World Country Guide

Accommodation

Note
Fáilte Ireland can provide information on published accommodation guides, although it no longer publishes its own. For details, apply to Fáilte Ireland; see Contact Addresses section.

Hotels
There are 849 hotels inspected, approved and graded by Fáilte Ireland and prices are fixed by Fáilte Ireland. Most hotels belong to the Irish Hotels Federation, 13 Northbrook Road, Dublin 6 (tel: (1) 497 6459; fax: (1) 497 4613; e-mail: info@ihf.ie; website: www.irelandhotels.com). A selection of some of the finest hotels in Ireland is available (website: www.distinctionworld.com). Grading: Fáilte Ireland registers and grades hotels as follows: 5-star: Top grade of hotel. All rooms have private bathroom, many have suites. Dining facilities include top-class à la carte. 4-star: All provide a high standard of comfort and service. All have private bathrooms. 3-star: Medium-priced. Comfortable accommodation and good service. All have private bathrooms. 2-star: Likely to be family operated with a limited but satisfactory standard of food and comfort. Most rooms will have a private bathroom. 1-star: Hotels that are clean and comfortable with satisfactory accommodation and service.

Guest houses
Guest houses are smaller, more intimate establishments often under family management. There are over 490 guest houses registered and inspected by Fáilte Ireland. These range from converted country houses to purpose-built accommodation. Meals range from bed & breakfast to full board. The minimum number of bedrooms is five and the availability of meals is not a requirement. Grading: Fáilte Ireland registers and grades guest houses as follows: 4-star: guest houses which provide a very high standard of comfort and personal service. In most cases, 4-star guest houses provide a good-quality evening meal, hot and cold running water in all bedrooms. All premises have rooms with private baths; 3-star: guest houses which provide a high standard of comfort and personal service. Hot and cold running water in all bedrooms. All premises have rooms with private baths; 2-star: guest houses that are well furnished, offering very comfortable accommodation with limited, but good standard of food and service. Hot and cold running water in all bedrooms; 1-star: guest houses that are clean and comfortable. Hot and cold running water in all bedrooms. Adequate bathroom and toilet facilities; Ungraded premises: Hotels and guest houses not sufficiently long in operation are left ungraded.

Farmhouses/Town & Country Homes
There are 3229 town or country homes and 562 farmhouses offering bed & breakfast on a daily or weekly basis with other meals often provided. This informal type of accommodation gives visitors the opportunity to share in the life of an Irish family in an urban or country setting. They may live in a Georgian residence, a modern bungalow or a traditional cottage. A farmhouse holiday again gives scope for meeting people and is especially suitable for children. Visitors can forget about city life and enjoy the everyday life of the farm. Either way it will be a relaxing and friendly holiday.
All homes and farmhouses that have been inspected and approved by Fáilte Ireland are listed in the official guide, available from the Tourist Board. In addition to this, the Town and Country Homes Association and Fáilte Tuaithe (pronounced Foil-tya Too-ha), the Irish Farmhouse Association, produce their own annual guides to their members’ houses. These are also available from Tourism Ireland in Britain and from tourist information offices throughout Ireland. For more information, contact Fáilte Tuaithe (Irish Farm Holidays), 2 Michael Street, Limerick (tel: (61) 400 700; fax: (61) 400 771; e-mail: info@irishfarmholidays.com; website: www.irishfarmholidays.com); or the Town and Country Homes Association, Belleek Road, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal (tel: (71) 982 2222; fax: (71) 982 2207; e-mail: admin@townandcountry.ie; website: www.townandcountry.ie).

Self-Catering
There are over 2432 self-catering establishments scattered throughout Ireland, listed by Fáilte Ireland. Self-catering holidays are available for those who like to come and go as they please without any restrictions. There is self-catering accommodation to suit all tastes, including houses, self-contained apartments, cottages and caravans. There are even traditional-style thatched cottages which are fully equipped and located in carefully selected beauty spots. Further details can be obtained from Irish Cottage Holiday Homes, Central Reservations Office, Bracken Court, Bracken Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18 (tel: (1) 205 2777; fax: (1) 293 3025; e-mail: info@irishcottageholidays.com; website: www.irishcottageholidays.com).

Camping/Caravanning
Ireland’s caravan and camping parks are inspected by Fáilte Ireland. Those that meet minimum requirements are identified by a special sign and listed in an official guide which shows the facilities at each park. Firms offering touring caravans, tents and camping equipment for hire are included in the listing. There are 135 caravan and campsites. The majority are open from May to September. Further details are available from the Irish Caravan and Camping Council, PO Box 4443, Dublin 2 (fax: (98) 28237; e-mail: info@camping-ireland.ie; website: www.camping-ireland.ie).

Youth Hostels
A total of 32 youth hostels are operated by An Oige (Irish Youth Hostel Association), 61 Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7 (tel: (1) 830 4555; fax: (1) 830 5808; e-mail: mailbox@anoige.ie; website: www.irelandyha.org or www.anoige.ie). They provide simple dormitory accommodation with comfortable beds and facilities for cooking meals. Usage is confined to members of An Oige or other youth organisations affiliated to the International Youth Hostel Federation. Non-members can buy stamps at hostels entitling them to further hostel use.

Holiday Hostels
There are 177 registered holiday hostels offering privately-owned accommodation at reasonable prices. Dormitory-style sleeping accommodation and/or private bedrooms are available, with fully-equipped kitchens. No membership is required. Some provide meals, others breakfast only. For further information, contact Fáilte Ireland (see Contact Addresses section).

Holiday Centres
These centres offer a comprehensive holiday with a wide variety of amenities and facilities including self-catering units, indoor heated swimming pool and restaurant facilities. The centres are registered with Fáilte Ireland.