The Waters Edge

For over €200 on Friday, August 8, 2025, I expected more than the en-suite room accommodation I found here. It’s not what I’d typically expect from a hotel in Co. Donegal. The bed was adequate, but there wasn’t a chair in the room. I couldn’t tell if the pictured room with a crib and two chairs was meant to be the common area, but I didn’t see any lounge. There was no staff at the property, and my calls and messages to the booking and posted telephone number went unanswered. The place had little charm, and the flickering fluorescent hall lights reminded me of primary school. In the bathroom, a sign tried to reassure us that the off-colour bog water was safe. The water view and location were very good, but this was the most expensive and least welcoming place we encountered on our Ireland trip. Every other stop offered much better value.

I’d booked two nights for Easter, but an emergency medical appointment came up on the way and we couldn’t make it. The day before, I was surprised to find out this “Hotel” had no reception or breakfast, and I was travelling with two kids. I asked if there could be a refund for the second night, €440 in total, but couldn’t even speak with anyone and got a flat refusal. Very disappointing and lacking in decency.

The views from the rooms are beautiful, but the rooms are very small, with nowhere to sit and have a coffee. We’d booked three rooms and were disappointed we couldn’t sit together for coffee in the morning or have a drink together at night. There’s a restaurant next door, but it only opens in the evenings. There’s no restaurant or bar here, and no staff on site apart from cleaning staff during the day. You really need a car, since walking on the road is quite dangerous without a pavement. This definitely isn’t a hotel.

The location is superb, and the room is a nice size, but the badly marked carpet spoiled its look. There was no restaurant or bar open, so I had to drive to Letterkenny to find something to eat. €160 felt steep. Calling this a hotel is stretching it, I think.