom door could not close without hitting the toilet and the toilet seat was loose as a result. There was no plug for sink (an easy thing to have fixed I'd thought), the pillows were thin and hard (again not an expensive thing to improve). The shower was very small (as were many we experienced), but the drain was so slow that we had to space out our showers to be sure it wouldn't overflow.

The single room was the same size as the double with just a double bed and a chair, so it was a little more spacious. One light in the single room wasn't working and the woman who cleaned the rooms indicated it had been that way for a while.

On the plus side: The owners as I indicated above were very nice and helpful. The B&B is very close to the railroad station and 15-20 minute walk to city center. There was a hot water pot with tea/coffee fixings, tv and a hair dryer was readily available. The breakfast was fine; they offered yogurt in addition to the standard cereal, juice, toast and choices of eggs, etc. Nearby was a grocery and internet cafe. There were also a few pubs nearby but we did not try any. We liked the location and the owners, and the problems did not upset that much.

However, if we return to Cork, I would check out some other options as there were a number of other B&B's nearby.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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