You can feel everything heating up again..
We spend at least half our working week doing business in Dublin and our home has been a particular hotel, which was located close to the office.
It became a home from home of sorts for years with most of the staff recognising us as we trooped in with our bags week after week. They looked after us really well and we left them lots of business. We had our corporate rate and our bonus nights and they had a regular customer, often at times of the year when Dublin was quiet.
The first sign of things changing was an email last year notifying us that our corporate rate wouldn’t apply on peak weeks. Okay, but wasn’t that the whole point of a corporate rate – a good average rate in exchange for lots of regular business?
The second big sign, which came along a few months later was an email informing us that the corporate rates in 2017 were increasing by 40%. Thank you… it seems that the whole loyalty thing doesn’t quite cut the mustard when things get busier!
So we went shopping for an alternative.
We did find a place, a little further out that gave us a good corporate rate and they assured us that they had a complimentary shuttle service to alleviate the slightly inconvenient location.
On the first day using the new hotel I enquired about the shuttle service – unfortunately the driver was on leave this week so there would be no shuttle service. Okay – Mr Shuttle driver could not be relied on!
I headed on foot to the office and just as I was nearly there I passed a gorgeous little place, an old Georgian house with a sign outside declaring it to be a “hotel”.
I marched up the steps of this beautiful property and pushed the door open to be greeted by a really nice, friendly guy. I asked about rates and asked to see a typical room.
I was so impressed with the package he offered me and the gorgeous rooms and homely atmosphere that I immediately booked us in for a number of weeks ahead. The guy I was dealing with was the owner – the place had been in his family for decades and somehow you knew it had.
Our first stay didn’t disappoint – “Would you like a tea or a coffee?” was just one part of the warm welcome, the room was homely and impeccable and our breakfast was delicious and made to order.
I’m guessing the friendly woman, Agnes who served us was part of the family that owned this special place.
We walked to work, just a few minutes away and there was an extra skip in my step because in all the years that we have been staying overnight in Dublin I have never felt so at home.
So, unfortunately I’m not going to tell you where it is!!
I’ll resist tweeting about it because selfishly I want to keep this place a secret so that there is always a room there for us.
Dublin is booming ..
Tags: Cork, Dublin, Fuzion Communications, Graphic Design, Greg Canty, Marketing, PR
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
February 9, 2017 at 1:24 am |
You tease, Greg – tell us where it is!
February 13, 2017 at 9:02 pm |
No way – every Tom, Dick and Harriot will be staying there and I will be back to square one!!