Jurys Inn Cork, Cork

The Jurys Inn in Cork was clean, the room was spacious, and the hotel staff was friendly, and overall our stay there was good. The downtown area is close - walk out the front door, turn left, and you are in the heart of the city after a walk of two or three blocks. There were a couple of down sides. The hotel advertises "free parking" but there is a catch. The free parking is limited to a small gated lot directly behind the hotel. There are not many spaces, and if this lot is full (which it was every time we tried to use it) then the alternate parking is in a parking garage behind the hotel - at a cost of 8 euros overnight until 10 am, then 2 euros for every hour during the day therefter. A free breakfast was also advertised, but upon arrival we were told that the free breakfast didn't apply to us at the hotel rate we had paid, which was not a discount rate. There is also a bus terminal about a block from the hotel, and this seemed to attract some pretty scruffy looking people - what I would describe as bums or homeless people - wandering around or sitting in circles drinking outside. This led my son, the family wag, to dub the Jurys Inn "The Hobo Hotel." We had no trouble with anyone, but it made us think twice about walking about at night. There is a really nice little coffee kiosk about one block behind the hotel on the water - where we enjoyed wonderful coffee and baked goods in the morning (our substitute for our expected hotel breakfast). There is seating outside along the water. We slept well. The staff was friendly (not a big surprise - the Irish are wonderful people). The hotel was clean. The rooms were big. Not bad overall - but a few things are not quite as advertised. If you plan on taking the bus, the location is really handy, and you might get a free drink from a new friend thrown in for good measure. At the hotel itself, don't count on a free drink however, or free parking or breakfast.