Temple Gate Hotel

The Temple Gate Hotel is hidden in behind the central main street in Ennis. You have to walk through a small cozy alley way to reach the main steet, but by car it is rather difficult to reach. Rooms are very americanized, clean and comfotable. Lobby and public areas have a much more traditional Irish feel. TV had about eight working channels. The room did not have a mini bar, but the shower was great!

It took us close to one hour and many different directions given by a different people including the local guarda's to find the hotel. When we finally arrived at the hotel and checking in we found out we were unable to dine in town due to a stabbing in the front of the hotel. We know this was an unusual and sad incident. Our room was not satisfactory as it overlooked a dumpster and loading dock of the nearby store. The noise went on all night. Because of the crime the restaurant in the hotel was chaotic and the service was poor. In the future we would not hesitate to stay in Ennis but in a hotel easier to locate when driving and better accommodations for the money.

Great location. Somewhat hard to find but easy to get to from Shannon Airport

We chose to stay 2 nights in Ennis for traditional Irish music, specifically the Fleadh Nua festival. Enjoyed the city and what music we heard, but our stay at Temple Gate was not the highlight. We felt the hotel aimed for a pretentious feel, but although the location, decor and amenities are nice, they aren't that of a 4-star hotel. The location, although not super easy to drive to, is very convenient, right near the center of Ennis and next to shopping, dining and the Glor concert hall. Our main complaint was the unfriendliness of the staff from the time we checked in. Our room was on the first floor directly across from housekeeping (which naturally led to a bit of early morning noise); the only other guests we saw in this section also seemed to be American tourists, so apparently these are the assigned quarters for such. Our ground-floor window faced onto the parking lot and was left open one day by housekeeping to freshen up the room. When I asked for a map of the town, the desk clerk reluctantly gave me one, saying there should be one in the room already (there wasn't). The best part of the stay was the superb breakfast included, although it wasn't made too clear that more than just the basic Irish breakfast was without extra charge. Several cooked meats and eggs, fruits, juices and pastries were offered by unsmiling but dutiful servers, and the dining room was nice, if a bit formal. We were leaving with a full stomach and deciding the hotel wasn't too bad after all when I found my rental car locked behind the gate of the hotel parking lot, where it was correctly parked. To preserve parking for guests, the hotel periodically closes the gates (so the sign said). This was mid-morning and there were plenty of parking spaces all around. My daughter went in and politely asked someone to unlock it so we could get to the airport, and about 5 minutes later an employee sauntered out with keys and let us get on our way.