Fodor's Expert Review Beach Hotel

If there's a chill in the air, you can warm up at the roaring fires in the restaurant and residents' lounge of this large harborside Victorian hotel. The past surrounds you and nautical accents tout the history of the bay (three galleons of the Spanish Armada went aground at nearby Streedagh in September 1588). Enjoy wonderful views of the pier and the bay from the hotel bars, or tuck into the restaurant's acclaimed seafood menu. Try the favorites: Donegal Bay fisherman's pie or the classic fish-and-chips. In the Boatman's bar, renovated during 2019, you can snack on chicken burritos or enjoy fish chowders. Special packages such as excursions out to sea with local fishermen, or guided history and nature walks and horseback-riding activities are available.