As well as dropping their prices, Irish hotels are throwing in extras to entice you to stay with them. SANDRA O'CONNELLpicks 10 of the best offers
If there’s an upside to the downturn, it could be that there has never been a better time to stay in a hotel. Not only have prices dropped like stones but hoteliers are tripping over themselves to line up the kind of fun freebies that give you an experience to remember. Free shopping vouchers? Check. Complimentary picnic baskets? Check. Tickets to the races? Check.
“Value is taken as a given. It’s not a differentiator any more,” says marketing consultant Cariona Neary. “What hotels are looking to do is shift their focus from selling beds to selling experiences. This means linking up with service providers to offer added-value activities and a greater sense of place.”
After all, says hotel consultant Conor Kenny, you decide where you want to go before you decide on which hotel to stay in. “The hotel is only where you stay the night. What you are going to do during the day is what is important, which is why hoteliers are making the most of their location, whether it’s mountain safaris or organising horse riding. These are the extras that provide the tipping point.”
It’s something that Maria Ruddy, owner of the Clew Bay Hotel, has embraced with gusto. “We are beside Croagh Patrick, and it’s free, so I decided to drive guests out to climb it and provide them with a packed lunch for the day. I don’t have a big marketing budget, but people appreciate the package, and word has spread that way. It’s all about adding value.”
1 Picnic basketsBook two nights' BB midweek at the Clew Bay Hotel, in Westport, and you'll get dinner in its bistro restaurant, transfers to and from Croagh Patrick and a picnic to take up the mountain. The deal costs €109 per person sharing. Or if you bring the kids and stay in a family room (two adults and two children), for €185 a night you'll get a full Irish breakfast plus a day's activity package at Killary Adventure Centre, leaving Mum and Dad to climb the mountain or use the hotel's mountain bikes.
Clew Bay Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo, 098-28088, clewbayhotel.com
2 Free nightsAn oasis of calm in a hectic world, Rathsallagh House Hotel, in Co Wicklow, has midweek deals full of thoughtful extras, including a free massage, a 10 per cent discount voucher for nearby Kildare Village outlet centre and a further 10 per cent discount towards purchases from Newbridge Silverware. What's more, book two nights' BB with one evening meal for €199 per person sharing and you'll get a third night on the house. The deal is available from Sundays to Thursdays until mid April.
Rathsallagh House Hotel and Golf Club, Dunlavin, Co Wicklow, 045-403112, rathsallagh.com
3 Guided walksGregans Castle Hotel, in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, is giving walkers the boot in the nicest possible way. Two nights' BB at the four-star-standard hotel costs €245 per person sharing, including a six-course dinner on the evening of your choice. For that you get to sample the culinary skills of its award-winning chef, Mickael Viljanen, and can go on a half-day guided walk through the Burren. And when you've finished with that, borrow the hotel's bicycles and do it all over again from the saddle.
Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, 065- 7077005, gregans.ie
4 Potato pleasersFor something completely different, Cashel House Hotel in Connemara, just voted Condé Nast Johansens' best-value place to stay Ireland and Britain, has a grow-your-own policy, both for guests and potatoes. If you stay this month you get to plant your very own spuds; eight weeks later the hotel will harvest them and courier them to you, so even apartment dwellers can say they grew them themselves. Two nights' BB with one evening meal costs a total of €378 for two sharing. What's more, on two weekends each month throughout spring, the hotel will run free gardening courses for guests, with a professional horticulturalist.
Cashel House Hotel, Cashel, Co Galway, 095-31001, cashel-house-hotel.com
5 Race ticketsHead to the Merrion in Dublin this Easter and the five-star hotel will give you overnight accommodation with full Irish breakfast for €140 per person sharing. The hotel will also throw in champagne on arrival plus two tickets for the Irish Grand National, at Fairyhouse Racecourse, in Co Meath, on Easter Monday, plus return private transfers.
Merrion Hotel, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2, 01-6030600, merrionhotel.com
6 Rounds of golfThe Ice Hotel in Ballina, Co Mayo, has a two-night midweek stay in a deluxe room with a round of golf. You can choose from nearby clubs such as Enniscrone, Ballina, Rosses Point and Carne. The hotel, which has a dry room for clubs, will give you a packed lunch to fend off the dreaded yips, provide a golf umbrella in the unlikely event of rain (ahem) and even polish your golf shoes. Then relive the whole 18 holes over dinner. This all costs €195 per person sharing a deluxe room.
The Ice House Hotel Spa, the Quay, Ballina, Co Mayo, 096- 23500, icehousehotel.ie
7 Cream teasHunter's Hotel, in an 18th-century coaching inn in Ashford, Co Wicklow, has a slew of awards to its name, including gongs for both atmosphere and romance. Its proximity to Mount Usher Gardens and Glendalough make it a haven for gardeners and hillwalkers. Midweek packages consisting of two nights' BB plus one evening meal cost €160 per person sharing. The hotel will also throw in afternoon tea.
Hunters Hotel, Newrath Bridge, Rathnew, Co Wicklow, 0404-40106, hunters.ie
8 Surf's upYou don't just get to watch the surfers out in Lahinch Bay from your beachside perch at Moy House hotel, you get to be one, courtesy of the management. The hotel, one of National Geographic's Best Places to Stay in 2010, has a two-night package that includes breakfast each morning and a gourmet candlelit dinner in its Conservatory Restaurant on the evening of your choice for a total package price of €370. The deal, which starts on April 13th, includes a two-hour surfing lesson, complete with equipment.
Moy House, Lahinch, Co Clare, 065-7082800, moyhouse.com
9 Shopping and sightseeingAnyone planning a shopping trip to the capital should check out the leisure breaks at Stillorgan Park Hotel. The hotel charges €129 per person sharing for two nights' BB and one evening meal. The hotel provides free transfers to and from Dundrum Town Centre – and a €25 shopping voucher to get you started. Or opt for its sightseeing special, which offers a night's accommodation, room only, with Irish coffee on arrival and two tickets for Dublin Sightseeing Tour, with transfer to the tour bus. This package costs €48pps.
Stillorgan Park Hotel, Stillorgan Road, Dublin, 01-2001800, stillorganpark.com
10 Kids go freeIf you're looking to entertain sports-mad nippers, look no further than the GAA package at Dublin's Croke Park Hotel. BB for a family of four costs €125, including a family pass to the GAA Museum and a behind-the-scenes stadium tour, saving €30. Or go on a shopping break with a girlfriend for €210 for two sharing. The deal here includes BB, a three-course dinner and a drink at the Sideline Bar. You also get a personal shopping session at Arnotts, plus a €50 voucher to spend there. The hotel even puts on courtesy transfers to get you back with all your bags. Sorted.
Croke Park Hotel, Jones’s Road, Dublin 3, 01-8714444, doylecollection.com