Last Saturday Sept 26^th I joined 14 others on a Photawalk in Cork City.  I have to admit I was not sure if it would not be my thing so as I headed to meeting point at the Montenotte Hotel I saw the day more as work then a day out.

I was wrong.  It turned out to be a very enjoyable Sat morning of meet, greet, eat & chat. 

Before we started we chatted over tea/Coffee & scones at the hotel.  We then headed for the roof of the Montenotte Hotel & enjoyed a spectacular view of the Marina & the docklands.  I am a local boy originally from near the Docks.  The view from the hotel roof brought back a lot of memories as kids the docks was our playground.  How are we still alive I thought with all the stuff we got up to. 

We left the hotel and headed down Sumerhill.  It is amazing how much you can see when you are not in a car.  I had not walked around here since I lived in a manky bedsit back in the 1980s.  Lovely area, horrible bedsit.  We made a turn halfway down on the pedestrian bridge that brings you to the train station entrance.  Some good photo shots of trains & the new Cork/Swansea ferry. 

We eventually ended up at our finishing point the Boardwalk Bar & Grill on the quay near City Hall.  After a lot of pics outside we headed in for a really nice lunch.  It was only my 2^nd time in here and really like it.  It is a bit different to other restaurant bars around.  Good food also. 

Four lucky people got to round off the day by taking a speedboat trip down the harbour complements of the Boardwalk Bar & Grill. 

Overall it was a great fun but I wonder how my pictures don’t look as good as the others (mine on top)  Maybe size does matter. 

For Hotels 

When we try to come up with ways of getting more awareness for our businesses we tend to come up with the old tried & tested routines.  There are other ways by trying to engage with your community and running events that have mutual benefits & you don’t have to do the hard sell.  The Photo walkers took the shots they wanted to take. 

Finally I would like to thank the following. 

The Montenotte Hotel for the 3 free rooms, access to the roof & the tea/scones. 

John Gately & Neil Prendeville’ of the Boardwalk Bar & Grill for the complementary lunch and speedboat trip.   

Donncha O Caoimh who led the walk and all the gang who participated. 

Damian Mulley www.mulley.net & Eimer Walsh of webassist who helped come up with the event and helped publicize. 

Nigel Robertson of www.sixmiledesign.com for work on the Montenotte Hotel website & SEO work. 

For some great shots (not mine) of the day check links below. 

http://inphotos.org/cork-photowalk-gallery-montennot/ 

http://pix.ie/willknott/album/355954/page/4 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/omaniblog/sets/72157622463090158/

I have been using Twitter for a few months now.  How has it been? 

Amazing, Fantastic.  Good days & days that I want to scream.  Overall it has been a positive experience and I have met some great people from it. 

I feel I have made some good progress from chatting on Twitter.  Learnt something’s I did not know etc.

I also think I need to go to a new level.  It is with this in mind I decided I need a dog I do not have.

The dog I do not have.

Yesterday was a very stressful day for me.  I woke up & came down stairs & could not see the Dog I do not have.  I usually go out on a Sat night for pints and always look forward to seeing the Dog I do not have when I wake up on Sunday.  

This Saturday I did not go out so was well up to bring the Dog I do not have for a Sunday morning walk.  I looked everywhere in the house.  I even walked the length & breath of Kinsale but to no avail.  Where was the Dog I do not have?

Sunday lunch with the Dog I do not have was not then same.  I limbered on throughout the day depressed and wondering if I would ever see the Dog I do not have again.  Later Sunday night distraught I decide to go for pints.  I was not in the best of form I will be honest.  

I staggered home later last night & you can only imagine my delight when as I opened the door who was there with a big smile & wagging his tail.  Yes you guessed it.  The Dog I do not have.  We must have spent hours playing last night.

Later when I fell asleep the Dog I do not have must have come into my bed.  He does this some nights.  He must have done last night and lay on me as I did not have a great night sleep as I don’t feel great this morning.  

Anyway he is no where to be seen again this morning.  Hopefully he will be back soon.  How is he getting in and out I wonder?

 For a long-time now I am concerned about how much control Irish hotels have in their own Ecomm strategy.  It has to be said there a widespread lack on knowledge by many hotels of some basics. 

Your own website

Do you own your own website?  Are you sure?

You get a web developer to build a new website.  You pay the money so you own the site?  Not necessarily.  While most developers are great I am seeing more & more cases of hotels not owning their own sites after paying for the site build.  There are some big web companies that engage in this.  Not naming names.  Well not yet anyway. 

Make sure before any money is passed over that you agree that you own the site and the keys to the site are passed to you once the site is built.  What does this mean? 

 If you do not own the site then you will be 100% tied to the person who has built it.  Any changes will have to be done by them at a price you will have to agree with them.  If you own the site & have the keys you can move to another web developer if you are not happy with the service or price you are getting.  Hopefully you will have a good relationship with your site developer.  I am coming across to many cases where hotels are been held to ransom. 

Cost Per Click

Again I am seeing a massive amount of hotels that use Cost Per Click campaigns & don’t have access to the stats.  It is your money so your campaign so your stats. 

SEO

If you have someone doing SEO work make sure you get a regular report that you can see how your are moving up the pages (or not) 

Google Analytics

As a consultant I come across some weird stuff.  One of the weirdest is when I ask a hotel for Google analytics access.  Sometimes the person from outside the hotel that has to give access will ask why the hotels ask for this. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Why?  Because it is the hotels stats that’s why.  I always ask why you don’t you want to give it?

Hotels get in control of your information. If you get resistance to any of the above then you need to ask why.  The answer may be very easy to work out.

Congrats to The Boardwalk Bar & Grill Cork on their new Blog.

Check it out www.theboardwalkbarandgrillcork.com

The Irish Web awards take place at the Radisson SAS hotel in Dublin 10th oct.  If you have got a good price at the hotel well done.  If not I am putting together a selection of 10 other hotels that may suit.   Have tried to get a combination of price & quality.  You might get cheaper and good quality so if you do let us know.

I will update each week and have looked on www.booking.com for a double room. The prices may change in between the time I check each week.

On the 10th of Oct Ireland play Italy in Dublin so it will be a busy night for hotels. If you have got a good deal feel free to pass on.

Updated Thur 24th Sept

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Last update 06th Oct

A lot of hotels prices have gone up a lot since we started checking.  More are full. The Big Ire v Italy game on same day.  Tried to pick 10 hotels within 5km of City that I think are still good/ok value

Bewleys Ballsbridge

Very surprised this hotel is still available @ €89.  Some T&C on this rate so hurry if you want to book.  Must be booked at least 48 hours in advance and are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Mount Herbert hotel

In Ballsbridge @ €89

Deerpark Lodge – Castleknock road

Know nothing about this place.  Cannot see a rating on it but near Phoenix Park and double room incl breakfast €69

D4 Berkley Hotel

Going at €119.  Love this hotel.  Great history about it.  The owner is another story?????????????

Montrose Hotel – Stillorgen

Just over 5km from City – Rooms for €71.10

Bewleys Hotel Lepordstown

15 mins walk fromlast LUAS stop.  Gone down to €59

Travelodge Castleknock

Over 7km out from centre. €49

Red Cow Moran Hotel

Near LUAS.  €99

Louis Fitzgearld

Great 4 star hotel.  Near LUAS.  €89

Citi Hostel

You are broke but feel you may win an award and tou need to be there?  A bed among 4 other bed with tea & toast.  Better then then train station?

So the Hotels.com report on hotel prices around Europe show hotel prices in Ireland down 26%.  What does it mean?

Ireland is now the least expensive country in W Europe for a Hotel room.  If you take all of Europe the Czech Republic (€71) is the lowest.  I am sure operating costs there are a lot lower then Ireland. 

Europe as a whole is price is down 16% and the U.S 17% 

Galway hotels seem to be holding on price €110 per room.   

Cork 2^nd €79 (down 33%) 

Dublin very affordable at €76 & Limerick least expensive city at €65 

26% overall.  There are very few industries in Ireland that have seen that kind of decline.  I keep saying I have not seen the price of my pint fall this year. Why is Ireland down more then another Country? Simple maths.  Too many rooms & not enough of guests.  Hotels are in one of the most competitive markets you have.  This was even true during the boom. Ok sometimes you get screwed for peak events but I do think this balances out if you take in the times you get a cheap room. 

Most Hotels in Ireland will lose money or breakeven in 2009. I don’t think this is good for hotels or in the long run for guests.  The more hotels close the less competition in the long-term. What is best for both?  Maybe not to go back to where we were but not go down to much?  In the meantime all I can say to bookers is enjoy.  You never had it so good.

Hotelconsult is very happy to announce we are teaming up with Loudervoice.  Hotels can now have the ability to have guest reviews on their own website.   Hotels why just have reviews of your Hotel on Tripadvisor etc.  Best price guaranteed.

There are many benefits to having guest reviews on your own website.

Just to highlight what the Standard-level system can do:

* Reviews on your site which are a proven way of growing sales and increasing brand trust
* Those reviews on loudervoice.com linking back to you and assisting with SEO

* Those reviews posted to reviewers Facebook Wall or Twitter account, turning each customer into an evangelist for the brands

* SMS reviews with dedicated keywords on a longcode. These are an ideal replacement for the traditional response card in hotels and bars.

* Google Android Mobile reviews (and soon iPhone)

* Content Moderation system so that no reviews are visible on your site until you approve them

* Anti-Spam built-in

To find out more call Pat on 086 837 5744 or email pat@hotelconsult.ie

Some of the below may have free Wi Fi in just public areas.

Bewleys Hotels.

Belvedere Hotel

Radisson Blue Royal Hotel

Maldron Hotels

Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport

Fitzwilliam Hotel

Louis Fitzgearld Hotel

The Academy Hotel Plaza

Arlington Hotel, O’Connell Bridge

The Gresham

Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport

The Dylan

The Morrison

Burlington

Grand Canal Hotel

The Clarence

Camden Court Hotel

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Kildare

Lawlors Hotel  Naas

Keadeen Hotel Newbridge

Killashee House Hotel in Naas

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Clare

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Meath

Dunboyne Castle

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Waterford

Waterford Marina hotel Waterford City

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Limerick

Absolute Hotel Limerick City

South Court Hotel

Galway

The Boardwalk Bar & Grill Cork Early Bird offer.

EARLY BIRD Menu available Monday to Friday 5-7pm (Menu @ €22.50 – see on our Menu Page on www.theboardwalkbarandgrill.com

My take on www.roomsnet.com piece on Joe Duffy today.

Roomsnet would be what is known as a Wholesaler.  Wholesalers get an agreed price from a Hotel.  They then mark this up usually around 25%.  The Wholesaler takes 100% of the amount owed by the guest.  Once the guest has left the hotel the hotel can invoice the wholesaler (roomsnet) for the amount.  Lets say Roomsnet get a special price of €75 off a Hotel.  They mark it up to €100 to the guest.  Once the guest has left the hotel the hotel invoices roomsnet for €75. Roomsnet gets €25 for getting the guest to the hotel.

It can take up to 90 days after a guest has left the hotel for the hotel to get the €75.  If hotels are not accepting  roomsnet.com bookings it means they have not got paid for previous Roomsnet bookings. I would guess for longer then 3 months.  Roomsnet.com are taking the full €100. 

If Rooms.net were taking full payment knowing quite well they had no intention of paying the hotel then this is fraud.   My advice stay well away from www.roomsnet.com