ALONGSIDE the Cliffs of Moher being named the country’s best visitor attraction in the Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards, there was further good news for Clare. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park was also in the top ten, while Hotel Woodstock was ninth in the best hotels category. Sean Lally of Hotel Woodstock said that he was thrilled to be included. “Head over heels! We’re the only Clare hotel listed in it and since we got it over the weekend the phones have been ringing off the hook in terms of bookings and enquiries and website bookings are well up on what they normally would be for this time of year. “It’s a busy time for web bookings anyway, but they’re well ahead and you can see the spike in terms of traffic to our website. It has really been exceptional. We didn’t see this coming!” He feels that the use of social media, which the hotel has become famous for, …
Read More »Shannon season set for take-off as key routes resume
THIS Sunday the 7.40am Shannon-Heathrow flight will resume, marking the full restoration of the crucial London services. The following day the Shannon-Newark service will also return after almost two years, with flights set to operate seven days a week. Ryanair services to Palma and Malta are also beginning on Sunday, with the airport’s summer schedule kicking in. Shannon currently offers 26 destinations including options to Budapest, Corfu, Marseille, Barcelona, Faro, Lanzarote and Edinburgh and more. The full resumption of the Heathrow service is very welcome news for Shannon, as the London airport is one of the most significant global hubs, offering onward connectivity to a huge range of destinations. While Shannon has connectivity to other London airports, the Heathrow service is much more important to local tourism interests and Ennis hotelier Sean Lally said that its return is hugely welcome. “It’s probably the most important route in and out of Shannon Airport. Not alone is it a hub for the …
Read More »‘Pandemic payment should be reduced’
Ballyvaughan hotel facing short-term closure due to staff shortages THE Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) should be dramatically scaled back and only paid to employees whose businesses can’t operate, according to a well known hotelier. Woodstock Hotel manager, Sean Lally has called on the government to operate a more targeted PUP support for those who can’t work in view of the chronic staff shortages facing the hospitality and other industries. His appeal coincides with the revelation Gregan’s Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, will have to close for ten days in September and five in October, because it hasn’t enough staff to operate its business. Staff shortages in the hospitality sector in the Burren could hamper Autumn bookings, following one of the busiest summers in the region in recent years in terms of Irish visitors. Hotels and self-catering accommodation providers have reported bookings are up on last year, due to a combination of recent fine weather and the desire to holiday at home due …
Read More »‘Unbelievable Response’ To Ennis Hotel’s Thank You To Health Workers On The Frontline
HUNDREDS of frontline healthworkers are set to enjoy a night’s stay in Ennis following an “unbelievable response” to a local hotel’s ‘thank you’ to those leading the fight against Covid-19. Hotel Woodstock is one of five hotels as part of the Choice Hotel Group to donate a total of 1,800 free overnight stays to HSE healthcare workers in the frontline. Sean Lally owner / director of Hotel Woodstock explains that the Ennis hotel is providing approximately 360 rooms to the effort “to express our deep gratitude”. Just days after the hotel group made the announcement, the hotels were fully subscribed with Mr Lally saying “there has been an unbelievable response”. “There has been a huge reaction to this, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of shares across social media. This is just a small way for us to give something back to those on the frontline. What they are doing for us can never fully be repaid, this is just a …
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