We stayed in a total of 5 different hotels on our tour. All of them classed as “Superior First Class”.
The hotels were clean and well kept up. All of the hotels used a key card for entry. And in some of them the key card was used to turn on the electricity in the room. One of hotels required a key card to use the elevator (or lift as the Brits would call them).
We had requested double beds. Sometimes we ended up with twin beds. Don’t even think about asking for a King Size bed.
The two hotels in Dublin had AC, the others didn’t. But you really didn’t need AC. In fact, bring a light jacket. A couple of hotels had a fire going in the lobby. Looked like they were burning peat. We were surprised at the use of peat as a fuel.
All of the hotels had WiFi. One of the hotels charged a daily fee. internet performance was a bit hit or miss. You will need to bring plug adapters. The Apple chargers will run on 120-220v, so all you need is the adapter. When in doubt, read the adapter label. If it says “Input Voltage 110-220” then you’re okay. The adapter is the same type as used in the UK. Some of the tourist sites had free WiFi, though performance was a bit spotty. Don’t forget to put your iPhone into “Airplane Mode”. Otherwise you will have a big surprise when you get the bill.
Food. Each hotel had a pretty much standard UK breakfast buffet. As is typical of the Brits, the fried eggs were overcooked and the scrambled eggs were undercooked. Irish bacon is much like Canadian bacon. They usually had a variety of cold cereals. Typically, there was a collection of breads. Coffee was from bad to absolutely terrible. The Irish have no clue on how to brew a decent cup of coffee.
Dinner. The dinners were a three course affair including starter, main course and dessert. The Irish have seem to have a habit of serving a piece of meat on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. Always served with some sort of gravy. Desserts were generally very good. The lamb and pork was good. The beef was not so good. The word “Rare” is not in their vocabulary.
Bar service. A shot of Jameson’s and a pint of Guinness is your best choice. Ask for ice if you want it. Don’t assume. Don’t even think about ordering a Mai-Tai or Martini. Did I tell you that I’m going through Guinness withdrawal? Ice machines? That’s crazy talk.
Bathrooms. Irish bathrooms have broken one of the cardinal rules of plumbing. ie. hot water goes on the left. Some times it was a bit of a challenge to figure out the shower controls. Paula’s biggest complaint was a lack of wash cloths. The tubs also were about an inch or more higher. Made for challenges getting into the shower. All of the rooms had hair dryers. But for some change reason, they were stored in one of the dresser drawers. Weird.
All in all, we had a great time. CIE Tours did a great job. Now we need a few days to recover.
calherewecome 