The Twelve Hotel

Had bar food one evening here last week with my fiancé. It was very busy & we had to wait at the bar for about 20 mins for a table. We both ordered pizzas which were very good indeed. A dessert of ice cream wouldn’t usually deserve a mention but were beautifully presented & of good quality too. Overall quite good with friendly attentive service.

Went for a quick lunch… service poor… ignored…went to bar to order… finally got order in… girl in red hair very poor attitude… food was good chowder and sharing plate were good… had to grab take away coffee due to slow service… not a place for quick lunch but will be back.

Our entire family stayed here in 2009, just after Christmas and before New Year’s. We had just spent a week in Dingle and were finishing up our vacation almost… the staff was all you could ask for, the rooms amongst the best I’ve had in Ireland and the lounge and restaurants superb. We so looked forward to a drink by the fire in the lounge at night with the locals.

The service today was pathetic. 20 minute wait for a table. Another 40 since we ordered still waiting for the food.

This review is very overdue! My family and I stayed for 3 nights on a road trip down the Wild Atlantic Way. From the first email, The Twelve Hotel was exceptionally easy to deal with. Upon arrival we were impressed by the décor and the service of the concierge. Our family suite was amazing. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant and it was sublime. All in all we can’t rate it highly enough!

When we arrived we were greated with such warmth and hospitality that it really was nice to arrive here after a long and rainy trip over from Dublin. Upon entering our room we found a handwritten note and some goodies on our desk. That pastry was delicious and so welcoming after a long drive!
Our first night there we were pretty beat so we decided to have dinner at their West Restuarant. It was amazing food and the staff was super helpful and gave us suggestions on what to try. We ended up getting the same meal just different deserts.
We also dined at the Pins for breakfast and had dinner there as well. Fund and friendly staff greeted us each morning and at night the bartenders took good care of us. One of my favorite hotels on our trip to Ireland.
The service was great, parking was free, coffee was tasty (a big win for this coffee drinker) and this hotel was close to several area tourist sights in Galway and a comfortable place to retire afterwards.

12 Reasons to love The Twelve Hotel:
1. Location — located just outside Galway in Barna, quick access to walking/​hiking trails, lovely sights and restaurants in Galway, etc. Easy in and out, easy to find.
2. Parking — free, and easy and ONSITE. Under the building in fact. Zip right up the lift to reception or your room, made traveling with a little person that much easier.
3. Friendly staff. Everyone we encountered was simply lovely. Very helpful and efficient. We had zero complaints but if we had, I have no doubt it’d have been dealt with.
4. Wonderful (complimentary breakfast) for hotel dwellers. Made to order hot breakfast and coffees? You’ve got my heart, Twelve. You’ve got it. Plus a buffet of cereals, yogurts, fruits, pastries, juices, water. What else might one want in a hotel breakfast?! NOTHING!
5. Free and reliable wifi.
6. Mood lighting in the bathroom + a nice tub! Romantic you say? Well yes, maybe… but i happened to love it because my baby thought it was the best place he had ever been in his entire 5 month life. Colored lights! A bathtub! Heaven for everyone. The bathroom was spacious, well equipped, with wonderful potions, plush robes and clean surfaces. Ahhhh, yes. Fun for the whole family.
7. Excellent room service from the onsite restaurant. The night we arrived we were knackered and in need of a meal we could eat while the baby slept, so voila. A beautiful pork dish + fresh salad and a few drinks and we were very happy travelers.
8. BED. Comfortable. Plush and clean. Just like the rest of the room.
9. Coffeemaker with nice coffee in room. Well done.
10. Family suite — adjoining extra space makes things feel a bit more livable, and they’ll equip your room for whatever size child you are bringing. For 170 euro/​night, it felt like a dream!
11. Fine dining restaurant: West. Obviously due to our «third wheel» we were not planning to enjoy West, but it is a fantastic option so if you are staying here do make a reservation and check it out.
12. And the real dealmaker?! Two tickets for complimentary coffees at the onsite bakery (The Pins) upon checking out. I mean, really? These guys get me. And the coffee was fantastic.
Obviously, the 12 reasons say it all. I’m a fan. If you are headed to Galway, here’s my highest recommendation on where to rest your head.
After a junky stay in Cork (glares at Imperial Hotel) that left me quite eager for a relaxing few days, The Twelve was JUST what the Unilocalers ordered. Having found them on Unilocal (quickly I might add!) and zipping it off to my husband to book, I had little idea what I was getting into. Thanks for the solid Unilocalers! It was all we could’ve asked for and more.
It’s just a few minutes outside Galway City in a village called Barna.

I have been coming to Galway for a few yesrs now and always stay at The Twelve. The staff always remember my name and make me feel welcome and comfortable. They even put treats in my room with a personal greeting just for me. I would rank this among the most romantic hotels I’ve ever stayed. The ambiance, lighting, including the bathroom mood liights, and furnishings give just the right feel.
The next thimg to discuss is the food. The West is a very nice, fancy dinning experience, but at a premium. The Pins is their bar and restaurant for every other meal. The food here is equally amazing as upstairs, but in a more casual atmosphere. This is also the place the locals hang to watch rugby, hurling and football (soccer). It can get a bit crowded on game day, but that’s what makes this such a great place to be.
Take a drive just a few minutes from Galway to Bearna Village, you will thank me for the experience.

Great hotel in the quaint little town called Barna. Very close to Galway, but you definitely have a 10 – 15 minute drive if you want to get in to town.

Read about the 12 a few times in the paper and said we better try it when we go down. So we did. Sadly it didnt live up to the expectations that were delivered in the papers. We got two pizzas they were the products that were always mentioned in any reviews that I had read so I said id give one a try. It wasnt the best. The pepperoni was all stacked together the cheese was all over the place, basically a badly made pizza. The only other pizzas that I noticed going out were margaritas and then just veggie ones. (That I could see)
We also got deserts they were nice.
They also claimed that they had «The Worlds Number #1 Pasta» La Campofilone?? Anyone else heard of it? Thought so? And I work in the food trade.

Hands down — my favorite hotel (thus far) on the west coast of Ireland. The Twelve is a sexy ‘go-​to’ for a lovely weekend getaway. From the restaurant options to the roomy rooms, it does not disappoint.
Each time I have stayed at The Twelve, there’s a treat waiting for me: chocolate dipped strawberries and shortbread. It’s one of the many reasons I keep returning :)
The only thing that will make The Twelve any better is possibly Thirteen… (whatever that could mean)!
It’s the eleventh hour — where do you want to spend your weekend?!
TIP: Look for specials that include breakfast — it’s worth it!

A real gem in a small what appears to be a recently renovated village.
The friendliest staff I’ve ever met. Ice tea on arrival, a handwritten card in the room with a little welcome cake and strawberries.
I requested a quiet room when booking and when we arrived I noticed there was a wedding there so I initially had a few reservations about how the night would be, noise wise. I needn’t have worried, I didn’t hear a sound all night and slept really well!
I loved that the rooms were paired off behind a door off the corridor which minimised the noise from passers by.
Gorgeous bathroom and large shower head over the bath with lovely organic shampoo, conditioner and shower gel.
I can’t say enough good things about this place! I would come back to Galway just to stay here :)
AND
Complimentary coffee vouchers from the bakery next door on check out.

Red carpet welcome with a lovely receptionnist, a nice chat and an ice tea… a cute personalised card with chocolate strawberries and brownies (as good as they look!)…that’s enough to impress me highly. But then I find out that the rooms are paired up (there’s 1 first door with a bit of a corridor between the 2 rooms and then your own bedroom door, reducing noices)…one standard (actually bigger than standard as far as im concerned) double bed room with bath and all, and one suite… I was lucky enough to get the suite one on a week day and it’s just fantastic, the details that matter: Voya products in the bathroom (im in love with that Vetiver smell) and the beautiful dark wooden floor. breakfast is decent, the european one more than the irish breakfast, I tought.
As per the restaurant, again, a lot of efforts and creativity in the decoration of the place, particularly great for couples and a romantic environment, the staff is super friendly there too, however i found the food quality very uneven, although the mussels were highly recommended, I wasn’t sure of their freshness and the container was just inadepquate (only 1/.3 of the mussels were in the cream)…a few more things were just not good enough but I loved their desserts and the bread. So all in all it’s a bit of a confusing /​unbalanced experience in the restaurant.

As a special Easter treat we headed to Bearna to Ostan 12, or Twelve Hotel, and it was a super special couple of days. After being welcomed with a glass of mead ice-​tea while checking in, I continued to enjoy all the little touches of this lovely boutique hotel.
The rooms are spacious, quiet and funky. All rooms have coffee and tea making facilities and a great mini bar. Although, the food in the hotel was so wonderful we didn’t have to delve into this! I love the feel of this hotel, the personal touch of a hand written note from the team, the décor, the cool bar and lounge, and (very important for me) the food. We practically rolled out of the Twelve after two gorgeous nights there.
We didn’t get to sample the seaweed baths or massages on offer as we didn’t have the time. We were too busy exploring places nearby like Roundstone in Connemara. Bearna is in a great position at the «gateway to Connemara» to work as a base for day trips and beach adventures.
I liked this hotel so much that it got a bit ridiculous, I even liked the chairs they use, the cutlery they have and children’s books in the bar if your little ones need entertainment. I won’t continue to rave about it, just make sure that you visit.

There’s something about a love note from one’s hotel room that gets a traveling girl all giddy.
«Welcome to the Twelve,» read my little card in all its genuine ballpoint splendor, «we wish you a pleasant stay with us.»
From high, airy ceilings to the chic Pins Bar & Lounge, or the detailed and delicious menu in the hotel’s own up-​and-​coming West Restaurant, there’s a feeling of unique comfort and cheeky luxury here.
We started with a comfy seat at the front desk to sort out finances, a nice touch after hours hunched over a steering wheel. Once in our Marvelous Suite* we ooh’d and ahh’d at the dramatic down-​lighting and rich wood floors, complimented by creature comforts including a well-​dressed king sized bed, lush soft furnishings, a flat screen TV and wet room bath**.
The Twelve, and its quiet hometown of Barna, is centrally located for amazing Galway experiences that cater to shoppers, sight seers or the slightly more adventurous. The front desk staff enjoy the chance to suggest local attractions, book tickets or point you in the direction of the perfect pub. For us, the late fall afternoon made for a perfect chance to get out and enjoy the wild, open scenery of rural Galway at sunset.
Before turning in for the night, we perused the front desk library of complimentary dvds, picked a favorite and headed for bed. Despite the rather close proximity of apartments and parking, the hotel has done an excellent job of noise management, or has excellent neighbors (whom I invite to visit my building and show the upstairs tenants how it’s done).
From 8 to10am the next morning The Pins lounge served a varied but unexceptional hot breakfast at prices which were less expected as accepted as part of a weekend high life get-​away. We scooted back to Dublin following a swift check out, already planning our next visit (and looking forward to another little note).
* their name, along with the Splendid, the Luxury, the Funnymoon and the aptly titled XII.
** The author would like to give special mention to our welcome note’s accompanying plate of chocolates and cake which was demolished with decidedly un-​chic gusto.

Once a down trodden old mildewed cottage from the 19^th century known around the country for its landmark status of being at the gateway to no-​where, The Twelve Pins was a depressing old joint, full of stained red carpets and keyboard music sessions reminiscent of the 30’s. During the general rabid destruction of the village of Bearna under Bertie’s unrestrained pocket money agreements, this old spot was promptly demolished and rebuilt as a ubiquitous ‘luxury’ hotel renamed ‘The Twelve’ with underground parking etc etc. The décor inside smacks of New Money celtic tiger vulgarity, but pulls it off better than most. One item of particular note is the enormous glass unicorn on the way down to the toilets. Trad music is imported and seems out of place and the clientele consist mostly of the yound Dublin families who have been ostracised by the locals as they flocked in their hundreds, nay thousands, to move into luxury estates and endeavour to make this affluent sea side suburb into the ‘South Side’ of Galway.