Ireland’s Largest Accommodation Guide Launched
The Definitive Guide Promoting Irish Hotels and Guesthouses in 22 Countries

24th November 2010

Irish hotels and guesthouses today joined together to launch the 2011 Irelandhotels.com Guide, kick-starting the Irish Hotels Federation’s (IHF) international marketing drive for 2011. The publication, formerly known as the Be Our Guest Guide, is now in its 24th edition and is renowned as Ireland’s largest accommodation listing, featuring hotels and guesthouses throughout the country. In the coming months, over 200,000 printed guides will be distributed across 22 countries, acting as a key marketing vehicle in promoting Ireland at home and abroad.

The Irelandhotels.com brand now brings together the IHF’s main marketing channels, including a new-look accommodation website, a specially developed mobile App, an online version of the Guide and a dedicated Facebook page. The Irelandhotels.com website provides guests with instant access to the best deals and special offers across a wide range of properties backed up by a ‘Best Available’ room guarantee. It features three dedicated special break sections on the homepage with Value Breaks, Spa Breaks and Guesthouse Breaks updated continually to provide exceptional value deals across hundreds of hotels and guesthouses.

Sponsored by Diageo, the printed version of the Guide provides visitors with a wealth of accommodation offerings and, in addition to detailed hotel and guesthouse listings, provides four comprehensive sections on Spa & Leisure facilities, Golfing, Angling and Conferences & Meetings facilities. It features 95 properties offering excellent value spa and leisure breaks, 136 hotels and guesthouses offering comprehensive golfing arrangements to their guests, either on site or by arrangement with local golf courses, as well as 49 properties catering for the needs of anglers. The ‘Conferences & Meetings’ section provides details of 182 properties offering designated conference facilities targeted at business tourism.

Tim Fenn, Chief Executive, IHF, states, “Creative marketing of our product is of the utmost importance for the tourism sector as we strive to communicate the tremendous selling points Ireland has to offer. This year’s Irelandhotels.com Guide and new-look website showcase the exceptional value available, whether visitors are travelling on a budget, looking for a family friendly hotel experience or opting for a stay in one of the country’s historic guesthouses.

“With overseas visitor numbers projected to drop by one million this year, our priority is to stabilise the market and regain lost ground, particularly in the British market which continues to experience severe difficulties. We need to do everything in our power to reverse this downward trend and ensure the tourism industry is ready to avail of any international economic recovery in 2011. This requires effective marketing campaigns backed up by appropriate resources to give Ireland a competitive advantage in attracting visitors both domestically and from our main markets.” 

Ciaran Budds, National Sales Manager, On Trade with Diageo Ireland states, "Diageo is delighted to be associated with the Irelandhotels.com Guide, widely recognised as the ultimate accommodation listing for tourists and business travellers staying in Ireland. Guinness is an iconic global brand whose strong heritage is immediately synonymous with Irish tourism and we are committed to encouraging tourists to visit Ireland and experience the enormous range of scenic and cultural attractions on offer including our visitor centre at the Guinness Storehouse and world leading pubs.”  

The Guide provides GPS co-ordinates for every hotel and guesthouse and includes a map reference for each property corresponding to Ordinance Survey maps, which are featured in the Guide to assist motoring visitors locate properties easily. Another feature of the Guide is the ‘Food for Kids’ logo which appears alongside premises participating in the IHF’s initiative offering healthier menus for children.

In the domestic market, the Irelandhotels.com Guide is distributed by Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Tourism, Shannon Development and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board via their tourist information office network. The Guide is also available through car hire companies, Eason and other leading book stores, the Guinness Storehouse, airports and the travel trade as well as in all the hotels and guesthouses featured in the Guide. In the overseas markets, Tourism Ireland distributes the Guide from all its offices to both consumers and travel trade in the UK, Continental Europe, North America and long haul markets.

The 2011 version of the Guide can also be viewed online at www.irelandhotels.com/onlineguide. Those on the move can access the online booking facility through the Irelandhotels.com mobile App which is available for the iPhone and Android smartphones and is being rolled out for Nokia and Samsung phones in the coming weeks. Visitors are also encouraged to join Irelandhotels.com’s growing fan base on Facebook to keep up to date with information, deals and competitions – www.facebook.com/irelandhotels

ENDS

FOR INFORMATION:

Mary McCarthy / Orla Molloy                                     Tel: 01 6760168

Weber Shandwick                                                     Mobile: 086 2568429 / 087 7705108