Protect yourself from the Winter Weather

The wet and windy winter weather is no friend to our skin. As we are trying hard to keep to our New Year resolutions the cold is creating havoc for our poor skin and hair. Here are some tips for taking care of yourself during the coldest season of the year.

The main effect of cold weather is drier and tighter skin (no surprises here). This means it is important to incorporate more nourishing products into your skincare routine. Starting from the inside out, if you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated. Eating a healthy diet full of nutrients and vitamins is the best start on keeping your hair and skin looking and feeling healthy. Be careful of fluctuating temperatures and be aware not to overheat your home or office. If the temperature inside is much hotter than outside it can irritate your skin and can cause broken capillaries/redness from the temperature change when you go out. 

The tips below will help with your home skincare routine and our ESPA professionals will be delighted to assist with any queries you may have. Call 091 778460 or email espa@theg.ie.

Hands

The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands so it is harder to keep your hands moist, especially in winter. Invest in a warm pair of gloves for protection and to keep the skin soft, massage hand moisturiser into your hands both morning and evening, as well as every time you wash your hands. If your hands are extremely dry, apply a more intensive moisturiser such as ESPA Rejuvenating Hand Cream at bedtime and wear light cotton gloves overnight.

Face

Nourish, nourish, nourish. We can't stress enough that during the winter, you have to change your skin care products to prevent your skin from becoming dry and flaky. Nourishment is key and you should consider introducing a high quality Face Treatment Oil or if your skin is broken or irritated consider applying our ESPA Repair & Restore Serum before your moisturiser as this is specifically formulated to help skin that is suffering from colder temperatures and will help build a protective layer against the winter weather.

Make sure you moisturise every morning to prevent your skin from becoming dry and flaky. Then at night, before going to bed, wash your face to remove make up and pollutants and apply moisturiser to treat your skin while you sleep. A good cleanser to counteract winter redness is the ESPA Nourishing Cleansing Balm as one of the ingredients, Rose Damascena, helps reduce redness whilst the muslin cloth that is supplied with it aids lymphatic drainage. It is a very gentle yet thorough way of cleansing delicate skin.

To ensure your nourishing products have the opportunity to work, you should use a gentle exfoliator each week. However, be careful to avoid areas of redness and irritation. If your skin is particularly irritated, apply our ESPA Skin Saviour (which contains Tamanu and Manuka Oils to soothe and comfort) followed by a lavish application of the Essential Cleansing Mask. It is important not to over exfoliate sensitive skin – try mixing Refining Skin Polish with the (perfectly pH-balanced) Hydrating Cleansing Milk to provide a very gentle but effective exfoliation.

Don't forget to give your lips extra attention during winter. Apply a moisturising lip balm when you are doing the rest of your skin care, make it part of your routine.

Hair & Body

Wear a hat as it will help protect your hair from drying out and also keep you nice and warm. Too much exposure to cold, harsh weather can leave hair brittle and dry making it more susceptible to damage. Wear a scarf when possible to protect the skin on your neck and chest as well.

No more than watching the heat of your house, having a hot shower or bath can cause skin irritation if the weather is cold. It strips the natural moisture out of your skin and hair so turn the temperature down from hot to warm. Both your hair and body will thank you for it! Use a shampoo that is slightly more moisturising than what you use normally, but still good for your hair type. Also, try a hair treatment once or twice a fortnight to help protect your hair.

For your body, regular and gentle exfoliation with ESPA Refining Skin Polish will help sweep away dull cells to reveal skin that glows with health, as well as optimising the effect of your body cream or body oil.

The above simple steps will help to keep you glowing and ready for Spring!

The spa at the g Hotel is designed by world leaders ESPA. Comprising 8 treatment rooms, Thermal suite with vitality pool, crystal steam room, rock sauna, lifestyle showers, ice fountain and tepidariums (heated loungers) as well as a Relaxation Lounge overlooking our rooftop zen garden. ESPA at the g is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm. Call our ESPA professionals on 091 778460 or email espa@theg.ie.

Fabulously Festive at the g!

December is here and the countdown to Christmas has begun in earnest!

We are all starting to prepare – mixing the pudding, visiting the Christmas Market, braving the elements to buy presents, selecting the perfect tree and having a few hot chocolates or mulled wines along the way. Here at the g Hotel & Spa, our season has been underway for months. Our festive fairies have been planning our stunning Christmas trees and arranging a beautiful array of gifts for our guests to choose from.

ESPA at the g have every need catered for; from luxury ESPA skincare sets and home fragrance sets and candles that smell incredible to a wide selection of ESPA

treatments, you are sure to find the perfect gift. It wouldn’t feel like Christmas without boxes to unwrap and carefully selected presents to uncover. All ESPA gifts and g Hotel vouchers come beautifully presented, boxed and ribboned ensuring delight and happiness all round.

Choose from Afternoon Tea at €26 for 1/€42 for 2, Dinner & a Movie at just €29.50 per guest or Dinner in our 2 AA culinary rosette Restaurant gigi's with new chef, Cedric Bottarlini. We have Christmas all wrapped up with our perfect escapes from €190 or give the gift of choice and select a g Hotel monetary voucher for the loved one in your life.

Also available this year we have yummy foodie gifts including a traditional plum pudding complete with cooking instructions and sumptuous preserves; the strawberry and Prosecco jam will have you dreaming of summer whilst the ginger marmalade will elevate any breakfast table and the flavoursome raspberry preserve is the ideal topping for freshly baked scones. Simply gorgeous!

You can purchase g Hotel & Spa gifts from our pop up shop in the Eyre Square Centre in Galway, Thursday to Sunday throughout December or online at www.theghotel.ie

Collection time for COPE Galway

Last month, we organised a donation drop off week for COPE Galway, inviting the local community to donate to our COPE Galway donation booth in the g Hotel.

We were delighted to have received such a huge positive response to our appeal. We were blown away by the generous donations made by our own hotel staff, suppliers and the general public in Galway, who all dropped in items COPE were in need of in the run up to Christmas.

COPE Galway is one of our chosen charities this year, an organisation whose vision is an improved quality of

life, in a home of your own for people affected by homelessness, women and children experiencing domestic violence and older people. The items that you kindly donated will go directly to the services operated by COPE Galway including the Fairgreen Hostel, Osterley Lodge Hostel, Waterside House Day Care Centre and their resettlement and tenancy support.

A sincere THANK YOU to everyone that supported this initiative. You can continue to help those in need by donating directly to COPE Galway. Please see all details below:

Warm regards,

Triona Gannon
General Manager
The g Hotel & Spa


What can I donate?

• Books/ Home-ware/ crockery
• Good quality clean clothing and shoes.
• DVD’s and books/ Games for children
• Dry foods and unperishable items (i.e. tinned food, pasta, tea, coffee, sugar, etc.)
• Toys: good quality children’s toys (stuffed toys must be new, with tags) (no toys requiring batteries, please)
• Toiletries: new and unopened toiletries, (ie. cosmetics, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body wash, shampoo)
• Towels (clean and in good condition)
• Vouchers (Dunne’s, Smyth’s, Lidl, Aldi, etc.)
• Bed Linen (clean and usable single sheets/duvets and duvet covers]

COPE Galway – what they do…
COPE Galway has been providing Social Services in Galway since the 1970s. Originally called Galway Social Service Council, the organisation was established by the Galway Diocese. In 1996 the organisation became a limited company and the name changed to Galway Social Services Limited. In 2000 the name was changed to COPE and in 2008 the organisation was re-launched under the name COPE Galway, to signify that all the services are provided in Galway city and county. COPE Galway employs over 100 people in a wide variety of roles including social care professionals, childcare workers, community support workers, chefs, cleaners and administrative support staff. Our employees are supported in their work by a committed team of over 150 volunteers. We could not deliver the full range of services without the generous support of these volunteers. Together their dedicated team work towards COPE Galway’s vision of improving the quality of life in a home of your own for people affected by homelessness, women and children experiencing domestic violence, and older people.

Turkey to go this Christmas from the g Hotel & Spa, Galway

Do you feel like hassle free cooking for family and friends at home this Christmas? 

We have just the solution! The 5 star g Hotel & Spa in Galway have launched a Turkey-to-go Christmas dinner home dining experience created by talented Head Chef Cedric Bottarlini and his culinary team. 

From December 24^th, take away your complete Christmas dinner with all the traditional trimmings for just €20.00 per person with a minimum order for six people required.

  

Menu:

Traditional Whole Roast Turkey

Stuffed with slow cooked Ham hocks, Chestnut and apricot stuffing

Served with its own gravy

Accompanied by: Roast Potatoes, Carrot and Parsnip Glacé, Buttered Brussels sprouts with bacon and cranberry sauce

Collection: 

Up to 5pm on Christmas Eve from the g Hotel & Spa.Your Christmas dinner will be packaged, ready for collection with cooking instructions ready to go. 

Contact the g to place your order by telephoning 091 865 200 or email Sinead Cassidy on scassidy@theghotel.ie

For the ultimate present, a g Hotel and Spa gift voucher is a stylish choice. The hotel is also launching an exclusive range of beautifully wrapped Christmas Puddings and Prosecco Jams - a truly tasteful gift – with prices starting from E19.95.

Console and the g Hotel team up for a Christmas Afternoon

As the festive season approaches, the g Hotel & Spa is proud to be hosting an afternoon of goodwill and gourmet food on Sunday 7^th December with proceeds from the event going one of its select charities of choice for 2014, Console. Console, a National Organisation based in Galway, supports people in Suicidal Crisis and those bereaved by suicide through professional counselling, support and helpline services.

Guests can look forward to a festive drinks reception from 3pm followed by a delicious four course meal served in the g Suite, prepared by Head Chef Cedric Bottarlini and his culinary team. Lively after dinner music will be provided by Marc Robert’s and friends, as you eat, drink and be merry with plenty of festive cheer and a host of impressive giveaways. 

All monies raised from this event will go directly to support the counselling services, provided free of charge by Console. “Christmas can be an exceptionally difficult time for people suffering with depression or for people who have lost a loved one through suicide. This event that we are organising with the help of the g Hotel is a wonderful opportunity to generate awareness of our services and will help raise much needed funding for our services located in Renmore, Galway, while enjoying an afternoon of festive entertainment and delectable dining” says Margaret Tierney of Console. 

Speaking of the event Triona Gannon, General Manager of the g Hotel said “This is our third year running working with Margaret Tierney and Console. It’s a charity that we’re very much committed to helping and are passionate about. The work carried out by Console is literally lifesaving and the g Hotel is thrilled to support these services in any way possible. This year’s event by all accounts will be a sell out so book your tickets fast to avoid disappointment as its always a fantastic day”.

The Console Festive Christmas Event at the g Hotel is the perfect Christmas get-together with family or friends with tickets costing only €50 per person. Tickets can be purchased directly from Margaret Tierney in Console by calling 087-950 0380. Credit card bookings available. 

Five star weddings at the g Hotel & Spa, Galway

The g hotel is Galway City’s only 5* Hotel & Spa. A uniquely special place designed by Philip Treacy, milliner to royalty and celebrity clients, the g offers stunning surroundings for your special day. 

Located on the edge of Lough Atalia as you enter the heart of Galway City, the g is a stylish venue that evokes Hollywood glamour and romance.

Adored by wedding photographers, the exquisite Grand Salon with over 300 twinkling mirrored balls, Swarovski crystals and 19th century Italian fireplaces is the perfect backdrop for your drinks reception.

Beautifully designed, the g suite exudes elegance and caters for weddings for up to 180 guests. With a 1920s art deco navy, white and silver colour scheme, the g suite cleverly uses antique and modern mirrors to create an atmospheric space with its own private bar area. Guests will enjoy award winnng cocktails in the g suite bar whilst your chosen band keep them dancing til the wee hours! We are happy to recommend a number of bands that have kept our wedding guests entertained in the past.

The glamorous ground floor guides you to the restful bedrooms, where each guestroom has the distinctive Philip Treacy touch in the detail with an overall effect of stylish luxury. The spa, ESPA at the g was recently voted ‘Best Hotel Spa’ at the 2014 Irish Tatler Awards and couples who book their wedding at the g regularly choose to avail of the ESPA facilities with their wedding party in the run up to the day.

A recent bride, Laura, and groom, Enda, recommend the g after their own wedding in May 2014 

"The one word our guests have used to describe our wedding day in the g Hotel was that it was a “fairy-tale”. From the time we stepped through the doors of the g Hotel and met Rachel (the g Hotel's wedding coordinator) our every thought and wish was catered for. We did not worry once on the day of the wedding as we knew we were in the right hands.  We had high expectations and a clear vision of what we wanted from our wedding. Not only were these expectations met, they were surpassed on every level. We could not have imagined it any better.”

 

Offering Special Winter All Inclusive Packages from €58 per person, the 5 star g hotel is the perfect beginning to your future together. Contact dedicated Wedding Specialist, Rachel Shanaghy, on rshanaghy@theg.ie or call 091 778454 to make your wedding day a truly outstanding occasion.

We'd be super grateful if you voted for us in the WeddingsOnline Awards:
 
1. Hotel Venue of the Year Connacht
2. Venue Co-Ordinator of the Year [Rachel Shanaghy]

http://www.weddingsonline.ie/blog/awards/vote/

Origins of Halloween

Did you know that Halloween originated in Ireland?

It has its roots in the pagan festival of Samhain. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and it was an important fire festival in Ireland, celebrated on the 31 October and throughout the following day. The flames of old fires had to be extinguished by the druids and ceremonially re-lit to begin the new cycle or year.

It was a time when all the crops had been gathered and placed in storage for the long winter ahead and when livestock would be brought in from the fields and selected for slaughter or breeding. The bonfires were also used as part of the slaughter ceremonies.

Samhain was a time when the souls of the departed would return to their family homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and visible to mankind. It was a night when banshees, fairies and other spirits could come and go quite freely. 

To ward off the evil spirits, people wore masks and disguises which has since become our modern day costume tradition for Halloween.

Lights were placed outside houses to further protect against spirits and later, in America, pumpkins were carved with scary faces and lit with candles to ward off evil.

The Druids used to collect gifts of food from local villagers and it is said it was better to provide a gift or 'treat' rather than run the risk of a curse or 'trick' which has since transformed into  the family trick or treating today. Excavations at the Hill of Tara produced evidence that Samhain was celebrated as far back as 3000BC before the Celts even arrived in Ireland and later it coincided with All Hallow's eve, the evening before All Saints Day which was eventually where the name 'Halloween' came from. 

In Galway we celebrate a Galway Aboo Festival starting on the Bank Holiday weekend before Halloween. The Macnas Parade is a popular highlight each year with giant puppets, restless stilt walkers, crowds of themed followers and pyrotechnics combine to create a street spectacle that wows and amazes locals and visitors alike.

Join us at the g Hotel & Spa for a hauntingly fantastic Halloween with bewitching martinis & vampiric spirits. Our spooky mixologist will brewing up a cauldron of tasty beverages for our guests.  

Try our Dracula's Kiss Martini with black vodka or our Pumpkin Perfection on the rocks combining Hennessy with orange juice and ginger ale or the refreshing Captain's Blood Punch with vodka, pomegranate, lime and cranberry.

We also offer a Spooktacular Afternoon Tea with savoury sandwiches, freshly baked scones, pastries and Halloween themed sweet treats such as white chocolate ghosts, spiced pumpkin cake, orange macaroons and baked chocolate & pumpkin pie. Afternoon Tea is served 3pm - 5pm Monday to Friday and 1pm - 5pm on weekends. Served with your choice of hot beverage, Afternoon Tea at the g is €26 for one and €46 for two guests. Email eat@theg.ie to book.

Happy Halloween!