All About Hospitality in Ireland

This week, our Director of Business Development, Steve Kandray, returns from his trip to Ireland! During his stay, Steve explored the best of Ireland’s culture, including its hotels. Learn more about his experience, and the Irish hospitality scene, below.

Can you name some of the hotels that you visited?

Well, I stayed at B&Bs during my stay, to try and get a very authentic Irish experience, but being the hotel enthusiast that I am I did get a chance to check out the lobbies of the 7 Cross Street boutique hotel in Galway, the Radisson Blu in Dublin and the Arlington Hotel in Dublin. 

How do Irish hotels compare to those in the United States?

I noticed quite a few more independent and small boutique hotels and less brand, compared to the US. The smaller towns I was in like Killarney and Galway seemed to almost exclusively feature B&Bs . The Holiday Inn I saw in Killarney even looked like a boutique hotel at first glance! Another practical difference is that light switches are on the outside of rooms and most sinks have 2 faucets, one for cold water and one for hot, which made shaving a little tricky.

Was there anything about Irish hospitality that surprised you?

How friendly and personable everyone was! A lot of people, including those outside the hospitality industry, asked me where I was from and seemed genuinely interested in if I was having a good time in their country. Our B&B host would talk to me for a solid 15 minutes over breakfast each morning asking about my plans and offering suggestions.

For more photos from Steve’s trip, check out our Instagram and Twitter (@mcconnellmktg). Who knows, maybe our next client will be from Ireland!

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