Just returned from a week staying at the Lodges. We found them to be surprisingly clean and comfortable. (Suprisingly because we had read some of the other reviews) We shared with relatives so there were 4 adults and 5 children (all under the age of five) in total. The way the accommodation is designed we never felt in each other's way. One family used the downstairs bedrooms and shower room, and the other used the upstairs.The whole area is very quiet and ideal for relaxing. The decking gates can be bolted to allow the children to run in and out safely. The hotel bar has a good carvery daily for the days when you don't feel like cooking and the swimming pool was a Godsend on the rainy days. The local golf club has a beautiful course and does an excellent steak. There are also plenty of other eateries in and near the village. There is lots to do, we found the Turoe Pet Farm a great hit with our kids as it had everything for them, they especially loved the inflatable city. Galway and all its amenities is only a 45min drive where we visited the National Aquarium, Leisureland and the Omniplex to complete a great day out. So all in all the lodges were perfect for a relaxing holiday free from the hassle of airports, transfer coaches and suncream. Between two families it proved to be excellent value for money.

I booked this as a little bit of a "treat" for my wife and I, as we have a new baby and were looking for a bit of a luxury break with him when we travelled in that direction and Portumna was in a good spot for it. It was a bit more than we normally spend but I thought it would be worth it.

It wasn't. Why?

1) Outdated furniture and decor. That room pictured on the website is a far cry from the gloomy room we had. Our "satellite television", as mentioned on the website, seemed to have a bad aerial as we just seemed to have some local stations with very poor reception.
2) Front Desk - apparently, they haven't learned the basics of what front desk reception should say - such as "thank you" and "I hope you had/have a nice stay". When I asked if they had a baggage cart, as there was no bell man, they pointed to one and asked me to be sure there weren't already bags on it. Charming.
3) The restaurant - again, no true horror stories but when we asked if we could have onion rings instead of chips with our steak, when they both cost the same as sides, we were told no. Why? Just because thats the way it is................

None of these are truly horrible and if you happen to have something like a wedding in Portumna (probably at the Shannon Oaks.............), it should be fine and it was ok for bringing a baby (though the lift, which was necessary for a pram to get to the rooms or the dining area of the pub, was truly in a shocking state). But at that price, I would recommend a B&B instead - wherever you stay, the staff won't be more disinterested in you as they were to us at the Shannon Oaks.

We were a group of 9 staying in the Lodges and it was grand for a big group as paying for hotel rooms would triple the price . The Lodges were fine not luxury but clean and comfortable .
5 bedrooms and nice big sitting room /kitchen and 3 bathrooms so plenty of room . The Facilities in the hotel are fine too . If you just want a quiet week where you can pack everyone in a car and chill for a week rather than the hassles of planes its perfect ! Just dont count on the weather it rained every day and it was later June ! :(

With two small boys and a teenage girl it can be difficult to find a place to bring them on holidays in Ireland. Last year we booked online at www.dreamireland.com and took the family to the Lodges at the Shannon Oaks Hotel in Portumna. These were absolutely ideal for us, as with their five bedrooms they were large enough for us to bring along both sets of grannies and granddads! The onsite facilities were great as we were allowed use the pool, kiddies pool and other activities for free and the hotel bar & restaurant were really family friendly. To be honest, when we’re travelling with our kids we just don’t want there to be any surprises when we arrive and we always know what we are getting when we book with Dream Ireland (we had stayed with them a few times in the past for long weekend). Usually the prices are pretty reasonable compared to staying in a hotel room (which gets kind of squishy when we’re all in there together!). At least this way everyone has their own room which cuts down on the fighting between the kids!

The Lodges are only about a 45 minute drive from Galway City so we spent one day looking around the city and another at Salthill Beach just outside the city. Portumna itself is great for families. There is a playground right beside the Hotel and The Lodges are surrounded by woodlands just waiting to be explored. Lough Derg is also great amenity and it’s right on your doorstep in Portumna. Our kids loved to fish there and we were even lucky enoughto get out on a cruiser.

My only criticism would be that we didn’t have enough towels and we had to keep washing the ones we had but we'll know better for next time and will pack some extras.

We booked our holiday on www.dreamireland.com and would recommend them any time.