Diamond Coast Hotel, Enniscrone, is right in the sweet spot between comfort, quality and affordability.
Deciding where to go for a family break is always tricky. Finding somewhere that offers a high standard of comfort and facilities, without being overwhelmed by cost or chaos in peak school holiday times can seem like an impossible task.
It is against these criteria that the Diamond Coast Hotel really delivers.
We found it to be a great choice for the February mid-term, and, here we're going to tell you all about it.
Located in the small seaside town of Enniscrone, the Diamond Coast Hotel overlooks the stunning Killala Bay, and is just a short stroll from the blue flag-awarded Enniscrone Beach.
The hotel is perfectly located to explore plenty of what both Sligo and Mayo have to offer.
Our stay
We headed here for a midweek break during February half-term. We booked direct with the hotel and got a great room rate deal of €128 per night including breakfast (two adults, two children) for our stay.
The first thing that struck us as we walked into the lobby was how light-filled, bright and welcoming the space felt. And this was a decor theme that continued throughout the hotel.
Food
Before checking into our room (we arrived earlier than the hotel’s 4pm check-in time) we headed into Inishaven, the hotel bar to get some lunch.
The bar and lounge a warm but contemporary feel to it, and was airy and inviting. The servers were friendly and attentive, which is something that we found with all the hotel staff throughout our stay.
Inishaven’s lunch menu is varied and reasonably priced, so there’s plenty of choice for all appetites.
We chose the Buttered Chicken curry (€15.50) served with basmati rice and a fresh naan, and the Fish and Chips (€15.50) - a Smithwicks beer battered cod, chunky chips and mushy peas - and Cheeseburger and chips and chicken goujons from the kids menu.
The food was incredibly tasty and portion sizes were generous. You could tell it was freshly made (the batter on the cod in particular was fantastic), and we were all very satisfied by the time our room was ready.
Diamond Coast’s main dining room is the Coral Restaurant which, like the bar and ‘brasserie’, is both comfy and contemporary. The menu is a mix of seafood and meat specialities.
After the day's tasty and impressive lunch, we chose to return to the bar for dinner, this time sitting in the Stir Brasserie section.
The evening menu is similar to the lunch menu, with a few additions (and a few price changes). Despite the prices going up (by a few euros per dish) in the evening menu, we still felt it offered value for money.
We enjoyed Spicy Chicken Wings (€11.50), Smoked Maple Bacon Potato Skins (€12.50), BabyBack Spare Ribs (€12.75), 10oz Sirloin Steak (€29.50) and Sausage and Chips.
Again, the quality of the food was excellent and we had clear plates all round.
Some might see the price of the starters as a tad high, but to be honest, we’re finding this is increasingly the case in most places - and we were still very satisfied with our food.
There was live music playing in the bar which created a nice atmosphere should you wish to relax with a drink after your meal. We, however, decided to make the most of our spacious bedroom and retreated to enjoy a family board game night in the comfort of our room.
Breakfast is served in the Coral Restaurant, and we ate here twice during our stay.
Both times, we were impressed with the quality of the produce on offer.
The breakfast buffet station itself isn’t the largest, but, helpfully, guests can order a number of freshly cooked items like pancakes, poached eggs and mushrooms included in your standard breakfast. As well, for a small supplement of €4.50, guests can also order alternative breakfast dishes with Eggs Benedict, avocado toast, and grilled kippers.
We ate on both days during ‘peak’ breakfast period, and during the February mid-term break as we’d expected, it was very busy.
The staff worked non-stop to ensure any wait for tables or breakfast items was kept to a minimum, and apart from a slightly longer wait for eggs on the 2nd morning, everything else was dealt with very efficiently.
The Family Rooms
This was easily one of the best family rooms we’ve stayed in.
We were lucky enough to have been given a family suite room. It comprised a double and single bed in the main bedroom area, plus a single and double bunk bed in its own section of the room.
This room has an abundance of space. Even without the extra kids section, the main bedroom area had plenty of room to manoeuvre in. Still, the kids section, and extra TV, are a fantastic bonus for guests staying in these rooms.
The view - from the rear of the hotel across the dunes to the bay - creates an extra wow factor to these rooms, and means guests never forget just how close they are to the ‘wild Atlantic’ when they stay at the Diamond Coast.
Overall, the room facilities were great and met the expectations guests should have of a four-star hotel.
In our room, we had a mini fridge stocked with complimentary water, a spacious wardrobe complete with robes and slippers, plus a mini safe. The room also featured a desk and also a separate table with two chairs.
The bathroom was a decent size, with plenty of counter space. Rather than a walk-in shower, it was an ‘over the bath’ shower. But, most importantly, it was hot and had plenty of power.
Another quality touch was the complimentary toiletries by The Handmade Soap Company - including handwash, hand and body lotion, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner - all of which were full-size containers (not mini bottles).
Facilities and things to do
In terms of family facilities, the hotel offers a Kids Club facility for younger guests. This needs to be pre-booked at a cost of €5 per child per night.
There was also a Games Zone area which contained Playstation consoles and a pool table.
This also needed to be pre-booked at a cost of €5 per half-hour slots per station. Whilst we didn’t make use of either of these, we could appreciate the benefits they provided to families.
An amenity we did utilise was the hotel's fantastic snooker room, with two full-sized snooker tables, cues, scoreboards and seating areas. To access the room, you needed to request the key from reception. There was no additional cost for this and it did not need to be pre-booked.
If the weather’s in your favour, guests can enjoy a number of outdoor facilities such as a playground, tennis and soccer courts to keep little ones busy and burn off any excess energy.
The hotel is also popular among golf enthusiasts, as it is right next door to Enniscrone Golf links.
Our thoughts …
A special mention must go to the staff in this hotel. Without exception, everyone we encountered was polite, helpful and very friendly. It really does make a difference when this is the case.
Also worth an honourable mention was the cleanliness and upkeep of the hotel.
Really, the only thing this hotel lacks is a swimming pool/spa area (but I’m sure the cheaper room rates for this hotel reflect this), so nonetheless, we feel the hotel offers exceptional value for a short break away on the Wild Atlantic Way.
We chose Diamond Coast for a family break during mid-term, and clearly it is popular for families.
Nevertheless, outside of school holidays, the Diamond Coast would be an excellent choice for a couple's break.
In our opinion, the Diamond Coast hotel is an excellent option for a family getaway.
The hotel environment is modern and welcoming. It has great facilities to keep all members of the family entertained, with the added bonus of fabulous Enniscrone Beach on its doorstep.
We will definitely be returning!
