Kinvara’s Merriman Hotel has been given approval for alterations that will add 19 additional rooms on the second floor.
The Merriman is a traditional style Irish hotel right in the heart of the fishing village of Kinvara on the coast of Galway.
Known for it’s friendly atmosphere, the warmth of its wood burning stove, and the food fresh out of the Atlantic prepared at the hands of French chef David Gouman and his team.
The reason given for this expansion is to cope with the growth of tourist numbers along the west coast in recent times with the success of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Kinvara and the Merriman hotel are ideally placed for tourists visiting the historic Burren or taking in the Cliffs of Moher.
With 32 bedrooms, the Merriman is the largest single provider of accommodation in Kinvara, and boasts the largest thatched roof in Ireland.
It was acquired by the Wild Atlantic Group in December 2017. the first of eight hotels meant to serve the length of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Other recent additions to the hotel include adding three electric car charging stations, and a custom built drying room for walkers and outdoor enthusiasts to leave their equipment.
According to the application the addition of 19 new rooms will enable them to cater to standard sized bus tours (52-seats), which it cannot currently manage.
The new rooms would be situated in the existing attic void area, which would be renovated to be made habitable.
Additional window openings would be cut into the thatched roof, and the roof itself will be repaired and recoated.
The additional business they would bring to the Merriman hotel is also expected to create seven additional jobs there.
Two bar staff, two accommodation staff, two servers, and one extra kitchen staff.
It’s also estimated that it could help support as many as 48 knock on jobs in the community.
Galway county council gave the hotel permission to expand with a total of seven conditions attached.
