Five-star One MICHELIN Key Lough Corrib, on the edge of the city, Galway
Glenlo Abbey Hotel
A Galway merchant family's house of 1740 on 138 acres beside Lough Corrib, ten minutes from the city, with dinner served in two old Orient Express carriages.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- One Key, new in 2026
- Built
- 1740, the abbey in 1790
- From the airport
- About 70 minutes from Shannon
The hotel
The Ffrench house on Lough Corrib.
The house was built in 1740 for the Ffrench family, one of the fourteen merchant Tribes of Galway. Fifty years later a small abbey went up beside it, a church that was never consecrated. Glenlo stayed a private home until the 1980s. Today the original house is joined to the abbey tower and a newer wing, all on a 138-acre estate running down to Lough Corrib.
John and Marie Lally own the hotel and have renovated it in stages, with rooms redone by the Dublin studio Millimetre Design. The best-known corner of the estate is a siding with two Pullman carriages, Leona of 1927 and Linda of 1954. Leona appeared in the 1974 film of Murder on the Orient Express. Since 2026 the restaurant inside them has held a MICHELIN star.
- The Pullman Chef Angelo Vagiotis cooks a seven-course tasting menu of Irish produce in the two carriages, which look out over the lake.
- On the estate A nine-hole golf course, falconry and fishing with tackle provided, all on the grounds, plus cruises on Lough Corrib.
- Wet days The Abbey Movie Theatre runs two screenings a day, with a children's menu, and treatments at the GLO Spa.
Rooms & suites
Antiques, marble and the lake.
Rooms have marble bathrooms and look over the estate. The suites in the 1740 house keep the old proportions.
- Rooms Lake View Deluxe 29 square metres with a king bed and views across Lough Corrib.
- Main house Abbey Suite About 37 square metres in the house of 1740, each one furnished differently.
- Corner suite Presidential Suite 70 square metres in a corner of the main house, with separate living and dining space and a terrace of 64 square metres.
Dining
A star on the rails.
Restaurants as listed by the hotel and the MICHELIN Guide. Shown for information.
- The Pullman One Michelin star Modern, Irish produce Angelo Vagiotis, in two Orient Express carriages
- Palmer's Bar Bar and grill Achill lamb and aged steaks
- The River Room Breakfast In the hotel
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- One MICHELIN Key 2026, new to the selection
- One MICHELIN star for The Pullman 2026
- Small Luxury Hotels of the World Member
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon, according to the hotel. The MICHELIN Guide lists 4 pm and 11 am, so we confirm times when booking.
- Children Welcome, with interconnecting rooms and suites. Cots and rollaway beds must be requested when booking.
- Dogs Accepted in a limited number of rooms, one dog per room, kept on a lead on the estate.
- Parking Free for hotel guests.
Getting there
Flying to Galway.
Shannon is about 85 kilometres south, roughly 70 minutes on the M18, and Ireland West Airport Knock is the same distance north, about 75 minutes. Both take private jets; Shannon is open round the clock. Galway's small field at Carnmore, east of the city, has a short runway with customs on prior notice.
- London 1 h 05
- Paris 1 h 30
- Geneva 2 h 05
- Nice 2 h 25
- New York 6 h 50 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Glenlo Abbey have?
- One. The hotel entered the MICHELIN Keys selection in 2026, the same year The Pullman won its star.
- How far is Glenlo Abbey from Galway city?
- About 4 kilometres, or 8 to 10 minutes by car depending on traffic.
- Which airport is closest to Glenlo Abbey?
- Shannon and Knock are both about 85 kilometres away. Shannon is a little quicker, about 70 minutes by the M18.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Galway?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Galway, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Staying at Glenlo Abbey Hotel?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Galway, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.