Best Wester Magherabouy House

The Missus and I stayed here over the long Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and it was a lovely N. Ireland break.
The staff was wonderful, the room was big, and the pub grub was excellent. Prices in the pub were pretty decent, and the menu was broad enough that we didn’t regret not going either into town or over to the nicer dining room in the hotel.
In the room itself, the shower was nice & hot, the bathroom and tub were spacious, and the amenities-​bathrobe and slippers, very comfy. I especially appreciated the towel warmer!
So…why only three stars?
This hotel is clearly in flux and it showed.
Our room smelled like it had been recently painted and then not aired out-​I thought it smelled like paint or varnish, She said it smelled like wet aspirin. It was not overpowering, but opening the windows everyday even when it’s not booked would do the room a world of good.
The gym was not available, and was in the middle of being «refurbished». I REALLY expect/​want to be able to work out at a place like this (it excuses all the vacation eating… and drinking… that I do), especially as the gym is highly touted on the website. BUT, I understand, stuff happens. So put out a dern sign or something announcing the gym closure. I wandered all over the place looking for it, then finally went down to the front desk and asked (see, guys CAN stop and ask for directions… eventually…) the clerk there where it was. That’s when I learned that the gym was closed. So there I was, snazzy bright blue running shorts on my manly legs, blinding the entire lobby in their winter whiteness, and I had nowhere to go but back to the room in shame.
The food at the breakfast was sub-​par. And that’s the nicest thing I can say about it.
On the plus side again, the coffee/​tea/​cookies tray in the room was well stocked and had a nice variety, one of the best I’ve seen.
Bottom Line: An open window and an informative sign would make this a 4+ star experience…