# Are Irish hotels charging too much?



## thedaras (21 Apr 2009)

I was looking to book a hotel for last saturday night in Kilkenny.I checked all the usual websites and also phoned some of the hotels.
It was a late |(very late ,I phoned at 4.30 ) deal that I wanted.

The price they were charging was in or around 120e.

I dont know about what others think,but for a hotel room for one night for 2 adults arriving at 7 in the evening,I thought this was very expensive.

It did not include breakfast either and was a middle of the road hotel.

When I phoned the hotels ,they had plenty of rooms left but were not prepared to go under this amount.

So I decided to check for a holiday abroad for a week.

Heres an example ,one week in portugal , including ,flights and accomodation 243e!!!

Anyone have any views on why a hotel would not reduce the prices ,so late in the day,when they would at least have customers there to purchase drinks ,dinner etc?


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## cleverclogs7 (21 Apr 2009)

i stayed in dunboyne castle friday 10th april.they did a funday sepcial 40ep.p.s early birds dinner 7 pm 25e a head.it was beautiful and would go again.shop


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## briancbyrne (22 Apr 2009)

Id always say try www.alpharooms.com - thier prices are fantastic in Ireland compared to the hotels own site


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## Guest128 (22 Apr 2009)

I was always under the (obviously wrong) impression that breakfast was de-facto included with a night in a hotel in Ireland


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## Mucker Man (22 Apr 2009)

I think Brian is right, shop around, do some research and there are very good deals out there at the moment. Remember the quality of most Irish hotels is very high.


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## mathepac (22 Apr 2009)

Mucker Man said:


> ... Remember the quality of most Irish hotels is very high.


IME, the quality is abysmal, the pricing too high and our hoteliers and their staff have a lot to learn about simple hospitality, courtesy and customer service from establishments in France, including the Cote d'Azur, The Canaries, North Africa, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, Finland, North America (Canada, USA & Mexico), the UK and any other country I have visited.


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## meatmonger (22 Apr 2009)

Mucker Man said:


> I think Brian is right, shop around, do some research and there are very good deals out there at the moment. Remember the quality of most Irish hotels is very high.


 
the quality of the build is excellent, but there are a lot of service issues unfort.

i priced a provencal hotel, built two years ago, around a 3 star, although they might claim more! on a sat night and they quoted me 150 for the room.  I asked if they were serious.. bla bla and they gave it to me for 100 in the end which was plently.

great deals at the minute, even weekends but some could do with more polite and helpful staff.  as for the food, give me a local restaurant instead anyday.


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## North Star (22 Apr 2009)

Hi have a look at www.hotel-solutions.ie no connection though I do know them. As an event company they do lots of conferences and weddings around the country. As a result of their personal relationship with the hotels and the amount of business they do, they get great discounts on Irish hotels. Thier web site has deals on hotels all over the country €45 €65 B+B pps.  They wont charge more if its a late deal either.


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## Jetblue (22 Apr 2009)

Is there an element of cartel pricing in local areas, eg: killarney?


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## Marie (22 Apr 2009)

Yes.  In my experience Irish hotels are expensive for what you get.  Last month I booked into a Dublin hotel room for two with breakfast and was charged €140 per night (included breakfast).   They muddled the booking badly.  We were facing the noisy thoroughfare at the front (not a back-facing room as requested in the booking) and the room had twin beds, not the double specified in the online booking.  They did not remedy the situation during our 4-day stay, nor did they offer any discount for the muddle.  

In contrast this weekend we stayed at a central London hotel costing £90 per night.  We had king-size bed, a delightful very large room with air-conditioning, mini-bar, use of sauna and every other luxury you could imagine plus a substantial and impressive breakfast thrown in.  

The two experiences were in different leagues.


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## Concert (22 Apr 2009)

Myself and daughter have just returned after spending a night inLiverpool.  Stayed in the Express by Holiday Inn on Albert Dock.  75 euro for both of us with breakfast.  Booked with ALPHA ROOMS.  They are by far the cheapest provider for hotels everywhere.  We travel a lot and have made massive savings all over the world.  They work out much cheaper than booking direct with hotel.


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## AlbacoreA (23 Apr 2009)

I think theres a glut of hotels now. I expect we'll see a few closures and then prices will get keener.


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## Ron Burgundy (5 May 2009)

thedaras said:


> I was looking to book a hotel for last saturday night in Kilkenny.I checked all the usual websites and also phoned some of the hotels.
> It was a late |(very late ,I phoned at 4.30 ) deal that I wanted.
> 
> The price they were charging was in or around 120e.
> ...



Buy a tent, a much better way to spend that disposable income.......hotels too expensive, i bet its the civil servants fault

I just got 3 nights in a hotel in Galway with breakfast and an evening meal for 218........shop around.


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## N&C (6 May 2009)

Stayed in a place at weekend down in Clare. A Guest House-booked it through booking.com and for two nights it was €138 in total for me and partner. When we got there we were staying in a tiny attic room, very old and well worn. We didn't care though as we were going to wedding so knew we would be just sleeping there. anyway on the back of the door it had the rates for B&B and if i had booked through the actual guest house it would have cost me €75 per person per night!! Thats 300 quid for an attic room in a guest house! 

Also the breakfast cost 15 quid each!!!!


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## johnny1234 (6 May 2009)

I spoke with somebody that was trying to book double rooms for 6 people in Inishbofin (that's three rooms) for a weekend. They were quoted €100 per person per night. Now Inishbofin is not on the main track, so that's the kind of ridiculous prices that are been quoted. Obviously they did not accept and have booked somewhere better priced. The hoteliers in this country are in the main away with the fairies.


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## thedaras (6 May 2009)

Ron Burgundy said:


> Buy a tent, a much better way to spend that disposable income.......hotels too expensive, i bet its the civil servants fault
> 
> I just got 3 nights in a hotel in Galway with breakfast and an evening meal for 218........shop around.


 
Oh dear, we are not a happy bunny then?
Must be all those cuts in your salary..

Unlike you (public service) some of us cannot afford 218e .

And your advice to shop around..how enlightening,must have taken you ages to come up with that one!You should put that in a beautiful ,bound embossed folder & put a lovly red ribbon around it,oh and then park it.

If you read the post you will see that I did "shop around".
 I dont have much disposable income,now that FF have taken most if not all of my disposable income.
Obviously you feel me (private sector) should stay in a tent and you (public service) are entitled to stay in a hotel,very telling..
|PS; YOU brought the issue of civil servants up,I didnt..


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## SOM42 (21 May 2009)

Just my own experience but I think Kilkenny is the most overpriced location in Ireland for hotel accomodation (Galway a close second!)  The prices they get away with charging for very mediocre hotels and service is staggering.  The best value I have always found is by arriving at the hotel as opposed to phoning them.  If they have a room they will do their best to sell it to someone in person as opposed to someone chancing their arm over the phone.  However this is a risky tactic in Kilkenny where there is not a huge choice!


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## Protocol (22 May 2009)

Yes, I suppose as Kilkenny and Galway are very popular cities, then their rates are always higher.


Here are some comparisons for Irish prices


Ibis Tour Eiffel Cambronne in Paris = 59 pn in August.  *That's 59 pn for a hotel about 10 mins walk to the Eiffel tower.*

Sofitel 4*/5* in Berlin = 88 pn

Sofitel 4* in Lisbon = 115 pn we paid during Easter 2009

www.accorhotels.com are currently offering the following rates in Germany and Austria:

Ibis (2*??) = 44pn
Mercure 3*= 55pn
Novotel 4* = 66pn
Sofitel 4*/5*= 88pn


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## Protocol (22 May 2009)

I feel that a typical 3* hotel should be 60-90 pn.

But of course, due to hugely inflated land and property costs in Ireland, they are often 100 - 120 - even 150 pn.


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