My boyfriend and I stayed at Clai Ban House during our Ireland-tour in August 2011. We were a bit disappointed. The B&B is only a five minute stroll from the harbour, which is definitely a plus. We were given only a shortspoken welcome (by owner's son) and shown to our room. The room was basic and clean, the bathroom would need a bit of tending: the shower was moldy, though with good waterpressure, the shower curtain was dirty! All in all the bathroom looked a bit let down. We had the overall impression that this B&B lacked the typical friendly character you would expect from a B&B. It's more like a hostel!
Breakfast was quite a disapointment & very basic, so don't expect more than cereals with milk, an egg, toast, bread and tea or coffee including some sausages.

Such a lovely spot on earth. If you are going to visit the Aran Islands, this B&B is breathtaking. It is tucked up in the hill overlooking the untouched side of the main island, and also overlooks the harbor on the upper floor. There are even horses in the front pasture to meet you. We also had the best Irish breakfast here that we have had, meats, eggs, even a menu with options. The family room on the top floor was so quaint and peaceful. Lovely atmosphere. The family was welcoming but reserved and a bit private, certainly nice enough!

Lovely B & B on quiet street. Great pub next door. Immaculate room and bathroom. Very hospitable hosts. Only 10 minutes walk from ferry. Would recommend and stay again.

We stayed in Clai Ban (“cly bon”) three nights, having reserved the room by email. We took the ferry-bus and ferry from Galway to Inishmore, and from the ferry we walked up through the town center and to the edge of town—ten minutes in all, and just five minutes from the town center itself, easily pulling our luggage on the hardtop road to the slightly raised hillside where Clai Ban has a great view of the bay if you have a front room on either floor.
Our pleasant room was small but very clean and comfortable with a double bed, our own shower and toilet, a hot water kettle with teabags and instant coffee in the room, and a hair dryer. The full Irish breakfast in the morning is hearty and good with more variety than usual, served in a pleasantly large dining room with a beautiful wood floor and ceiling. Host, master carpenter, and cook Barkley is very friendly and helpful. His wife, Marion (a schoolteacher), helped us make our reservation by email and greeted us with much kindness. Guinness the famous Inishmore dog is a great greeter, as well.
And Guinness the beer is on a clean, well-maintained tap at the live music pub and restaurant just a two-minute walk away. A small grocery store and a number of good eating places from inexpensive to expensive and from fast food to traditional Irish dinners are a few minutes away. And the seafood chowder in particular in many places is very good to heavenly.
If you want to be neither “far from the madding crowd” nor in its middle—but rather on the edge of things—then Clai Ban is just right. It is in the country but very close to the town center with very nice people running an excellent operation. –Richard Jewell and Ann Ludlow, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.