Hotel Booking: If Something Doesn't Seem Right It Probably Isn't

I was booking a hotel for an upcoming weekend away. I found the perfect room at the Holiday Inn Express in Woodbury, Minnesota (just east of St. Paul): a two room suite, close to Stillwater and the St. Croix Valley.

When I called the hotel the woman who answered the phone spoke so quickly I couldn't understand her. I inquired about the suite I wanted and it was available; great, I'll take it! (Two room suites aren't easy to find near Stillwater) She quoted me the price and I asked about a AAA discount. She told me there wasn't one.

I should mention that I am a Priority Club member (always join hotel rewards clubs- it's free) and have stayed with HIE many times. So when she said there was no AAA rate I was skeptical but wanted the reservation in place so I finished the booking.

Then I went back online. I saw a few price discrepancies so I called the toll free number. While the room I booked wasn't shown online (which is why I always call the hotel directly to ask about room specifics) the operator was able to tell me that a AAA rate was available and applied it to my account.

The fact that a AAA discount was available and I was told it wasn't when I specifically asked for it frustrated me so I called back to the hotel. The phone was answered by the woman who I had spoken to previously. I asked to speak with a manager; she told me she was a supervisor, could she help me? "No," I replied, "I would really like to speak with a manager."

She transferred me and I left a message.

About 35 minutes later I received a call from Robert Davis, the general manager of the property. He was very apologetic and said that, if the room you want is available, there is always a AAA rate. He assured me that the supervisor I dealt with would be spoken to and the situation would be addressed immediately. He also thanked me for bringing this to his attention and reduced the rate for my room.

Here's what I learned from this (and what you can learn from me):

1. If something doesn't seem right don't be afraid to question it.


2. Go directly to the manager if you have a problem.


3. Be polite when stating the problem and don't be afraid to ask for the problem to be fixed (as in my case I asked for the discount to be applied; the additional discount was a bonus).


4. Because you have established this personal relationship with the manager you want to be sure to introduce yourself when you can (if the issue was handled over the phone) and thank them again for their assistance. Personal relationships go a long way in the hospitality industry.

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All About Packing

With American Airline's recent announcement that they will charge for every checked bag you really need to plan you packing very carefully. Here are some tips to help you:

First, check out my previous post about shipping vacation items. Most hotels will accept your bags a few days in advance of your arrival. Ship everything you can- even ship your luggage. Lock it, tape down the zippers and let it go.

Second, save space in you luggage by packing tight. Roll your clothing or use space bags. Tuck small items in the shoes you pack. Buy small containers for toiletries and purchase travel size products.

Third, pack smart. Make sure all your clothing coordinates. Think layers. Wear your bulky items on the plane. See this post - an article by Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear.

Next, make sure your carry on fits the airline's standards. Check the weight before you leave home. Don't overpack it and make sure you can get everything in and out of it easily at security. If you're hyper-organized like me check out the Zuca Pro bag. With included packing inserts (including a liquids bag) it's easy to keep your stuff together. And the super light aluminum alloy frame doubles as a seat for those crowded airports. Zuca also makes a wheeled locker and sport bag- great for the kids.

Plan to do laundry or have laundry done for you if you will be traveling for a week or more. You can bring half the stuff.

Lastly, check out my video on how I packed for a family of four for a week's vacation. For now, at least, you are still allowed to check bags without additional cost on overseas flights.

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More from the Cliffs of Moher

March 2008 marked my third trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Many things have changed since I first visited in 2002 and even since our visit in 2005.

A new visitor's center has been built in to the hillside, almost seamlessly blending in to the surroundings.

A short market street of six craftworker units leads you to the entrance.

The new visitor center includes the Atlantic Edge exhibition, an interactive interpretive center, with incredible information about the cliffs as well as a great "yellow submarine" play area, a gift shop and two restaurants. The girls had a great time exploring while we adults marveled that people would lower themselves over the cliffs to catch birds. There is great history and information about the cliffs. It is well worth the cost of admission (€4 per adult when we visited). And be sure to pick up a Map Pack when you buy your tickets. It's a great little packet of information about the cliffs and a wonderful souvenir.

Inside the Atlantic Edge is The Ledge- a virtual reality cliff face adventure. The first time I visited the Cliffs of Moher you could actually walk out on the sheer ledge. That area is now a protected area for cliff nesting sea birds. I have a bit of video from The Ledge. You may experience vertigo...

Our visit this year was very cold, very windy (Caelan's hat was actually pulled from her head) and we had to dodge both rains coming in from the sea and sea water that was blowing up and over the cliffs. You can barely hear my voice in the video as the wind is so strong...

The Cliffs of Moher are quite safe for children as the edges are protected from us (and we from them) by stone walls that are waist high on an average adult. Much higher for a small child.

Paths are all paved and accessible to wheelchairs- if you have someone willing to puch you up the hill. It is steep. But you can get a great view without climbing all the way up to O'Brien's Tower. The viewing platforms are quite nice and have spyglasses for up close viewing of the rocks, flora and birds. On a nice day you can even spy the Aran Islands.

The Cliffs of Moher never disappoint and every visit is different than the one before. Definately a "must" if you are in County Clare.

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More Getting Around Ireland

I believe you don't drive through Ireland so much as you hurtle. Merriam-Webster defines hurtle as : to move rapidly or forcefully. And, quite honestly, when you are driving down roads like this you don't have to be going very fast to feel like you are going way too fast.

But I love driving in Ireland and can't honestly imagine seeing the country any other way. Many roads on your journey will be narrow and lined by hedgerows or stone fences and meeting another vehicle while traveling on them can require quick reflexes and the ability to squeeze your car as close to the edge of the road without causing damage. In some cases it may require you to actually back up to a wider part of the road so the oncoming traffic can pass.

Of course Ireland is not all scenic roads dotted with sheep farms and stone fences. You can quickly get from one end of Ireland to the other using very modern highways. For the Irish romantic (like me) it is a shame to see the modernization but for the Irish it is most welcome.

For the most part we stayed on the by-ways as discovering Ireland's uniqueness is often the best part of our trip. We saw many signs like this:

And let me just tell you that the road was just that sharply angled. Those signs don't lie.

My favorite road sign, by far, was this one just past the Cliffs of Moher on our way in to Doolin:

What you don't see is the sign just before it raising the speed limit to 100kph. It was quite funny.

Driving along the more scenic -and smaller- roads will definately take you longer in terms of time but it will also provide you many more memories than the fast paced highways.

More from me about driving in Ireland:
Getting Around Ireland
A Bit About Car Rentals in Europe

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More Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, County Clare, Ireland

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park has something for everyone. The castle is one of the best restored in Ireland and you can go up to the roof top battlements and look over the "kingdom". The folk park if great fun in the sun or rain.

As we have been to Bunratty before you will want to review this post. This time I bring you video tours.

First, the castle:

And now the folk park:

If you are anywhere near Shannon with kids Bunratty should definitely be on your list of things to do.

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Out From Killarney

Since I had been to Killarney and County Kerry previously I had things in mind that I wanted to share with my family. And, of course, there were many things we didn't do. These are just a few other activities close to Killarney.

Ring of Kerry

The Iveraugh peninsula is probably the most traveled area in Ireland. And it is beautiful. But take my advice and avoid it. Yes, a bus tour is nice but your kids will get very bored very quickly. I did as a adult. If you choose to drive the Ring of Kerry you are suggested to travel anti-clockwise (the same way as the tour buses). Skip it. The "ring" is very commercialized.

Try either the Dingle Peninsula, which has stone age forts, oratories and bee hive monk's homes (and a resident dolphin), or the Beara Peninsula with it's walking paths and ancient archaeological sites. Both have the rugged beauty people surge to the Ring of Kerry for but neither has the crazy amount of tour buses.

The Gap of Dunloe

The Gap of Dunloe is about 5 miles out of Killarney. It is, as it's name suggests, a "gap" between two mountain ranges and was, for centuries, the main trade route into Killarney. Motorized traffic is forbidden (unless you actually live in the gap, so jaunting carts are available for hire. There is also a 40 or 60 mile bike loop from Killarney if cycling is more your thing.

Sculpture Road

Heading out of Killarney on the Cork Road (N22) you can't help but notice the carved rocks along the road way. Be sure to keep your eyes open for the rearing unicorn on a cliff edge near Clonkeen. It's magnificnet.

Kerry Glass Studio & Visitor Center

If you love Kerry glass be sure to visit this studio. To see glass being blown is incredible. There is also a shop because you're gonna want a souvenier.

Crag Cave

If you are an family of adventurers this underground wonderland may be for you. This is a great stop if you have older an younger children because they have an indoor play area to keep the little ones entertained while the older children explore.

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Just a Little Imagination

It's pretty much a given that a 18 month old and a 3 year old don't care a bit about nature or history and even castles get dull after you've explored a few.

I found an easy way to keep the girls occupied when they were getting a bit bored.

Ireland is filled with faeries, you see. Magical little creatures who live in the gardens and woodlands. They are beautiful, but quite shy. So shy, in fact, that they will hide before you see them. But faeries also want humans to know that they exist. So before they hide they leave a shiny coin (Euros are great for this and the 1 cent piece is tiny).

The faeries first came out while we were visiting Torc Waterfall outside Killarney.

But after the girls figured out what they were up to they found faeries everywhere- in gardens, at castles and even, once or twice, on the street outside pubs.

Luckily two sweet faeries over came their shyness and accompanied us home to Iowa. Here they are waiting on the girl's beds before we left Ireland:

The girls still ask to "play with" their faerie money daily and remember how much fun they had looking for faeries.

This is a very easy game to play no matter where you are. Every place seems to have a special creature that can hide coins and then come home with you to relive the memories.

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