Accommodation in Ireland – 5 things you should know

(german version – https://www.hyperpac.de/?p=2575)

1. You will find accommodation everywhere, even in the most remote places.
2. Accommodation is expensive.
3. You will most likely not get what you pay for.
4. You should book in advance.
5. In 99% of the cases the kindness of the people will make up for everything.

So what can you expect?

1. You will find accommodation pretty much everwhere. The next B&B (bed and breakfast) is literally just around the next corner, even in remote places. Camping, glamping, just a bed without breakfast, a pub with rooms, a guesthouse, a self catering cottage and hotels too (though not so common in rural places) – you can have it all. AirBnB is not always your best choice, sometimes just check Google Maps or (oldschool) follow the signs on the road.
2. Since Covid, costs for accommodation have skyrocketed, following the overall trend of costs rising for living in Ireland (sometimes also referred to as living crisis). The situation was further exacerbated by a shortage of beds, due to hotels being used by the government as shelter for refugees. You will hardly find a room below 100€ per night. Expect 125€ – 180€ as usual, but you can easily spend twice or three times as much. See also 3. and 4.
3. If you compare the rates charged and the standard of the rooms given to you, prepare yourself for disappointment. And that applies to all kinds of accommodation equally (well except for camping and glamping I guess). You will find yourself in a 150€ per night B&B in the middle of nowhere that feels like a trip back to the 70s. You may end up in a 270€ per night hotel in a large city (well, despite Dublin and partially Cork, Ireland does not really have large cities, but compared to the rest of the country they are rather large) and ask yourself what exactly justifies that kind of money. This also applies to the breakfast. However there is a wider range – from very positive to very negative. And there are a lot (!!!) of definitions for continental breakfast. It is always better to stick with the full irish if a choice is given to you and you may even find a vegan / vegetarian option for that.
4. Book in advance! Do not be fooled, you will not get a better rate. But you will get a bed. If you are planning (haha) on being spontaneous, be prepared to see and hear “fully booked”. In the more rural areas it is a bit easier in the winter (as tourism is low), but in the cities – especially for the weekends – most places are always pretty busy (and that even applies to the 400€ per night places, where you might not want to stay anyway).
5. The people! In the end, their kindness will let you overlook many things. When you learn, that tomorrows breakfast will end earlier because the 10 year old daughter has the most important soccer game of her life (play in the team for the first time where you normally have to be at least 12 years old) and the whole family is in great excitement then you will set your alarm on hour earlier happily.

Come to Ireland, it is the greatest place in the world.