Let me just say…
Shannon International Airport is very nice. We got here early for our 1:15PM flight. This airport is relatively new and the government goal is to funnel traffic through this airport. Also, interestingly, for American travelers, the US has a customs facility AT Shannon Airport so you can walk right off your plane when you arrive back in the states – nice touch!
One downside though – since the government’s goal is to increase traffic through Shannon so our flight hopped through there onto Dublin – apparently (someone explained to me) the government does this to increase airport fees and exposure to Shannon. Now if someone wants to go to Shannon that is one thing, but if this is true, forcing 50% (the number given me) to go through Shannon to raise fees is a bit iffy.
But back to the good stuff- unlike Logan Airport in Boston, there is free wireless in the Shannon Airport. Nothing drives me nuts more than paying for internet in an airport in 2008. With so many calls from many public leaders about free internet being important for access to information to all, it irks me to no end that a government-controlled entity would not offer it. Be a leader Massachusetts and offer free wi-fi – ’nuff said…
I stayed in some nice hotels by the way. In Killarney here is the hotel where we stayed – and by the way, the room was nice, the people were nice, the food was nice, and the restaurant/pub attached was excellent:
This was considered a 3 star hotel I believe, but I’m not sure on that. All I know is the place was nice – however, most of the hotels in Killarney Valley looked very nice
In Wales, we stayed in a small village where we watched a football match (soccer) in a local pub and enjoyed the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Chelsea in the semifinals of the Champions League. There is something about sitting in Wales, drinking a Guinness, and watching football with friends. We stayed at the Hand Hotel in Llangollen, which was adequate, but I won’t recommend it strongly. It suited our purposes and was comfortable.
In London, we stayed at the Encore Hotel which was quite modern and stylish. the breakfast was the best complimentary breakfast on our trip. With the exception of the murderous fees for online access, this hotel was excellent. Our group rates were lower I’m sure, but regular rate here was E159/night which with a 2USD/Euro exchange rate, that is $318US/night so it’s not super cheap, but I do recommend the place. Here is their website:
I hope this information is helpful if you plan to come here!
In the meantime, I can’t wait to be back in Boston – I have scheduled many client reviews this week and look forward to seeing everyone. See you back soon…
Chris Grande
4.27.08
