Irish staycation 2020/2021 Pros and Cons, will you be tempted?

It's seems like Rip off Ireland is a live and well from I've just heard on the radio.

Just listening to a guy who maintains he was quoted €4100 for 3 nights B+B for 2 single rooms in Killarney in July before eventually getting it for €700 in a different hotel.
and then they complain the Government isn't doing enough for them...
 
Not sure what you are expecting. Supply and Demand and also they've been closed for over a year.
 
Hello,

Speaking as someone who holidays in Ireland a fair bit, I can say with certainty, that some of the Irish Hotels, have ramped up their prices. In my view, it's blatent profiteering.

To give a couple of examples, and these are based on renting houses / lodges, on hotel grounds, for 7 nights at the same time of year (H2, Sept) :

Waterford Castle were 900 odd last year, and the previous year, this year they quoted over 1,500.

Mount Falcon quoted approx 3,000, compared with a quote of circa 1,800 (tbc) last year.

As far as I'm concerned, this is very short sighted, and while they'll sting some people this year, they'll pay the price with lost regular customers, next year and the years that follow.
 
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100%. They’ve a golden opportunity to win business from the significant cohort of people who have plenty of cash but never holiday in Ireland. If the industry could get those people to take one break a year in Ireland, they’d be on to a winner. But instead there’s blatant profiteering and all that will happen is that people will be turned off Ireland forever.
 
What appears to have happened is, most places have been booked up for months and there is hardly any availability left, so you pay a lot more. Think i read an article in about February, which suggested that over 90 % of all hotel and self catering capacity for the 3 month summer period, was already booked up at that stage.

In mid January i booked a 2 bed appartment in a seaside area in the west, just booked it, on a hunch we would all be holidaying at home this year. Booked for 1st weekend in June for a week, in a complex which has maybe 40 x 2 bed units, i was very surprised to be told, i got the last unit for that week. It was just under €500 for the whole week, very reasonable.

i genuinely did not believe what i was being told, about a week later, i checked the online availability, the entire complex was totally sold out, for the whole summer, right up, to the end of August.

So, its clear to me at least, a significant amount of people who booked early, got good value, anyone who waited, for the chance of getting away on a foreign holiday this year, is now left with a choice of 1)go nowhere, or 2)pay way above the odds, 3) go in the autumn.

So, while these high prices make headlines, they represent the pricing for a small % of availability, which is all normal for hotel & self catering- dynamic pricing model, demand goes up, price goes up, which has been the norm for years. Airlines work the same, when one delays making a booking with high demand, youre going to pay more.

For whats it worth, i made a booking, just last week for a July weekend in a 4 star hotel close to Dublin City centre, got it for €190 in total for two nights, very reasonable, i thought. But i did notice scenic areas in Kerry/Galway etc are quite high, for that same weekend.
 
I know what everyone's saying and there are outlandish prices being asked but, there are good deals out there too. Just got a 2 night B/B in a lovely hotel in the Connemara area for €195 for 2 adults in June. Have stayed before and delighted to go again.
 
It’s supply and demand. Just the same as RyanAir. Those seats advertised for €10 (before tax) exist, but they get booked out. Those paying €200 (before tax) on the same flight have picked up the last few seats.

As my kids say, “you snooze, you lose”.
 
Unlike the airline industry, there are a lot of hotel and self catering options in Ireland, and lots lots more, when you travel outside of Ireland.

The long term loosers will be the Irish businesses that profiteered during the pandemic, as people will go elsewhere, when this is over....they won't be quickly forgiven.

I've no problem with a bit of yield management, but there's too big a mark up at some of these places, to excuse. It's blatent profiteering.
 
After being cooped up for so long there will be mass exodus to anywhere hot and sunny as soon as they can. Even it was free in Ireland it wouldn't make a difference.

We booked a few places in Ireland very early in the year, and there was almost nothing available back then. People were thinking ahead even then. Even in a normal summer it would mostly be booked up by now.
 
I would think most bookings have free cancellation built into them, hotels could well see particularly in late July and August empty rooms when it's easier to travel abroad. They are probably building this into bookings that are being made now.
 
They generally over book so if people cancel they aren't left with an empty room.

If you are looking for bargains, last minute you are basically getting getting cancellations.
 
Yes they should. this is a chance to sell the wonders of Ireland long term and not just for a quick buck
 
seamus m said:
Yes they should. this is a chance to sell the wonders of Ireland long term and not just for a quick buck
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How can you persuade people living here choose Ireland over cheaper, foreign holidays with better weather. Things like insurance were putting places out of business before the lockdown.

Even on a basic level our facilities are poor. They are having to put Portable Toilets' in places like popular parks and beaches in lockdown, because the popular places don't have them, and any increase in demand causes an issues. We rely on commercial properties, to provide facilities.

Its not a quick buck for many. They will have been closed for over a year and likely to have a short season, but the basic running costs will be the same as if its a full year.


That said I've had a lot of holidays in Ireland over the years and its always been expensive. I've only done it because going away wasn't an option at the time.
 
The problem with Ireland is that there the standard can vary so much between hotels that are classified as being the same so you end up having to work harder to find decent value. I paid over €500 last year for 2 nights B&B for a hotel in Clare and I have to say I was shocked at what they classified as 4 star accommodation. I also spent a lovely night in Carton House with B&B and dinner for €200. The hotels were in no way comparable.

There are a lot of so called 4/5 star hotels in tourist areas getting away with charging high prices for a sub-standard offering. Having said, there are some really great hotels in Ireland that would compare well with anywhere.
 
The thing is with the whole continent desperate to go on holidays now, prices are bound to rise everywhere, everyone will be trying to recoup losses over the last year and guess what people will pay the higher prices because they have the money now. It's part of the global inflation trend . The cheap destinations especially in Europe will not be so cheap a year from now, Turkey will be cheap though as the currency has devalued thanks to Mr erdogen
 
AlbacoreA said:
Its not a quick buck for many. They will have been closed for over a year and likely to have a short season, but the basic running costs will be the same as if its a full year.
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I agree, it’s not a quick buck. It’s S&D, and if they didn’t apply pricing accordingly many wouldn’t be here next year.

joe sod said:
The thing is with the whole continent desperate to go on holidays now, prices are bound to rise everywhere,
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Don’t forget that there are 80% fewer flights today than there was in May 2019.
That too will drive prices up.
 
I’ve always believed that the worst thing about holidays is the actual travelling.

The best thing about holidaying in Ireland is that I walk from my house to the car with my packed bags, and the next time I touch them is when I get to the holiday home.
I bring all my creature comforts (pillow, Nespresso machine, stereo, cookware).

The latter is not an option when flying, and the dragging of bags from car to shuttle to security, etc., etc. is something I prefer to keep to a non-family holiday
 
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