FAMILY FAVOURITE

WHEN the Connacht Hotel in Galway City bought a giant motorhome from Florida, management had intended to use it to promote the hotel while on sales trips around the country.

But when the pandemic arrived and ushered in the need for social distancing, the hotel decided to launch the Connacht Cruiser to the staycation market last summer. The vehicle became a symbol of the hospitality industry’s need to pivot — the business buzzword of 2020 — by offering a hybrid between the traditional hotel stay and self-catering.

The Connacht Cruiser was intended to be used with a driver, but instead it sits stationary in the hotel car park, albeit with guests free to use all hotel facilities (when the Connacht re-opens after lockdown), from the gym and pool to the property’s revamped bar and restaurant.

“It became very popular with families, because it sleeps up to eight people,” says Wayne Neilon, group general manager of the Connacht Hospitality Group. “We’ve also had groups of friends who want to stay at a hotel but also have their own space.”

Even with a large family or group staying, there’s unlikely to be any fighting over what to watch on TV — the motorhome has six flat-screen TVs and comes with wi-fi. The master bedroom is en suite and has a king-sized bed which can be inclined for watching TV.

There is a separate bathroom, two bunk beds, as well as a power dropdown hide-away overhead bunk over the driving area. Outside, there is a garden area and a barbecue that can be pulled from underneath the vehicle.

Rates for the Connacht Cruiser for July and August are €350 a night, with a minimum stay of two nights.