Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hotel's front desk offers. Nine times out of 10, the toll-free
number's rate will be substantially lower than that offered at
the door.
•
Book online.
Increasingly, hotels are offering unsold rooms at
deep discounts, particularly if you're booking last minute. Nine
times out of 10, the online rate will be lower than the toll-free
rate. This is a particularly good way to land a luxury hotel
room for less.
•
Haggle.
If you have a talent for haggling, room prices in
hotels—especially privately owned hotels in the off season—
are often negotiable. Your best bet is to politely ask, “Is that
your best rate?” or, “Can you do a little bit better?”
•
Use a consolidator.
Just like with airfares, you can often save
money on hotel accommodations if you go through a middle-
man. On the Web, try
www.hotelsireland.net
for savings of
up to 50% on rack rates (published rates) for two- to five-star
hotels across Ireland.
TERMINOLOGY
The Irish use the phrase “en suite” to indicate
a room with private bathroom. A “double” has a double bed, and a
“twin” has two single beds. An “orthopedic” bed has an extra-firm
mattress. Queen- and king-size beds are not common except in
large, deluxe hotels.
RESERVATIONS
It usually pays to book in advance before you
leave home. Many hotels can be booked through toll-free numbers
in the United States, and the quoted prices offered can be apprecia-
bly (as much as 40%) lower than those offered at the door. For
properties that do not have a U.S. reservation number, the fastest
way to reserve is to contact the hotel directly by telephone, fax, or
e-mail. Fax and e-mail are advisable, because they give you a written
confirmation. You can then follow up by sending a deposit check
(usually the equivalent of 1 night's room rate) or by giving your
credit card number.
If you arrive in Ireland without a reservation, the staff members
at the tourist offices throughout the Republic will gladly find you a
room using a computerized reservation service known as
Gulliver.
In Ireland, you can also call the Gulliver line directly (
&
00800/
668-668-66
). This is a nationwide and cross-border “free-phone”
facility for credit card bookings, operated daily 8am to 11pm. Gul-
liver is also accessible from the United States (
&
011-800/668-
668-66
) and on the Web at
www.gulliver.ie
.
