Inisheer Hotel (Óstán Inis Oírr)

The owner is a gentleman and makes you feel very welcome, and the views are stunning. The restaurant is always busy, and the food was fabulous. Still, one woman working behind the bar was very rude and had no manners with customers. We visited as a family last year and experienced the same attitude from her then too.

The beds were comfortable, though the Wi-Fi didn't reach our room. We had booked two double rooms and one triple, but the room setup was different: one had a double bed plus bunk beds, and the other two each had a double and three single beds. At check-in, a group ahead of us kept asking to switch rooms, getting keys and then coming back for different ones, and they were quite rude to the receptionist. She stayed calm and professional throughout. I can’t remember her name, so I’ll call her N. She was Argentinian and really lovely and friendly.

I booked an Airbnb with this establishment about two and a half months ahead, but got no reply. I tried contacting them again just before we arrived at the hotel, and still received no answer or explanation. This was the second place to cancel on us in the Aran Islands. I've visited Ireland five times, and to me people seem to be getting less friendly. It feels like some Irish people are happy for Americans to spend $250 on a sweater in Galway, but don't want them visiting the Aran Islands, where the wool comes from, or staying in local hotels. If you're American, whether you're travelling to find family roots or to explore, research your accommodation carefully. Between tourism and politics, half the Irish seem to have a problem with Americans. I've added screenshots of the messages with both Aran Islands hosts for transparency. In my experience, people in interior Ireland seem much friendlier and more appreciative of your business.

I only ate at the pub, I didn't stay at the hotel. The food was good and came out quickly. For something more local, I'd recommend the chowder.