Customer Reviews

Bed and Breakfast Ireland: A Trusted Guide to Over 400 of Ireland's Best Bed and Breakfasts (Bed & Breakfast Ireland)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the opportunity to use this book while on an extended vacation in Ireland. I had the use of several guidebooks, but this publication became the book of choice. I found the information to be timely and descriptions of the various B&B's to be accurate, including the personalities of the various owners. Only one time was I unable to contact a B&B using the information in the book and subsequent attempts revealed the telephone number to be disconnected. The guide offers a good selection of types, locations, and prices and is, in my mind, a "must have" guide when traveling in Ireland.

And contrary to another review, the auther DOES list more than one B&B per town. We used this book almost exclusively in booking a 14 day vacation, and we were never disappointed. The authors notes and reviews are spot on and reliable. There were no "surprises"; if she said a host took Visa, they did, if she said they didn't, they didn't. The very first recommendation we followed (Cloch na Scith in Spiddal, Co. Galway) was so well described that I felt instant recognition with the house and the owner who did - just as the author said - offer the warmest welcome in Ireland. Each recommendation was just as terrific and when we could not book in a desired house, as in Adare, the hosts of those houses made excellent, comparably-priced recommendations for us - and by the way, the author lists B&B's of varying rates, to suit every budget. Without exception, the hosts presented in this book were warm, friendly, professional and "vacation makers". I feel completely comfortable recommending ANY of the author's recommendations to anyone else preparing to visit Ireland...THIS BOOK is the one you want to work from. Highly Recommend.

We bought this book for our vacation to Ireland, and we ended up using it every day we were there. Only one day did we use the Tourist offices to book our accomodations instead. While the place we got from them was fine, they charged a 4 euro booking fee and it wasn't as nice as the B&B's listed in this book. My only advice to others travelling and using this book--look for the farmhouse accomodations--these were the nicest places we stayed at (and the least likely to change ownership). Only one phone number that we tried was incorrect (as of 2004).

I rate the book 4 stars because one place we tried from the book was a pretty bad experience--the owner had bought out another B&B and turned it into a business with a 25 year old british guy running it. The place listed in the book was her private residence. We never even met the woman talked about in the book, and the accomodation was unclean, smoke-filled, run-down, and overpriced (oh, and they charge for breakfast!). When we tried to back out because the accomodation was not suitable for us, she decided she would charge 1/2 the price of the room on our credit card. Obviously the authors made a mistake in judging the proprieter's character. And just so no one else wastes their time or money, do not bother booking with Seaview house in Galway.

Besides that one small hitch, the rest of the accomodations were absolutely lovely, and I highly reccommend all the farmhouse ones! We prefered the older residences and places outside the city centers for that old-fashioned B&B feel.

"Trusted" is the key word here. My family has traveled to Ireland three times since 1999 and we always bring the most recent Elsie Dillard Guide with us. It is the only B&B guide you need for travel anywhere in Ireland. Competitors, like Frommers or Frodors, are aimed more at the tour bus trade, not independent travelers like ourselves. The author stays at the recommended establishments and gives accurate evaluations of each. We've never been disappointed.

This book is not very useful for the average visitor to Ireland (one month or less...). It only lists one B&B per town, if that; while the descriptions are very detailed, this does not give the reader much to go on. If you want a broader view, you will want to find a different guide. For my purposes (2 week visit), it was not useful.

I own several guidebooks on Ireland. This is the best book I've found so far on B&Bs. It is very comprehensive. I found the recommendations to be more thorough and offer a wider range of room rates than the Frommer guides. I think if you use this book and consult the forums on tripadvisor.com, it's really all you'll need to plan your own self-guided tour of Ireland.(I recommend a Michelin map as well) It's more than worth the price, will pay for itself over and over.

I was going for the 2004 ed but ended up with the 2002 edition that being said, The descriptions seem to provide a clear idea of what a person can expect from the rooms in terms of amenities and really exceeds in allowing a person to compare B&Bs against each other because you'll find great variances in price. Also listing dates of operation is a great help. The acoomdations are arranged by area but a great update would to include nearby attractions or sights. I know these 25 B&Bs are near Killarney but how many are on the road to Clare or next to the national park? I'll see if it's worth the money this November when I go to Ireland.
UPDATE:
Well I've been to Ireland and back and my conclusion is
When push came to shove, and I needed to make an unscheduled stop, this book failed me.I can't remember exactly where we were but we were on the west coast below the Shannon River, the book didn't help because most places were closed. We stopped in a town that was listed in the book, but a curator at the museum in town said that in no uncertain terms should we stay in town because it was a bad place at night so I ended up asking where to stay, and got an excellent recommendation of Odell's B&B which was in the next town toward the coast but east of Ballybunion. This book was helpful making plans before we left, but not so good in the field.

I ordered this book to help me with planning our vacation in Ireland. This book left me less than thrilled. The selection was not there, with 1 or 2 property's in each town, only a few had more. I need pictures and more info to make my plans. Sorry to say this was not the book I need.

We stayed at one of the nicest places we have ever stayed at, thanks to this book. Pick out a B&B, check out the web site, give them a call, then go. We are going back!

Very informative when planning our trip to Ireland. Will be using this for our stays throughout Ireland.