Name: The River House Self Catering Apartment
Address: The River House, Gweedore Road, Dungloe, Dungloe, Dungloe, not available, Ireland
Rating: 10

Smoke-free property

Garden

Television in lobby

General

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Picnic area

Barbeque

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Pets allowed

Pets

Extra decontamination measures

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the apartment

Donegal Airport

The River House Self Catering Apartment

Dungloe

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

34-beds

35-beds

36-beds

37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

Yes, this place is all of the above and more.  Or should I say "less"?  It's a depressing dump, although generally relatively clean and free of dust bunnies, spider webs and bugs.  

But first, some red flag warnings to take to heart if you're considering staying here.  But I advise against it.

1. When I arrived at The River House, the manager, Frank, and another man were standing near the entryway, both smoking.  Never in many prior trips all over Ireland between 1988 and 2022 had I ever seen anyone smoking on or near a B&B property.  Certainly not the owners.  Terrible first impression.

2. When I checked in, Frank asked for full payment in advance, again a unique experience in Ireland or anywhere I've traveled in Europe and elsewhere.  "Why"? I asked.  "Because too many guests leave early," he replied.  No wonder, as I soon learned.  And that's exactly what I did right after breakfast the next morning, glad to forfeit the grossly excessive amount I had paid for a second night for such a depressing and unhealthy accommodation.

Read on to find out more.

3. Nothing at all about my room, the exterior doors of the other rooms or the dining room resembles any of the photos on the website.  Every one is fraudulent, as are, I suspect, many - if not most - of the reviews on this site.  Notice how similar and complimentary their wording is.

4. In all, very few bedroom photos or of The River House's interior are displayed on its website.  There is but one extreme closeup showing part of a shower stall and just two tiny closeups of the building's front entry.  

By comparison, every website of every Irish B&B I've researched and/or stayed in over the years has multiple, detailed photos of the exterior, the grounds and every public room in the house, as well as photos of the owners and their families.  Pride and honesty are on display.  Not the case here.

5. The photos of the bedrooms, their furniture, carpeting, beds, bedding, doors, paint colors and schemes, walls and decor are also drastically different - and much more contemporary - than the dark, gloomy, dated reality of what I saw and experienced.  Again, the photos are fakes.  

6. The walls of my room were two shades of a faded, depressing green, not the pleasant white or light tones shown in the photos, and obviously had not be re-painted in many years.  The outsides of the doors on all the bedrooms are not a fresh, bright white as shown in the website photos, but a cracked, dark brown decades out of date.  The desk in my room was likewise painted a faded, cracked brown, not the lovely, smooth white depicted in the photos. 

7. A faded brown open stall in my room served as the place to hang clothes, rather than the attractive white chifforobe with doors shown on the website.  I also had no bedside table at all, again totally unlike the photos showing lovely side stands painted a pleasing white.  I had to move the one old chair provided (also painted an outdated brown unlike the small white bench in the photos) next to my bed in lieu of one.  My room's carpet was faded, worn and long in need of replacement, also completely unlike those shown on the website.  

8. Additionally, I had no drinking glass, and the bathroom soap dispenser was nearly empty.  No other soap was provided.  Add to those depressing facts a sink almost too small for even a child's hands and a slow-draining shower stall, indicating a clogged drain and negligent maintenance that could easily lead to an overflow onto the floor and potential mold growth.     

9.  When I went to breakfast the next morning, I noticed that the dining room tables were set with bowls and coffee cups, but no spoons or utensils of any kind.  A large, industrial size roll of heavy blue paper towels was on a small table off to the side.  There were no napkins on the two or three long dining tables or at any of the seats.  

10. This lack of place settings didn't make a very good impression either, but the next major shock came from what I saw next.  

On a separate table against one wall, a variety of cereals, yogurts and loose fruits and berries were openly displayed in individual bowls and containers - but there were with no spoons or other utensils anywhere with which to serve them.  Guests were expected, it seems, to fish them out with their hands.  And since I was the first to arrive at breakfast, that's just what I did with my just-washed hands (except for the yogurt, which I poured out of its container).  A staff member did eventually bring me a spoon to use at my seat (until then, I saw no one in the kitchen or anywhere else nearby), but none were placed at the other seats or on the table with the individual food bowls and containers.

In normal times, such negligence and unsanitary food practices are bad enough.  During the current Covid-19 pandemic, however, they're unconscionable, potentially deadly and warrant, I believe, the attention of the Irish Government's Food Safety Authority.

I later learned from speaking with a nearby neighbor, who had nothing good to say about the place, that the owners live in England.  Their absence – and perhaps their indifference – are clearly on display in all facets of The River House.

Lastly, the only time I ever saw Frank, the facility's manager (I deign to call it a B&B, for the Irish Tourist Board would never give its stamp of approval to such a depressing and poorly-run place), which was also unique in my experience (B&B owners - not managers - live in their homes) was when I checked in.  At no other time did I see anyone at the reception desk. 

The River House should either be shuttered or sold to someone who cares and is knowledgeable about operating a clean, welcoming and comfortable public accommodation.  The current owners clearly have failed at doing so.

Fraudulent Website Photos, Grossly Overpriced, Outdated and Unsanitary

The most accommodating place to stay in Dungloe. The place is well-kept. Very cozy and homey place. Clean and comfortable rooms. Located near the major establishments. Nice staff and a very wonderful and amazing owner, Jack! Would love to come back again soon and will recommend to friends who will be visiting the area.

Best place to stay

We were upgraded here after booking the hostel next door, and Jack made our stay so comfortable and welcoming from the get go. We were given a 6 person room between 3 of us which was clean comfortable and cosy. When we asked where we could go for food, Jack offered to make us up a portion of pasta bolognoise which was such a treat and so delicious. Great location and very much a home from home with a brilliant host. Highly recommended!

Lovely stay  with welcoming host

The River House is very well located, next to shops, sea front, river walk, bus stop.
The room was nice, clean and confortable.
The owner Jack is really friendly, helpful and give good advices about the things to see around. 
We recommend Jack's Irish Breakfast, you will not need to eat until the evening 😉
At The River House you really feel like home, this is definitely the best place to stay !

Best place to stay!

Clean and friendly, Jack looked after us from our initial phone call, showing our large family a very affordable family room, all the way through to the breakfast that filled us for the day. We highly recommend this Bed and Breakfast.

Great B&B

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The room and facilities were spotless.  The location was excellent as it is close to the town and also for exploring the surrounding areas. I would recommend for a stay in Dungloe.

Very nice B&B

Ideal place to stay if looking to explore the surrounding area. Mount Errigal, Glenveagh National Park, Burtonport Ferry to Aaronmore Island are all within short driving distance from the B&B.

Dungloe main street is 2 to 3 minute walk from the B&B.

Very friendly, welcoming and helpful staff. We stayed two nights and the service was excellent - free laundry, very nice breakfast served each morning (Irish fry, vegetarian option available). Triple room was very comfortable and spacious. Car parking available. Would definitely stay again if re-visiting Dungloe.

Very Nice B&B. Great Location.

Very warm welcome from Jack and staff. Comfortable and spacious room. Great hospitality. Highly recommend staying here if visiting Dungloe. Home cooked breakfast served each morning. A much appreciated  hot water bottle provided on request.

A Home From Home

I stayed in the River House and Hostel, Dungloe, Co Donegal last night and my stay was fantastic from start to finish. I got a cup of tea on arrival at 11 o'clock last night.The welcome we received was top class and the boss and staff were so friendly, helpful and kind. I had a great night sleep, great breakfast and the place was spotless. I felt so safe as regards covid regulations and Dungloe is so safe. I would definitely recommend this BnB to anyone. I hope to go back soon again this year. I had a lovely nights stay in this BNB and Hostel.

The River House, Dungloe, Co Donegal

Jack really was the star of the show here - choosing a beautiful sunny weekend to conduct business from Donegal Airport, we had a real mission trying to find anywhere to stay, Jack went over and above to accommodate us. Between so many closures due to covid and the very rare sunshine ensuring anywhere left was fully booked, I spent two hours without success to get 2 rooms for that night. Jack was the one to call me back, and although he had only left himself, made sure to find us a second room in another bnb within a 2 minute walk of each other, so we could still breakfast together and plan our day without a hitch - all . With taxis also in short supply early morning, Jack made himself available to drive us himself, but not before a good hearty full Irish.

Just 10 minutes from the stunning Maghery beach, a minute to a corner shop and no shortage of bars, 20 minutes to the airport it was a fantastic quiet little place in a beautiful part of the country. Advanced booking essential.

The River House Self Catering Apartment

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