Well I stayed in a decent Dublin city centre hotel over the All Ireland weekend just past....the Trinity Capital on Pearse Street. Nice hotel and well located.
Firstly, on arriving on Saturday, we went into the hotel bar for some lunch around 2PM. We had a 6 month old baby sleeping in the pram, along with us.
I thought the waitress was coming over to take our food order, until she proceeded to tell me, in broken English, that children were not permitted in the bar at anytime. This was news to me, as I had thought children were permitted up until a certain time if food was being served. Now we're talking a 6 month old baby here, sleeping in a pram, doing no one any harm. But we had to leave the hotel bar, which was empty by the way, and go elsewhere for something to eat. So that didnt go down too well with the 8 of us who were staying.
Then to finish off the weekend, I watched in horror as the hotel manager refused to switch the bar TV over from American NFL to watch the Sunday Game at 9.30 on Sunday night! The bar was full of Down and Cork people who were resident in the hotel, and two Americans who were not resident but had arranged to call in to see the NFL game!
Talk about ructions, there was a mass exodus from the hotel bar, as people headed to another pub to see the Sunday Game. I, like many of those who were there, won't be staying at the Trinity Capital again.
So much for welcoming your guests....feckin joke!
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 12:22:38 AM
Well I stayed in a decent Dublin city centre hotel over the All Ireland weekend just past....the Trinity Capital on Pearse Street. Nice hotel and well located.
Firstly, on arriving on Saturday, we went into the hotel bar for some lunch around 2PM. We had a 6 month old baby sleeping in the pram, along with us.
I thought the waitress was coming over to take our food order, until she proceeded to tell me, in broken English, that children were not permitted in the bar at anytime. This was news to me, as I had thought children were permitted up until a certain time if food was being served. Now we're talking a 6 month old baby here, sleeping in a pram, doing no one any harm. But we had to leave the hotel bar, which was empty by the way, and go elsewhere for something to eat. So that didnt go down too well with the 8 of us who were staying.
Then to finish off the weekend, I watched in horror as the hotel manager refused to switch the bar TV over from American NFL to watch the Sunday Game at 9.30 on Sunday night! The bar was full of Down and Cork people who were resident in the hotel, and two Americans who were not resident but had arranged to call in to see the NFL game!
Talk about ructions, there was a mass exodus from the hotel bar, as people headed to another pub to see the Sunday Game. I, like many of those who were there, won't be staying at the Trinity Capital again.
So much for welcoming your guests....feckin joke!
If i were you i give the owner of the hotel a call, he would be the boss of the hotel manager and he'd probably be so grateful with your call that he'd give you a few free nights. I actually got angry reading the above so can only imagine how ye felt.
Is the hotel manager in question Irish?
Make sure you post all that up here http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotel_Review-g186605-d212667-Reviews-Trinity_Capital_Hotel-Dublin_County_Dublin.html
& let the Joe public know about your experience
I won't darken the door after reading that...fair play
For highlighting it! >:(
List of hotels to stay in Dublin
Trinity Capital Pearse St.
thats it struck off my list
QuoteIs the hotel manager in question Irish?
He was indeed!
In the interest of balance Balladmaker please let us know how the rest of your weekend went in Dublin. Bet you had a blast.
Thread heading a tad misleading imo.
Problem imo in hotel industry is imo it is being "guided" by accountants screaming for cheap labour to be employed with the charm/personal element being sidelined.
I spend a lot of time travelling in Ireland and I have to say that poor service in Irish Hotels is not restricted to Dublin. In my experience many staff are rude and very unhelpful, some appear to be annoyed if you go to reception to ask a question. Also last week I read that Ireland is one of the cheapest places for hotels in Europe. What a joke!! In Ireland they almost always charge per person. I have spent weekends in Europe, including flights, for less that the price of bed and breakfast in a 3star hotel in Ireland. If the tourist industry is going to help lift us out or recession then they need to start to raise the level of service to clients. This coupled with the high prices for food and drink mean its sometimes cheaper to travel abroad than to spend a weekend in Ireland
Quote from: Sandino on September 23, 2010, 11:24:49 AM
I spend a lot of time travelling in Ireland and I have to say that poor service in Irish Hotels is not restricted to Dublin. In my experience many staff are rude and very unhelpful, some appear to be annoyed if you go to reception to ask a question. Also last week I read that Ireland is one of the cheapest places for hotels in Europe. What a joke!! In Ireland they almost always charge per person. I have spent weekends in Europe, including flights, for less that the price of bed and breakfast in a 3star hotel in Ireland. If the tourist industry is going to help lift us out or recession then they need to start to raise the level of service to clients. This coupled with the high prices for food and drink mean its sometimes cheaper to travel abroad than to spend a weekend in Ireland
Ok, I don't work in tourism at all, but I have to say that I much prefer to stay in a hotel in Ireland than in practically anywhere else in Europe. A lot of my travel, particulalry to the UK would be with business, which might colour my judgment, but I always find hotels there to be soulless places. They are clean, functional and do the job, but they are not places I would go to relax or even have a bit of craic, in general. There are exceptions such as a grand place I stayed in in Norwich recently.
In Ireland, I find it's the opposite. The staff are generally friendly (as opposed to polite), the pub is usually lively enough, and the quality is high in terms of cleanliness and food as well. Again, in general, there are obviously exceptions.
I've never been to the place mentioned above, and notwithstanding the fact that the Yanks obviously asked first, I have never had any bad experience with a child in an Irish hotel. Normally they are all about the kid and very good about bottles, baby bowls etc.
Finally, as regards prices per person, I agree it's a nuisance, but there are still deals to be had even at pps rates. It should be noted that several hotel chains also now offer Per Room rates, but they tend to be those hotels closest to the English model of functional, clean and sterile, such as the various Bewleys etc.
I can well understand why they refused to change the channel on the TV when other customers had gone to the trouble of pre-booking a station. Fair enough, you could argue that the management should have been aware of the Sunday Game before allowing the booking but to have changed the channel would have been very ignorant.
I would not disagree with many of your points AZ apart from the level of service that I have experienced here in Ireland.
Just did a quick price check there. 179 euro for two nights room only on Bewleys in November. Thats more than I normally spend on my winter break in Europe which is normally 3 nights duration. Maybe I'm just a tight git!
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
Gresham staff try to keep Tony away from the sausages.
(http://schoolnet.gov.mt/circus/liontamer.gif)
:D :D :D
That'd have been a splattered screen if I hadn't already finished the coffee.
Have stayed in the Camden Court (yuck), Hilton at Charlemont St (nice), Radisson off Georges St (lovely), Stephen's Green Hotel (handy), Fitzwilliam (absolutely gorgeous with really nice staff but expensive), Skylon (adequate), Radisson Dublin Airport (nice) and Bewley's Ballsbridge (cheapest), all since March.
Staff were nicest at the Fitzwilliam (but you probably get what you pay for) and is my favourite, but Bewleys Ballsbridge comes in second, despite lack of luxuries. Nice accommodating staff. Radisson hotels are great but a bit soulless - had no problem having a glass of vino on my own in the bar in the Fitzwilliam but wouldn't have done it in either Radisson.
Stayed down in the Hibernian in Kilkenny and wasn't the slightest bit impressed with their reception staff.
Sandino, completely agree about the price - I definitely don't see it as a cheap place to stay. But on the other hand, my colleagues are finding it very hard to book a big hotel for four straight nights during the week down here - impossible to get the Radisson and unless you're two weeks in advance, hard to get the Hilton as well. There are busloads of US tourists piling into them each day.
QuoteIn the interest of balance Balladmaker please let us know how the rest of your weekend went in Dublin. Bet you had a blast.
Had a good weekend, but that was in no way due to the service and friendliness received in any of the bars we attended. We made our own craic. Out of 6 bars, the only one where we received polite service and a bit of chat from the bar man was in Doheny and Nesbitts, and by coincidence the bar man was middle aged and Irish. Other bars, including The Longstone, O'Donoghues and Mulligans were a mixture of Asian and Eastern European bar service. Not that the country of origin is of any relevance, just that there wasnt much friendliness about them.
Rip off Dublin at its best, the money spent in 2 nights could easily get you a week, if not two, in Spain.
And on to the original subject, has anyone got the right to book a TV channel in a hotel bar when 1: they are not residents of the hotel, 2: when they are not even having a drink and 3: when it is All Ireland Sunday and 99.9% of those present want to watch the Sunday Game. As I found out later, the American couple were friends of the hotel manager ... so say no more.
Secondly, what is the policy of children in hotel bars in Ireland, is there one policy or does it differ from hotel to hotel? I know the likes of the Clarion in Sligo, it is children to 9PM outside of the summer months, and 10PM during July and August. We had to leave the bar of the Trinity Capital at 2pm on Saturday.
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 12:22:38 AM
Well I stayed in a decent Dublin city centre hotel over the All Ireland weekend just past....the Trinity Capital on Pearse Street. Nice hotel and well located.
I've stayed there a fair few times. Must admit I've never had a problem with them. Didn't have a child along with me though.
Maybe there's a genesis of a thread here. Take cost out of it, as much as is possible, and what hotels would you recommend that you've stayed in?
In Ireland I would heartily recommend
Leisure/Holiday
Connemara Coast, Furbo - Galway
Dunraven Arms, Adare - Limerick
Plaza, Killarney - Kerry
Ballygarry House, Tralee - Kerry
Business
Bewley's Dublin Airport, especially if you are flying.
Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on September 23, 2010, 11:59:36 AM
I can well understand why they refused to change the channel on the TV when other customers had gone to the trouble of pre-booking a station. Fair enough, you could argue that the management should have been aware of the Sunday Game before allowing the booking but to have changed the channel would have been very ignorant.
I'd agree with that. Although, I'm surprised they only had the one tv.
I'd also agree that Ireland is one of the cheapest in europe for rooms, whether it be per person or per room. Irish hotel standards are generally much higher too, the star rating system means different things in different countries imo.
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
I stayed in the burlo there a while ago and was quite impressed - room was clean and comfortable and it cost €59 and that was with breakfast for two. The Gresham and Regency wouldn't be my cup of tea at all, you'd nearly know by looking at them what to expect.
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 23, 2010, 01:30:02 PM
Maybe there's a genesis of a thread here. Take cost out of it, as much as is possible, and what hotels would you recommend that you've stayed in?
In Ireland I would heartily recommend
Leisure/Holiday
Connemara Coast, Furbo - Galway
Dunraven Arms, Adare - Limerick
Plaza, Killarney - Kerry
Ballygarry House, Tralee - Kerry
Business
Bewley's Dublin Airport, especially if you are flying.
I'm going to the one in Cavan closer to Christmas for a weekend, can never remember the name, I always mix it up with the Silver Springs in Cork (which is functional by the way, rather than a recommend).
Anyway, what's it like? Slieve Russell, that's it.
Stayed there , must be 15 years ago. Brilliant then, probably Ireland's flagship luxury hotel at that time. Interesting to see what it's like now.
Then again when one has stayed at the Burj Al Arab n Dubai, everywhere else is going to come at best, a very distant second ;D
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 23, 2010, 01:36:04 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 23, 2010, 01:30:02 PM
Maybe there's a genesis of a thread here. Take cost out of it, as much as is possible, and what hotels would you recommend that you've stayed in?
In Ireland I would heartily recommend
Leisure/Holiday
Connemara Coast, Furbo - Galway
Dunraven Arms, Adare - Limerick
Plaza, Killarney - Kerry
Ballygarry House, Tralee - Kerry
Business
Bewley's Dublin Airport, especially if you are flying.
I'm going to the one in Cavan closer to Christmas for a weekend, can never remember the name, I always mix it up with the Silver Springs in Cork (which is functional by the way, rather than a recommend).
Anyway, what's it like? Slieve Russell, that's it.
Slieve Russell is a nice hotel. Great food. Also if your into your golf it has a great course. Can be expensive tho.
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
Where do you buy your colouring pencils, Tony?
What are the hotels like in Portadown btw ?
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
imagine that.... a hotel on o connell st had a room facing onto it..... and imagine there was noise on the main street in the capital city on all ireland weekend.............
what did you expect?
I stayed in the russell court hotel for the all-ireland semi and lets say it's website is very misleading..... horrible room. with a door that had to slammed to shut it, a hairdryer from 1950's, no mirrors and horrible doormen! We had to park in a multi-story nearby that cost us 35 euro for 1 night! the only thing it did have was several ear-plugs laid out on the bed!
QuoteI can well understand why they refused to change the channel on the TV when other customers had gone to the trouble of pre-booking a station. Fair enough, you could argue that the management should have been aware of the Sunday Game before allowing the booking but to have changed the channel would have been very ignorant.
Has anyone got the right to book a TV channel in a hotel bar when:
1: they are not residents of the hotel,
2: they are not even having a drink,
3: it is All Ireland Sunday and 99.9% of those present want to watch the Sunday Game. The reason they filled the hotel on a Sunday night was because of the All Ireland.
As I found out later, the American couple were friends of the hotel manager ... so say no more.
Quote from: leenie on September 23, 2010, 02:35:51 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
imagine that.... a hotel on o connell st had a room facing onto it..... and imagine there was noise on the main street in the capital city on all ireland weekend.............
what did you expect?
Cue Basil
BASIL That is Torquay, Madam.
MRS RICHARDS Well, it is not good enough.
BASIL Well...may I ask what you were hoping to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House
Perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically....
MRS RICHARDS Don't be silly. I expect to see the sea.
BASIL You can see the sea. It's over there between the land and the sky.
MRS RICHARDS I'd need a telescope to see that.
BASIL Well, may I suggest you consider moving to a hotel closer to the sea. Or preferably in it.
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 02:55:36 PM
QuoteI can well understand why they refused to change the channel on the TV when other customers had gone to the trouble of pre-booking a station. Fair enough, you could argue that the management should have been aware of the Sunday Game before allowing the booking but to have changed the channel would have been very ignorant.
Has anyone got the right to book a TV channel in a hotel bar when:
1: they are not residents of the hotel,
2: they are not even having a drink,
3: it is All Ireland Sunday and 99.9% of those present want to watch the Sunday Game. The reason they filled the hotel on a Sunday night was because of the All Ireland.
As I found out later, the American couple were friends of the hotel manager ... so say no more.
I'd say it's not a question rights, as I don't think a court of law would have any authority to adjudicate on this (i don't think it's covered in the constitution anyway) it's manners and that's from both sides.
These guys had asked earlier in the day if they could watch the a programme at a certain time, they were told that would be fine - what did they do wrong? If they'd been told that they couldn't, then they would have made alternative arrangements and went to some of the sports bars in temple bar (if they're still in existence).
The other guests had wrongly presumed that they could watch another programme, but as the management had already many promises to the contrary, then this couldn't happen. Those guests could have politely explained the situation and asked the americans if they'd mind turning it over, they may have obliged, they may not have.
It was a bad decision to grant the guys their wish in the first place, but after that was done, it wouldn't have been right to go back on that decision
The friend of the management point has no bearing on it really.
Quote from: Bogball XV on September 23, 2010, 03:06:25 PM
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 02:55:36 PM
QuoteI can well understand why they refused to change the channel on the TV when other customers had gone to the trouble of pre-booking a station. Fair enough, you could argue that the management should have been aware of the Sunday Game before allowing the booking but to have changed the channel would have been very ignorant.
Has anyone got the right to book a TV channel in a hotel bar when:
1: they are not residents of the hotel,
2: they are not even having a drink,
3: it is All Ireland Sunday and 99.9% of those present want to watch the Sunday Game. The reason they filled the hotel on a Sunday night was because of the All Ireland.
As I found out later, the American couple were friends of the hotel manager ... so say no more.
I'd say it's not a question rights, as I don't think a court of law would have any authority to adjudicate on this (i don't think it's covered in the constitution anyway) it's manners and that's from both sides.
These guys had asked earlier in the day if they could watch the a programme at a certain time, they were told that would be fine - what did they do wrong? If they'd been told that they couldn't, then they would have made alternative arrangements and went to some of the sports bars in temple bar (if they're still in existence).
The other guests had wrongly presumed that they could watch another programme, but as the management had already many promises to the contrary, then this couldn't happen. Those guests could have politely explained the situation and asked the americans if they'd mind turning it over, they may have obliged, they may not have.
It was a bad decision to grant the guys their wish in the first place, but after that was done, it wouldn't have been right to go back on that decision
The friend of the management point has no bearing on it really.
Had this hotel only 1 television?
Something similar happened me in the the Hilton Northern Cross during the 6 Nations when a jazz band (!) were booked in the bar during the match. The manager brought us to an empty area with a tv and instructed one of the bar floor staff to keep us supplied with beverages. She was busy, the band jazzed way and we were all happy.
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 01:58:01 PM
Stayed there , must be 15 years ago. Brilliant then, probably Ireland's flagship luxury hotel at that time. Interesting to see what it's like now.
Then again when one has stayed at the Burj Al Arab n Dubai, everywhere else is going to come at best, a very distant second ;D
Have you stayed in any of the 6 star Las Vegas hotels? Croke Park Corporate Suites, free stays in most of Dublin's top hotels are you an politician by any chance tony :D
Quote from: leenie on September 23, 2010, 02:35:51 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
imagine that.... a hotel on o connell st had a room facing onto it..... and imagine there was noise on the main street in the capital city on all ireland weekend.............
what did you expect?
I stayed in the russell court hotel for the all-ireland semi and lets say it's website is very misleading..... horrible room. with a door that had to slammed to shut it, a hairdryer from 1950's, no mirrors and horrible doormen! We had to park in a multi-story nearby that cost us 35 euro for 1 night! the only thing it did have was several ear-plugs laid out on the bed!
Have stayed in the Russell Court a few time's it's one of the better budget Dublin Hotels IMO though some rooms are better than others.. for example don't get a room on the side of the DART bridge
Quote from: Sandino on September 23, 2010, 12:19:56 PM
I would not disagree with many of your points AZ apart from the level of service that I have experienced here in Ireland.
Just did a quick price check there. 179 euro for two nights room only on Bewleys in November. Thats more than I normally spend on my winter break in Europe which is normally 3 nights duration. Maybe I'm just a tight git!
Autum Internationals...
QuoteThese guys had asked earlier in the day if they could watch the a programme at a certain time, they were told that would be fine
Did they?
QuoteThe friend of the management point has no bearing on it really.
Why?
Quote from: leenie on September 23, 2010, 02:35:51 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
imagine that.... a hotel on o connell st had a room facing onto it..... and imagine there was noise on the main street in the capital city on all ireland weekend.............
what did you expect?
No crowds as per the last time he booked a hotel for the all ireland weekend?
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 03:41:55 PM
Have stayed in the Russell Court a few time's it's one of the better budget Dublin Hotels IMO though some rooms are better than others.. for example don't get a room on the side of the DART bridge
Is the Russell Court not on Harcourt St? I walk up Harcourt St every day now and was in Dicey's last night and could swear it's attached to the Russell Court. I want to know where they're hiding the DART bridge!
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 04:04:01 PM
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
Tony do you think your difficulties with Dublin hotels might be a sign?
(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:75SrNTXl1j-meM:http://candm.com.au/forum/download/file.php?id=2119&t=1)
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 03:57:37 PM
QuoteThese guys had asked earlier in the day if they could watch the a programme at a certain time, they were told that would be fine
Did they?
well, you said they did, I don't know.
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 03:57:37 PMQuoteThe friend of the management point has no bearing on it really.
Why?
well, why does it? Anyway, surely the bar manager can show whatever he wants on the tv. If patrons don't want to watch that, then leave. It's not good practice, nor good for business, but as I said earlier, I don't believe there's a law against it.
I'm still surprised by the single tv tbh.
Quote from: Rois on September 23, 2010, 04:06:07 PM
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 03:41:55 PM
Have stayed in the Russell Court a few time's it's one of the better budget Dublin Hotels IMO though some rooms are better than others.. for example don't get a room on the side of the DART bridge
Is the Russell Court not on Harcourt St? I walk up Harcourt St every day now and was in Dicey's last night and could swear it's attached to the Russell Court. I want to know where they're hiding the DART bridge!
Am getting the hotel's mixed up! Ripley Court has the Dart beside it! but having stayed in both there ok for budget hotels
though Russell Court is close to main nightlife so don't expect much sleep there
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 04:04:01 PM
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
Fearon, why didn't you just ask for a room not facing the street!! Instead you just went in like a mouse and came crying on the internet afterward - rubbish!!!
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 04:04:01 PM
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
I had to pay for parking at Days hotel in Belfast
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 04:57:56 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 04:04:01 PM
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
I had to pay for parking at Days hotel in Belfast
If you stayed overnight, you should have went to reception in the morning and they'd have stamped your parking pass for free.
Quote from: johnneycool on September 23, 2010, 05:03:49 PM
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 04:57:56 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 04:04:01 PM
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
I had to pay for parking at Days hotel in Belfast
If you stayed overnight, you should have went to reception in the morning and they'd have stamped your parking pass for free.
Stayed three nights got it stamped by reception still had to pay. It was five pounds per night but it was only a small part of the rip off that Belfast has become. I live in Dublin and find restaurants and eating out far more un-reasonable in Belfast. The Wheterspoon pub beside the movie house was the value for money place i found, but i found the place to be a tad rough to be honest.
Turk, I would have complained had I actually paid for the room, but didn't feel as though I could as it was a freebie,and even my neck is not that brass! ;D
I'd rather park to pay in that car park at Days Hotel in Belfast, than leave my car out on the street near Sandy Row and the Village all night, which is the only alternative.
I think car parking should be free with hotel stays, the hotel industry is starting to ape Ryanair in this regard, charging for every extra they can think of.
Ryanair don't provide sausages as standard on their flights so you are off on that analogy Tony.
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 23, 2010, 01:30:02 PM
Maybe there's a genesis of a thread here. Take cost out of it, as much as is possible, and what hotels would you recommend that you've stayed in?
In Ireland I would heartily recommend
Leisure/Holiday
Connemara Coast, Furbo - Galway
Dunraven Arms, Adare - Limerick
Plaza, Killarney - Kerry
Ballygarry House, Tralee - Kerry
Business
Bewley's Dublin Airport, especially if you are flying.
Was at a wedding in the Connemara Coast last year & I thought it was quite dated for the money (near €200 IIRC), great location though and the bar's not too bad.
Stayed in Ahernes in Youghal recently & was quite impressed. Friendly family run hotel, massive double room, only €130 for the night and the food they served up was excellent. One of very few places in the Blue Book that offers value. Stayed in Moy House in Lahinch as well, very friendly but nearly twice the price, worth it as a one off.
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 05:07:00 PM
Stayed three nights got it stamped by reception still had to pay. It was five pounds per night but it was only a small part of the rip off that Belfast has become. I live in Dublin and find restaurants and eating out far more un-reasonable in Belfast. The Wheterspoon pub beside the movie house was the value for money place i found, but i found the place to be a tad rough to be honest.
You're not wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMPi-jF5iQ
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 04:57:56 PM
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 04:04:01 PM
Leenie, I was half expecting, hoping, praying for....a room in the Gresham Hotel that wasn't facing O'Connell Street. The Gresham Hotel is a building which, like the majority of buildings, has a back as well as a front. ;D
Another thing which pisses me off about Dublin Hotels in general is the fact that residents/guests now have to pay for car parking, 14 euro a night in the Gresham! This does not happen in any hotels outside Dublin, as far as I'm aware.
I had to pay for parking at Days hotel in Belfast
(http://www.samizdata.net/blog/~pdeh/epicFAIL.jpg)
Quote from: AFS on September 23, 2010, 05:47:20 PM
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 05:07:00 PM
Stayed three nights got it stamped by reception still had to pay. It was five pounds per night but it was only a small part of the rip off that Belfast has become. I live in Dublin and find restaurants and eating out far more un-reasonable in Belfast. The Wheterspoon pub beside the movie house was the value for money place i found, but i found the place to be a tad rough to be honest.
You're not wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMPi-jF5iQ
FFS soccer fans ::) was it Wetherspoons? speaking of which it's a big pub chain in Britain
Quote from: Croí na hÉireann on September 23, 2010, 05:43:02 PM
Was at a wedding in the Connemara Coast last year & I thought it was quite dated for the money (near €200 IIRC), great location though and the bar's not too bad.
All part of the charm, sir
Quote from: T Fearon on September 23, 2010, 12:25:23 PM
Have stayed in the Regency, Burlington and the Gresham during the last year. If I had paid for any of them I'd be up in arms. From decor to service they were all a big let down. Particularly disappointed with Gresham last weekend. The room allocated was overlooking O'Connell Street, noise never stopped all night long, practically impossible to get to sleep. Handles on window didn't work properly and even the breakfast had a member of staff serving, lest one might take an extra rasher or sausage. Disaster
Noise never stopped all night on the busiest thoroughfare in the country. Shocking.
Can't get Basil Fawltys picture out of my head now after reading that sentence. Reminds me of that episode where the old bag is giving out about the view from her room.
Basil " Thats Torquay, madam "
Old bag- " Well its not good enough "
Basil '' Well can I ask what you expected to see from a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically''
Comedy Gold.
Whoops. Thats what ya get when ya only read the 1st page of a thread. Gimme a great laugh tho.
Great minds Seafoid ha.
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 12:22:38 AM
Well I stayed in a decent Dublin city centre hotel over the All Ireland weekend just past....the Trinity Capital on Pearse Street. Nice hotel and well located.
Firstly, on arriving on Saturday, we went into the hotel bar for some lunch around 2PM. We had a 6 month old baby sleeping in the pram, along with us.
I thought the waitress was coming over to take our food order, until she proceeded to tell me, in broken English, that children were not permitted in the bar at anytime. This was news to me, as I had thought children were permitted up until a certain time if food was being served. Now we're talking a 6 month old baby here, sleeping in a pram, doing no one any harm. But we had to leave the hotel bar, which was empty by the way, and go elsewhere for something to eat. So that didnt go down too well with the 8 of us who were staying.
Then to finish off the weekend, I watched in horror as the hotel manager refused to switch the bar TV over from American NFL to watch the Sunday Game at 9.30 on Sunday night! The bar was full of Down and Cork people who were resident in the hotel, and two Americans who were not resident but had arranged to call in to see the NFL game!
Talk about ructions, there was a mass exodus from the hotel bar, as people headed to another pub to see the Sunday Game. I, like many of those who were there, won't be staying at the Trinity Capital again.
So much for welcoming your guests....feckin joke!
A few things....
1. If there's no children allowed in the bar a 6 month old baby (sleeping or not) qualifies, if they make an exception where would they draw the line?
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
3. How do you know so much about the boys watching the NFL? You say they weren't residents, friends of the manager, weren't drinking and had made arrangements to see the game? Did someone shine a light in their face and quiz them?
4. You "watched in horror"? Really? That's a bit dramatic....
Quote
Had a good weekend, but that was in no way due to the service and friendliness received in any of the bars we attended. We made our own craic. Out of 6 bars, the only one where we received polite service and a bit of chat from the bar man was in Doheny and Nesbitts, and by coincidence the bar man was middle aged and Irish. Other bars, including The Longstone, O'Donoghues and Mulligans were a mixture of Asian and Eastern European bar service. Not that the country of origin is of any relevance, just that there wasnt much friendliness about them.
5. I don't understand this at all - did you go expecting craic from the person serving you? If country of origin has no relevance why point it out?
Quote
Has anyone got the right to book a TV channel in a hotel bar when:
1: they are not residents of the hotel,
2: they are not even having a drink,
3: it is All Ireland Sunday and 99.9% of those present want to watch the Sunday Game. The reason they filled the hotel on a Sunday night was because of the All Ireland.
As I found out later, the American couple were friends of the hotel manager ... so say no more.
The hotel manager/owner can put whatever the f**k he wants on the tv...
Quote from: pintsofguinness on September 23, 2010, 06:40:25 PM
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 12:22:38 AM
Well I stayed in a decent Dublin city centre hotel over the All Ireland weekend just past....the Trinity Capital on Pearse Street. Nice hotel and well located.
Firstly, on arriving on Saturday, we went into the hotel bar for some lunch around 2PM. We had a 6 month old baby sleeping in the pram, along with us.
I thought the waitress was coming over to take our food order, until she proceeded to tell me, in broken English, that children were not permitted in the bar at anytime. This was news to me, as I had thought children were permitted up until a certain time if food was being served. Now we're talking a 6 month old baby here, sleeping in a pram, doing no one any harm. But we had to leave the hotel bar, which was empty by the way, and go elsewhere for something to eat. So that didnt go down too well with the 8 of us who were staying.
Then to finish off the weekend, I watched in horror as the hotel manager refused to switch the bar TV over from American NFL to watch the Sunday Game at 9.30 on Sunday night! The bar was full of Down and Cork people who were resident in the hotel, and two Americans who were not resident but had arranged to call in to see the NFL game!
Talk about ructions, there was a mass exodus from the hotel bar, as people headed to another pub to see the Sunday Game. I, like many of those who were there, won't be staying at the Trinity Capital again.
So much for welcoming your guests....feckin joke!
A few things....
1. If there's no children allowed in the bar a 6 month old baby (sleeping or not) qualifies, if they make an exception where would they draw the line?
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
3. How do you know so much about the boys watching the NFL? You say they weren't residents, friends of the manager, weren't drinking and had made arrangements to see the game? Did someone shine a light in their face and quiz them?
4. You "watched in horror"? Really? That's a bit dramatic....
Quote
Had a good weekend, but that was in no way due to the service and friendliness received in any of the bars we attended. We made our own craic. Out of 6 bars, the only one where we received polite service and a bit of chat from the bar man was in Doheny and Nesbitts, and by coincidence the bar man was middle aged and Irish. Other bars, including The Longstone, O'Donoghues and Mulligans were a mixture of Asian and Eastern European bar service. Not that the country of origin is of any relevance, just that there wasnt much friendliness about them.
5. I don't understand this at all - did you go expecting craic from the person serving you? If country of origin has no relevance why point it out?
Quote
Has anyone got the right to book a TV channel in a hotel bar when:
1: they are not residents of the hotel,
2: they are not even having a drink,
3: it is All Ireland Sunday and 99.9% of those present want to watch the Sunday Game. The reason they filled the hotel on a Sunday night was because of the All Ireland.
As I found out later, the American couple were friends of the hotel manager ... so say no more.
The hotel manager/owner can put whatever the f**k he wants on the tv...
You Nordies really are cranky fellas, could you ever relax a bit. One thing i noticed from my time in Belfast is the lack of a smile. If you could smile a bit more you'll enjoy life a lot more.
Pints of Guinness this is for you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACqcZZwG0k
Pints, I don't think I've ever agreed with you so much in my life. As previously stated what happened the original poster is bad practice, but to talk about having "rights" is ridiculous.
Rois, you're right, Russell Court isn't just linked to Diceys, it is Diceys - all part of the one complex, much like Jackson Court and Coppers.
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 05:55:27 PM
Quote from: AFS on September 23, 2010, 05:47:20 PM
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 05:07:00 PM
Stayed three nights got it stamped by reception still had to pay. It was five pounds per night but it was only a small part of the rip off that Belfast has become. I live in Dublin and find restaurants and eating out far more un-reasonable in Belfast. The Wheterspoon pub beside the movie house was the value for money place i found, but i found the place to be a tad rough to be honest.
You're not wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMPi-jF5iQ
FFS soccer fans ::) was it Wetherspoons? speaking of which it's a big pub chain in Britain
Ross, wtf are you on about?!? It was clearly Wetherspoons, seeing as the original post contains the words "The Wheterspoon pub".
Speaking of which?? Speaking of what? What are you actually speaking about??
Balladmaker, have you complained that the Wolfe Tones weren't on the stereo system?
Quote from: gallsman on September 23, 2010, 07:34:31 PM
Balladmaker, have you complained that the Wolfe Tones weren't on the stereo system?
They were the ones asking for the American Football.
Just for the purposes of the thread, I had cause to stay up in Dublin for long spells back at the start of the year and I stayed at the Harding Hotel in Christchurch. Cheap as they come, and everything was fine in the place. I wouldn't recommend it for a fancy weekend away, but for one of those times when all you want is a bed close to the city centre, you could do a lot worse - though no parking either in fairness.
By comparison, Jury's in Christchurch was double the price, no better, and you had to pay for parking as well. No contest there.
Around the airport, hard to argue with Days hotel in Ballymun again for value. Secure parking, shuttle to and from the airport and the option to park for €5 a night, which beats the rates in the long term car parks. Easy find as well.
In Belfast myself and the good lady stayed in the Malone Hotel since we had a voucher for their group and that turned out to be good value and a good buzz around the place in the evening, albeit with a small crowd. A bit out of town was the only thing, but if you don't mind a walk in and a taxi back, one could do a lot worse. We'll probably head back when we do the pre-Christmas shopping run.
Around Ireland then, gold stars to: Knockranny House in Westport - a bit expensive but excellent service and facilities, a real treat. The Ferrycarrig in Wexford was a nice spot for a good price, Patrick Punch's in Limerick was very decent for a very affordable price, Murphys in Tobercurry was great value and good service if you ever needed to stop over in that area, while the Villa Rose in Ballybofey was outstanding value for a very good hotel. I love that town too. The Abbey in Donegal town is grand for to knock a bit of craic out of a weekend, it's a bit country and western but no less good for that, and I had a few good nights in the Dolmen in Carlow too.
In terms of ones I wouldn't rush back to, the Radisson in Sligo was a lot of fuss and cost for feck all, I wasn't too impressed with the service in the Silver Springs in Cork, though that could have been a one off, the Abbey hotel in Roscommon is overpriced for what it is, trading off reputation, and though I've never stayed there, the food in the Tullamore Court Hotel was brutal the two times I ended up dining in there, so I'd suggest the Bridge House or even Days hotel as the first port of call for anyone staying in Tullamore - though again, things could have improved since then.
Quote from: gallsman on September 23, 2010, 07:34:31 PM
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 05:55:27 PM
Quote from: AFS on September 23, 2010, 05:47:20 PM
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 05:07:00 PM
[/b]
FFS soccer fans ::) was it Wetherspoons? speaking of which it's a big pub chain in Britain
Ross, wtf are you on about?!? It was clearly Wetherspoons, seeing as the original post contains the words "The Wheterspoon pub".
Speaking of which?? Speaking of what? What are you actually speaking about??
Not my post but Peter Solan the Great & everyone is allowed a little typo now or then Mr Perfect
The video says... A BAR ON THE LISBURN ROAD & not clearly Wetherspoons as you say
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 05:55:27 PM
Quote from: AFS on September 23, 2010, 05:47:20 PM
Quote from: Peter Solan the Great on September 23, 2010, 05:07:00 PM
Stayed three nights got it stamped by reception still had to pay. It was five pounds per night but it was only a small part of the rip off that Belfast has become. I live in Dublin and find restaurants and eating out far more un-reasonable in Belfast. The Wheterspoon pub beside the movie house was the value for money place i found, but i found the place to be a tad rough to be honest.
You're not wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMPi-jF5iQ
FFS soccer fans ::) was it Wetherspoons? speaking of which it's a big pub chain in Britain
See what I'm getting at?
Quote from: gallsman on September 23, 2010, 08:04:15 PM
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 05:55:27 PM
Quote from: AFS on September 23, 2010, 05:47:20 PM
[quote author=Peter Solan the Great link=topic=17478.msg856487#msg856487 date=1285258020]
Stayed three nights got it stamped by reception still had to pay. It was five pounds per night but it was only a small part of the rip off that Belfast has become. I live in Dublin and find restaurants and eating out far more un-reasonable in Belfast. The Wheterspoon pub beside the movie house was the value for money place i found, but i found the place to be a tad rough to be honest.
You're not wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMPi-jF5iQ
FFS soccer fans ::) was it Wetherspoons? speaking of which it's a big pub chain in Britain
See what I'm getting at?
[/quote]
J D Wetherspoon
You never cease to amaze me.
QuoteA few things....
1. If there's no children allowed in the bar a 6 month old baby (sleeping or not) qualifies, if they make an exception where would they draw the line?
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
3. How do you know so much about the boys watching the NFL? You say they weren't residents, friends of the manager, weren't drinking and had made arrangements to see the game? Did someone shine a light in their face and quiz them?
4. You "watched in horror"? Really? That's a bit dramatic....
1: Received phone call apology from hotel this evening, in response to my complaint which I made on Monday when checking out. Their policy is no children in the bar area after 7pm and their 'new' member of staff was obviously incorrect.
2: I would expect any hotel worker in a Dublin hotel to at least be fluent in English and not have to repeat a message several times before being understood. Couldn't care less what country they hail from, so long as they are fluent.
3: A bar man in the hotel told me so.
4: The hotel manager lost the plot, while being reasonably quized as to why he wouldn't stick the game on for the packed bar, and proceeded to bang the counter repeatedly and verbally abuse a paying resident in the hotel. So I "watched in horror"....not dramatic at all imo. I assume you were not present, and if not, well you're hardly in a position to make comment.
Quote from: pintsofguinness on September 23, 2010, 06:40:25 PM
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
I agree that the hotel can have its own policies, and actually respect the manager for sticking to his promise to put on the nfl game despite obvious pressure, but stating the above seems like a stupid attempt to suggest 'racist'. I despise people who try to shove that label on others, becuase theres such a taboo around it. What does it matter if someone who's job predominantly consists of dealing with the public, can't speak the prevailing language properly??? Are you serious??!! Its like appointing someone who can hardly turn a computer on as head of IT support...
Sounds like the hotel "bad reviews" might be a thing of the past :-\
http://www.tnooz.com/2010/09/06/news/legal-threat-against-tripadvisor-includes-120-hotels-and-counting/
Quote from: haranguerer on September 23, 2010, 08:29:27 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on September 23, 2010, 06:40:25 PM
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
I agree that the hotel can have its own policies, and actually respect the manager for sticking to his promise to put on the nfl game despite obvious pressure, but stating the above seems like a stupid attempt to suggest 'racist'. I despise people who try to shove that label on others, becuase theres such a taboo around it. What does it matter if someone who's job predominantly consists of dealing with the public, can't speak the prevailing language properly??? Are you serious??!! Its like appointing someone who can hardly turn a computer on as head of IT support...
One thing worse than making a really bad decision is sticking with a really bad decision.
The guy was obviously a tool. Should have got the Yanks a pint on the house and sent them on their way.
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 09:17:33 PM
Sounds like the hotel "bad reviews" might be a thing of the past :-\
http://www.tnooz.com/2010/09/06/news/legal-threat-against-tripadvisor-includes-120-hotels-and-counting/
While tripadvisor is a very useful tool and most reviews are completely genuine it is very open to abuse. Either by habitual cranks who live to complain or someone who might just have a personal gripe against a premises/owner.
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on September 23, 2010, 09:36:02 PM
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 09:17:33 PM
Sounds like the hotel "bad reviews" might be a thing of the past :-\
http://www.tnooz.com/2010/09/06/news/legal-threat-against-tripadvisor-includes-120-hotels-and-counting/
While tripadvisor is a very useful tool and most reviews are completely genuine it is very open to abuse. Either by habitual cranks who live to complain or someone who might just have a personal gripe against a premises/owner.
They might get somewhere in Ireland or the UK, but there's free speech in the US. If a hotel has enough reviews you can filter out the ones to ignore fairly quickly, even the standard of English in a review will tell me if I trust it or not.
I think the manager was wrong in accommodating the 2 people who wanted to watch American football, my reason is that in the hospitality trade and in particular a bar, you are not only there to serve drinks but for customer satisfaction.
I use to work in a city bar which i opened most sundays, when i did i always checked what games were on t.v. If i had it my way i would have shown any game that was on tha was g.a.a related but i could not as i was there to provide a service, my rule was always "what the majority wanted" which i informed my customers when they requested a game... sometimes it would have been soccer.
It would seem that this particular bar that did not show the sunday game lost revenue and in this day an age thats not good business sense.. and the fact that non-residents were accommodated makes for even worse business sense! imo!
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 23, 2010, 01:30:02 PM
Maybe there's a genesis of a thread here. Take cost out of it, as much as is possible, and what hotels would you recommend that you've stayed in?
In Ireland I would heartily recommend
Plaza, Killarney - Kerry
One of my favourite hotels I've stayed in and I do a lot of travelling abroad for work
Quote from: leenie on September 23, 2010, 10:06:22 PM
I think the manager was wrong in accommodating the 2 people who wanted to watch American football, my reason is that in the hospitality trade and in particular a bar, you are not only there to serve drinks but for customer satisfaction.
I use to work in a city bar which i opened most sundays, when i did i always checked what games were on t.v. If i had it my way i would have shown any game that was on tha was g.a.a related but i could not as i was there to provide a service, my rule was always "what the majority wanted" which i informed my customers when they requested a game... sometimes it would have been soccer.
It would seem that this particular bar that did not show the sunday game lost revenue and in this day an age thats not good business sense.. and the fact that non-residents were accommodated makes for even worse business sense! imo!
Completely agree...it's all well and good going off on the PC angle but it's the bottom
line that's important at the end of the day.. this situation could have been handled much better from a business stand point IMO!
Hope the two yanks spent lots of money and it was worth it for the owners.. though I highly doubt it as the hoors would sicken ye here sitting all night over one or two pints ::)
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 08:15:28 PM
4: The hotel manager lost the plot, while being reasonably quized as to why he wouldn't stick the game on for the packed bar, and proceeded to bang the counter repeatedly and verbally abuse a paying resident in the hotel. So I "watched in horror"....not dramatic at all imo. I assume you were not present, and if not, well you're hardly in a position to make comment.
Pints was only going on the information you'd furnished - no need to get on your high horse now that you've decided to give us a few more graphic details, I suppose you didn't want to post that earlier as it was before the watershed and the horror of it might have shocked some youngsters who happened onto the board!!
Whilst I know what you're saying Leenie about business sense, bottom line etc, as someone who's struggled to watch gaa in various foreign bars over the years, I'm pretty impressed by the barman who keeps his word, and it's no more than I would expect off anybody. If you give someone your word why change it? As far as I'm concerned this incident exemplifies the hospitality that ireland is famed for.
but I'm saying he wasn't professional in giving his word nor did know his customer base very well! after all it was all ireland day.. perhaps I'd be more understanding it was quarter final maybe even a semi, but it was an all ireland, our national sport, played in the capital city where this hotel is, where thousands had journey too....and i would imagine that last weekend was one of the busiest for this hotel...
"you don't bite the hand that feeds you"...
and yes you could comment about ac comadating tourists but from what i gather those Americans were not residents.
i know from reading about this I'd never book to stay there...
I stayed in the same hotel as the OP around this time last year for a weekend and never had a problem. Thought it was a great hotel, one of the best I stayed in.
I ventured outside the hotel when I wanted a drink or a feed or to watch a match though, but that is just my wacky way I do things.
Hope this helps!
Quote from: leenie on September 23, 2010, 11:20:59 PM
but I'm saying he wasn't professional in giving his word nor did know his customer base very well! after all it was all ireland day.. perhaps I'd be more understanding it was quarter final maybe even a semi, but it was an all ireland, our national sport, played in the capital city where this hotel is, where thousands had journey too....and i would imagine that last weekend was one of the busiest for this hotel...
"you don't bite the hand that feeds you"...
and yes you could comment about ac comadating tourists but from what i gather those Americans were not residents.
i know from reading about this I'd never book to stay there...
i agree that it was a stupid decision, but having made it, he was right to stick by it. And my understanding was that the americans were tourists, residents or not - good promotion for the welcoming ireland brand etc
Quote from: balladmaker on September 23, 2010, 08:15:28 PM
QuoteA few things....
1. If there's no children allowed in the bar a 6 month old baby (sleeping or not) qualifies, if they make an exception where would they draw the line?
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
3. How do you know so much about the boys watching the NFL? You say they weren't residents, friends of the manager, weren't drinking and had made arrangements to see the game? Did someone shine a light in their face and quiz them?
4. You "watched in horror"? Really? That's a bit dramatic....
1: Received phone call apology from hotel this evening, in response to my complaint which I made on Monday when checking out. Their policy is no children in the bar area after 7pm and their 'new' member of staff was obviously incorrect.
2: I would expect any hotel worker in a Dublin hotel to at least be fluent in English and not have to repeat a message several times before being understood. Couldn't care less what country they hail from, so long as they are fluent.
3: A bar man in the hotel told me so.
4: The hotel manager lost the plot, while being reasonably quized as to why he wouldn't stick the game on for the packed bar, and proceeded to bang the counter repeatedly and verbally abuse a paying resident in the hotel. So I "watched in horror"....not dramatic at all imo. I assume you were not present, and if not, well you're hardly in a position to make comment.
2 She wouldn't be the only one working with the public and not being a fluent as the locals in the language...
4. You didn't tell us any of that in the several posts you've made but even so I still think your use of "horror" is a bit dramatic. It's not like you seen someone gunned down or butchered to death.
Quote from: haranguerer on September 23, 2010, 08:29:27 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on September 23, 2010, 06:40:25 PM
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
I agree that the hotel can have its own policies, and actually respect the manager for sticking to his promise to put on the nfl game despite obvious pressure, but stating the above seems like a stupid attempt to suggest 'racist'. I despise people who try to shove that label on others, becuase theres such a taboo around it. What does it matter if someone who's job predominantly consists of dealing with the public, can't speak the prevailing language properly??? Are you serious??!! Its like appointing someone who can hardly turn a computer on as head of IT support...
Where I live there are several shops, pubs, restaurants etc where those who work there would speak poor enough English - it's quite common you know...I speak perfect English but I still have to repeat myself three or four times to ignorant c***ts who turn off their ears as soon as they detect someone isn't exactly like them so I would have sympathy for the girl
people come and do their best to find a job and make a living etc give them a f**king chance...
I'm not suggesting balladmaker is racist but I do pick up from his posts that things that irritated him on his stay in Dublin was a girl in a hotel who'd poor English and non Irish bar staff in pubs.
Quote from: pintsofguinness on September 24, 2010, 02:31:37 AM
Where I live there are several shops, pubs, restaurants etc where those who work there would speak poor enough English - it's quite common you know...I speak perfect English but I still have to repeat myself three or four times to ignorant c***ts who turn off their ears as soon as they detect someone isn't exactly like them so I would have sympathy for the girl
people come and do their best to find a job and make a living etc give them a f**king chance...
I'm not suggesting balladmaker is racist but I do pick up from his posts that things that irritated him on his stay in Dublin was a girl in a hotel who'd poor English and non Irish bar staff in pubs.
I hear this all the time at work. We have a few Polish girls with fluent English who take phone calls from time to time. Sometimes when they get an angry customer the customer would start to make problems up in their heads about language barriers. On one occasion recently I got fed up with it.
Customer called and I took the call. He with quite angry that he had left a message yesterday and that it hadn't been followed up on. I asked who he was talking to and he said he left a message with a foreign girl and that we shouldn't have people taking messages who can't speak English. I told him that that isn't possible and that all our staff have fluent English and asked was it possible he phoned the wrong number? He didn't take too kindly to this but we got it resolved.
I see it across the board. A heavily accented person with perfect English can often be accused of having bad English to explain any sort of misunderstanding. In other words, 'it's not my fault it's yours'. In many cases when these people are met in a relaxed atmosphere they recieve comments on how good their English.
Quote from: Rois on September 23, 2010, 04:06:07 PM
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 03:41:55 PM
Have stayed in the Russell Court a few time's it's one of the better budget Dublin Hotels IMO though some rooms are better than others.. for example don't get a room on the side of the DART bridge
Is the Russell Court not on Harcourt St? I walk up Harcourt St every day now and was in Dicey's last night and could swear it's attached to the Russell Court. I want to know where they're hiding the DART bridge!
Yea, it is.
Bag of sh**e that it is. Awful room. Hateful bouncers.
Paid 35 yo-yos for parking when we stayed there for the All-ireland semi final and then when we stayed in the citywest for the final, it was the same for a taxi into the city. Stung, either way.
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 23, 2010, 01:30:02 PM
Maybe there's a genesis of a thread here. Take cost out of it, as much as is possible, and what hotels would you recommend that you've stayed in?
In Ireland I would heartily recommend
Leisure/Holiday
Connemara Coast, Furbo - Galway
Dunraven Arms, Adare - Limerick
Plaza, Killarney - Kerry
Ballygarry House, Tralee - Kerry
Business
Bewley's Dublin Airport, especially if you are flying.
Solis Lough Eske, 5km outside Donegal Town. Next to Harveys Point and head and shoulders above it (IMO)
Cashel House hotel in Cashel/Caiseal i gConamara - great place for leisure
Quote from: seafoid on September 24, 2010, 02:01:22 PM
Cashel House hotel in Cashel/Caiseal i gConamara - great place for leisure
Agree completely. First class. Stayed there with the missus a year or two ago. The food is excellent too.
I think the food is the biggest draw. They really take it seriously.
Quote from: maggie on September 24, 2010, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Rois on September 23, 2010, 04:06:07 PM
Quote from: ross4life on September 23, 2010, 03:41:55 PM
Have stayed in the Russell Court a few time's it's one of the better budget Dublin Hotels IMO though some rooms are better than others.. for example don't get a room on the side of the DART bridge
Is the Russell Court not on Harcourt St? I walk up Harcourt St every day now and was in Dicey's last night and could swear it's attached to the Russell Court. I want to know where they're hiding the DART bridge!
Yea, it is.
Bag of sh**e that it is. Awful room. Hateful bouncers.
Paid 35 yo-yos for parking when we stayed there for the All-ireland semi final and then when we stayed in the citywest for the final, it was the same for a taxi into the city. Stung, either way.
I have no sympathy for anyone who pays 35 for a nights parking! If you done any research you could have got loads of place for well below 10 within a few mins walk from the hotel!
That was away from the hotel as they didn't have a car park and my research was driving around for half an hour trying to find a place to park.
Quote from: Bogball XV on September 23, 2010, 11:23:55 PM
Quote from: leenie on September 23, 2010, 11:20:59 PM
but I'm saying he wasn't professional in giving his word nor did know his customer base very well! after all it was all ireland day.. perhaps I'd be more understanding it was quarter final maybe even a semi, but it was an all ireland, our national sport, played in the capital city where this hotel is, where thousands had journey too....and i would imagine that last weekend was one of the busiest for this hotel...
"you don't bite the hand that feeds you"...
and yes you could comment about ac comadating tourists but from what i gather those Americans were not residents.
i know from reading about this I'd never book to stay there...
i agree that it was a stupid decision, but having made it, he was right to stick by it. And my understanding was that the americans were tourists, residents or not - good promotion for the welcoming ireland brand etc
If they were tourists they should have been open to learning about sports played in the country they were visiting. Miss the 2nd NFL game of the season or a small part of it more likely , big deal. You think they went home and said 'Dude, we got to watch the Packers in a pub when there were 50 guys wanting to watch something else who got really pissed about it. It was awesome, you should go, they'll do anything for you.'
Quote from: haranguerer on September 23, 2010, 08:29:27 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on September 23, 2010, 06:40:25 PM
2. Why does it matter if the girl doing her job had broken English?
I agree that the hotel can have its own policies, and actually respect the manager for sticking to his promise to put on the nfl game despite obvious pressure, but stating the above seems like a stupid attempt to suggest 'racist'. I despise people who try to shove that label on others, becuase theres such a taboo around it. What does it matter if someone who's job predominantly consists of dealing with the public, can't speak the prevailing language properly??? Are you serious??!! Its like appointing someone who can hardly turn a computer on as head of IT support...
Couldn't have put it better myself.
Of course it matters! ::)
Quote from: maggie on September 24, 2010, 04:46:23 PM
That was away from the hotel as they didn't have a car park and my research was driving around for half an hour trying to find a place to park.
So no research?
Stayed in the royal marine hotel in dunlaoghaire a few times this year,( good deals are usually available on expedia ) great spot for a chilled weekend break