We arrived around 3pm and I was met immediately by Siobhan who let me in and showed me around. Unfortunately she could not give me access to the underground car park which meant that we couldn't go up and down the lift with the buggy and had to walk the long way around. Thankfully the weather was fairly pleasant so we didn't get wet but it was inconvenient as all the short routes back were via flights of steps.
The apartment itself was very centrally located and just a two minute walk from the centre of town. The entrance areas were not at all clean or fresh, and there was a strong smell in the corridors that unfortunately carried through to the apartment. There were some empty air fresheners and diffusers on display but being empty, these didn't help with the strong smell in the apartment.
We were given a lovely welcoming pack on arrival with milk, chocolate, fruit, water etc which was lovely and thoughtful as it saved us having to go out shopping immediately. Unfortunately we discovered that there were only two VERY flat pillows available, and no wine glasses in the press, and only one roll of toilet roll for the weekend, so we had to go shopping for them anyways!
Although the apartment looks very clean, the baby's hands and feet were almost instantly black from crawling on the floor, so although they were swept, they definitely weren't mopped. Also the presses are full of jars of old screws, nails, dead batteries etc, so these need to be cleaned out before it can be called 'family friendly'. I had to tie all the presses together to keep the baby out!
There was plenty of hot water (and towels) for use, however with no plug in the bath, it meant I had to shower the baby which was no fun for anyone, also after my shower I realised that there was no hairdryer...
There is a nice balcony outside, and a larger communal balcony to share with the neighbours. The soundproofing is very good too as despite there being a large party a few doors down, and above us, we could only hear noise when the door was open!
The kitchen has good saucepans and crockery, but unfortunately no microwave and only one teatowel..!
Overall it is a lovely apartment but the owners/letting agents need to spend a weekend in it to see some of the not so obvious essentials that have been overlooked.
Clifden and Connemara are absolutely beautiful, so I would definitely recommend this area as a holiday destination!