World Traveller 73 
The Skelling Islands are Irelands’ newest tourist attraction having recently appeared in Star Wars Eposide VIII The Force Awakens and Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi. The Skelling Islands are accessed through boat tours from Portmagee located on the Ring of Kerry, the famous tourist trail. We’d spend the day exploring both attractions. Read on to see how we fared…
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Activity: Circling the Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Today’s adventure would have us completing the circular drive of the Ring of Kerry, along with a boat excursion to Skelling Island.
We arose from the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast Killarney at about 7 AM. With an 8 AM breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, we were off to complete the Ring of Kerry along with a trip around Skelling Island.
Driving to Portmagee:
I set WT73Jr up with the Michelin Map again. He still couldn’t understand why adults use paper maps when “Google Maps” is so much better. Ahh. The typical old school versus new school paradigm. He humored me until it got to be a bit too much.
We drove up and out to the Ring of Kerry past Killarney. The recommendation was to drive the route counter clockwise to avoid being stuck behind tour buses, who reportedly travelled clockwise. Having said that, we didn’t encounter that many buses on the route at all. It wasn’t before long before we got into some beautiful scenery that would make you think of Ireland from a postcard.
We eventually took our first stop of the day near Kells Bay. From here, we could look across the water to the Dingle peninsula. We were able to get some great photographs in the sun which was out for the morning.
Continuing on, we made our way to Portmagee. There was more beautiful hills along the way and it made the drive pleasant and picturesque.
Visiting Portmagee:
We arrived to Portmagee at about 1045 AM. Portmagee is an end of the road sort of town. It had a small charm to it and reminded me a lot of a small version of St John’s Newfoundland in Canada with its tiny houses and small town feel.
We had an hour before the boat departure so we took a wander through town.
We wandered across the bridge over to the Valetta Island and took a look at the Skelling Adventure Center. It was half exhibition, half restaurant half gift shop. Not too exciting but it did have free wifi that showed that our tour wasn’t cancelled due to weather and rough seas.
Booking a Trip to Skelling Island:
Skelling Island was recently made popular by having scenes filmed from the movie Star Wars The Force Awakens. The island features a monastery temple that was occupied in the sixth century. The larger island has been made a UNESCO world heritage site. We had booked with Skelling Island Casey Bryan which offered multiple departures a day. We scheduled for the 12 PM departure to allow ourselves a lot of time to get to the departure. Unfortunately, even planning the trip about 6 months out, we were not able to get a landing on the island, and had to settle for a circumference tour of the place.
Visiting Skelling Island:
At the stroke of 12PM, a tour representative turned up at the pier. We were escorted onto the boat and given life jackets. We were told that the seas were mostly calm. We had taken Gravol earlier as a pre-caution. This was a very wise decision as the seas ended up being quite rough.
The first part of the ride was out through the harbour, after which the 12 KM out to Skelling Islands got progressively rougher. Needless to say, it was much more rough that we would have liked. It was akin to bopping as a cork for several hours in turbulent waters.
What it’s like to see Skelling Island:
We eventually got out to Little Skelling. It was home to 22,000 breeding birds. Little Skelling similar to a car accident, I certainly hadn’t seen anything like it and you couldn’t stop looking at it thanks to all the birds hovering over her. Our guide had indicated to us that eventually the birds go blind from smashing themselves into the sea over the years in order to get fish.
We eventually made it over to the sunny side of Little Skelling.
We then travelled the short distance over to Skelling Michael. WT73Jr was feeling a little green by this point due to all the motion sickness of the trip out.
We were given an explanation of the monastery on the top of the mountain. We were given an explanation of the various stairs and methods to access to the top that had been used and dis-used over the years.
We also saw the old paths and stairs up the side of the hill. Tumbling or falling here on the island would probably lead to disastrous consequences.
Lastly, before heading back, we were taken to the ocean side to show the areas where the movies were filmed.
We headed back. The ride back was a little bit smoother, but not by much. One last look at Skelling Island before we headed back.
We arrived back to Portmagee where the weather for the day had turned a bit cloudy.
Setting off on the Ring of Kerry:
After the rough weather and boat ride, we had a bit of a lunch sandwich rest in Portmagee. WT73Jr was happy to be back on solid ground. About a 45 minute break of being still, we then headed off in the car to head on the other southern half of the Ring of Kerry. The roads felt quite a bit more rural than the more major highway on the way to Portmagee.
We stopped at the view point at the crest for some terrific views from the top of the bluff back towards Portmagee. We also had distant views back towards Skelling Island where we had just come from.
On the second half of our drives, we didn’t have the same picture perfect views. The road was also exceptionally bumpy. Although there were posted speed limits of of 80 km/h, it was almost impossible to maintain speeds like that thanks to bumps and turns.
With that in mind, we took several stops on the way back. We stopped at several small nameless towns for a quick break. The sea was looking much colder than this morning when the sun was out.
We also had some viewpoints on the way back, where we made some new friends.
Views from Killarney National Park:
Towards the end of our drive, near Killarney, we stopped in the Killarney National Park at Ladies View. We were pretty tired by this point; it was a full day and we still had a little ways to go
Taking in the Waterfalls at Tocue Falls:
We had our last stop of the day at Tocue Falls. We had short walk to the falls which was much needed after a day in the car and the rough boat ride.
WT73Jr enjoyed clambering over slippery rocks, as kids do, and his dad wasn’t too bothered by this time to tell him to keep safe and stay out of the slippery rocky water.
Closing the Day with Fish and Chips at Quinlan’s:
We returned to Killarney a short drive away, and having had a long day, went straight to dinner for the evening. We ended up out at Quinlan’s, a fish and chip shop. It’s locally famous as they have been commercially fishing for over 50 years. There was quite a line but it was well worth it. It was halibut for me and breaded shrimp and chips for WT73Jr.
A full day nonetheless completed with bragging rights of having seen Skelling Island… something many teenagers (and dad’s) can’t usually say. We retired for the evening to the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast Killarney.
My Thoughts on Visiting Skelling Island and the Ring of Kerry:
A visit to Skelling Island isn’t an every day experience. It was quite a trek to get out there and back, in addition to the sights on the Ring of Kerry. Ideally, I would have liked to take additional time in taking in these sights as it was quite a trek. We somehow managed to get it all in during one day, but if I were do to it all over again, I’d probably allow for more time.
If you have visited Skelling Island, did you manage a landing on the islands themselves ?
Without a major hotel franchise presence in Killarney, Ireland, our travels took us to the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast hotel. The Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast is peacefully located on the River Flesk. I don’t typically make a habit of staying at bed and breakfast hotels but I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying the experience. Read on to see how we found our stay…
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Review: Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
After visiting the Cliffs of Moher, we eventually arrived to Killarney. I didn’t have much luck in locating chain hotels in this part of Ireland, having somehow missed the sole Holiday Inn property in town.
We ended up at the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast. The Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast was endorsed in the Lonely Planet guidebook and booked through Expedia. While I don’t typically say outside of chain properties where possible, it ended up being a great option for us and more than fit the bill.
Locating the Crystal Springs:
The Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast Hotel is situated just a little ways out of central Killarney, Ireland.
On arrival, we checked in to Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast. The friendly host gave us a choice of two available double rooms. We ended up choosing the room closer to the water.
The Room: A Double Room
The first thing that I noticed about the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast was that it was immaculately clean and well maintained. It was much better on the cleanliness standard than many commercial hotel rooms that I’ve stayed in.
Our Double Room was configured with a twin bed along with an additional single bed which was perfect for family needs.
The bathroom also included a stand up shower. The bathroom, following the theme of the living area, was exceptionally clean and well maintained.
Around the Property:
The property is located on the peaceful River Flesk. The Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast was right on the river and you could angle fish from the property if you were so inclined. It made for a peaceful setting and a nice mix up from my usual cookie cutter chain hotel stays.
Food and Beverage:
Bed and Breakfast
With any bed and breakfast hotel, the morning breakfast is an integral part of the experience. The next morning, we were given a great selection form for breakfast. Jr pleased as he could choose his breakfast, which contained old fashioned American Eggs.
We later had very good breakfast at the hotel in their charming and very traditional breakfast room. In addition to hot entrees, they offered the usual cereals meats and cheeses available from the hutch.
Around the Property:
The Town of Killarney, Ireland
After we had arrived, we dried off from the wet Cliffs of Moher visit earlier in the day. We eventually headed into town. Although the town is walkable from the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, given the weather conditions we took the car to be safe and dry.
Killarney was a charming two street town. It felt very touristy but it seemed to also be a tourist hub for this area. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a wet afternoon out and about today. There were stacks of souvenir shops on every corner and restaurants until the end of the street.
With many dining options close – by, we ended up having dinner at Salvatore’s where we split a margarita pizza and calamari. I got to try the local Killarney Helles Beer. I would link the restaurant webpage to the report, but the restaurants seem to turn over quite frequently since most of the recommendations in the version of the Lonely Planet that I had with me had already disappeared by the time we visited.
After that, it was a quiet walk back to the car parked in the local car park. The ambience of the town felt a little more intimate at night as the sun fell for the day.
Having the town with near proximity to the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast made dining options very convenient to the bed and breakfast hotel itself.
The Bottom Line: The Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast
Overall the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast was a pleasant place to stay in Killarney and we would easily stay there again. Killarney was a neat little town that had almost everything you’d need for a stopover in this area.
If you have based yourself in Killarney, Ireland, what type of hotel did you end up staying at ?
The Cliff’s of Moher are among Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions. The Cliff’s of Moher run for about fourteen kilometres along the coastline of Ireland. Our travels from Athlone to Killarney had us taking in most of the afternoon at The Cliff’s of Moher. After a slight weather delay, we were able to appreciate the Cliff’s of Moher along with a walk to nearby Hag’s Head.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Activity: Hiking Along the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Ireland
Today’s schedule had us driving from Athlone to Galway to see the Cliff’s of Moher, followed by onward travel to Killarney.
Overland Travel: Athlone to Galway:
We checked ourselves out of the Sheraton Athlone Hotel and headed on our way. Before we left the hotel, WT73 Jr had a little road planning to complete as my navigator for the day. We used the toll roads this time and headed for the Cliffs of Moher; about a 2 hour drive.
We navigated ourselves there on google maps, which took us on highways most of the way, then on some terrible back roads for the last 30 kilometres. This wouldn’t be so bad if you were in your personal car, but driving a 50,000 € Volvo SUV that you were personally responsible for, was a bit white knuckled for my likes on the narrow one lane roads. We did come across some ancient church ruins in the rainy mist of our drive, which made the whole thing more mysterious.
Walking the Cliffs of Moher:
The Cliff’s of Moher was among my son’s top tourist attraction list of things that he wanted to see while in Ireland. He was pretty excited to see the Cliff’s when we got there.
We arrived to the Cliffs of Moher in the misty cloudy rain. The parking lot attendant cautioned us that we wouldn’t be able to see anything but we purchased a ticket anyway to enter, having come all this way.
From the parking lot, we walked the short walk into the Cliffs of Moher site. It was rainy and we all got drenched. The parking attendant was pretty much right; visibility was totally obscured.
To pass by the time, we headed for the expensive and over crowded cafeteria for some seafood chowder for 8.50 .
Fortunately, with a bit of Irish luck, and being patient, the weather broke for the afternoon and we were able to take in some views. While I queued in the long food line, the weather broke enough and started to clear. WT73Jr was so excited at this prospect, that he darted outside to snap some photographs, leaving my Nikon DSLR camera sitting unattended on the cafeteria table. Fortunately, it was still there when we got back. There’s nothing like a teenager to keep you on your toes when you travel. Crikey.
After lunch, I went out to take these pictures of this picturesque place.
Walking the Cliffs of Moher towards Hag’s Head:
We wandered along the south along some quite unprotected walkways. There were a number of people that were risking it all to take photographs. By risking it all, I meant passing by the safety fence and walking on the muddy, slippery and windy side of the cliff where there was no safety barrier. I happened to google the latest fatality and it was only a few months ago in January 2019. It happens so often that there is even a plaque dedicated to all the persons that have lost their life here.
We wandered south towards Haig’s Head and stopped for the views. The trails were quite muddy and I got my Geox shoes soaked with mud and water.
Returning to the Visitor Centre:
We then returned to the lighthouse the way we came, and took in the views from the opposite side. Thankfully the weather was on a clearing trend, so we got in the Cliffs of Moher views that we came all this way to see.
On our way back, we had a quick landmark portrait from another traveller.
We were happy to get in an opportunity to view the Cliff’s of Moher. I was thankful that the weather co-operated with the travel plans and that we got the sights that we came all this way to see.
Overland Travel: Galway to Killarney
Back to the car, we headed southwards towards Killarney. Google had it mapped as a 2 hour and 40 minute drive, but with traffic going 60 km/h in a 100 km/h zone during their evening rush hour, on single track roads, it was very slow going.
We had a bit of old school navigation in order to get there as we set out from the parking lot at the Cliff’s of Moher.
The views on the peninsula of the Irish Coastline were very scenic over gentle rolling mountains.
We would eventually get to our destination of the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast Killarney, Ireland after a full day of attractions and being on the road.
My Thoughts on Visiting the Cliff’s of Moher:
The Cliff’s of Moher were among the highest interest for WT73Jr’s Ireland travel experience. I was happy to have been able to help him achieve this travel goal. The Cliffs of Moher were a spectacular part of Ireland’s Coast line. If your travels through Ireland take you to the west coast of Ireland, make sure that you have the opportunity to see the Cliff’s of Moher in your travels.
If you have visited the Cliff’s of Moher, did the weather co-operate with you on your visit ?
Ireland has a lot of attractions that aren’t always top of mind. Today’s visit to Athlone, Ireland had us inspecting Athlone’s waterway locks and Ireland’s oldest bar. We would end up spending the day walking through Athlone’s town taking in the sights and experiencing life in a charming recreational town.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Activity City Visit: Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
We spent the morning driving in from Dublin and getting settled into the Sheraton Athlone Hotel. After we had settled, we headed out for a walk around town. The city of Athlone, Ireland is a charming summer side resort on the River Shannon. It is a boating gateway to much of central Ireland.
Walking Athlone’s Left Bank:
The town of Athlone is divided into two by the Locks from the River Shannon. We crossed the river and headed over to the Left Bank. It’s the home of some quirky streets, in addition to the town Castle. Unfortunately, we did not visit the town castle on this trip.
Inspecting Athlone’s Lock’s:
We wandered down to the water and the locks. Athlone was a charming “sleepy hollow” town that was easy to wander around in. It was also a boating centre for many travellers and it was clear that there was quite a boating community that was set up for this town in central Ireland.
Visiting Ireland’s Oldest Bar:
After that, we headed to WT73Jr”s main attraction on his Ireland’s list; “Sean’s Bar”. It’s reportedly the oldest bar in Ireland, along with an undergoing assessment for the world’s oldest continuously operating bar. It has apparently been continuously operating since 920 AD.
With sawdust on the floor, and a ground surface that was slanted to prevent lock flooding, we set up shop inside the ancient facility and along with an Ohara IPA, and a Coke for junior, we hung out for an hour enjoying the place. There was terrific old school ambience in this place and it was an essential place to visit if you ever happen to pass through this town.
From there, we headed over to Murphy’s Law, a gastro pub that had been reviewed by the Lonely Planet. Dinner was 24 € and featured chicken strips for junior along with a Texas burger for me. The food was reasonably tasty and the place was quite busy despite it being a small restaurant.
After dinner, we returned to the Sheraton Athlone Hotel for a much needed night of rest.
My Thoughts on Our Time in Athlone:
All in all a great day and a charming small town to visit. Athlone was a very easy stopover for a mid way trip through Ireland with enough attractions there to keep you entertained for a least a day or two while you are passing through.
If you have visited the Locks of Athlone, did you manage to get out boating during your visit ?
Our travels through Ireland took us from Dublin across to the Galway area in Western Ireland. Marriott doesn’t have a huge presence in Ireland and Northern Ireland. When I located the Sheraton Athlone which was at a halfway point on our travels to Galway, and always chasing Marriott Bonvoy status nights, it made sense to check in here for an evening during our driving journey across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Review: Sheraton Athlone Hotel, Co. Westmeath, Athlone, Ireland
Today was departure day from Dublin. We started the morning with a walk to the Distillery just around the corner from the Aloft Dublin City; although on arrival we discovered that they did not offer tours without a 17 tasting to go along with it. Since Jr wasn’t going to be able to legally partake, we left and headed for walk down to the usual Temple Bar District.
It was a nice sunny day and being a weekday, it was surprisingly quiet in the district typically known for indulgence and debauchery. We had a gorgeous last morning walk through Dublin.
Booking the Sheraton Athlone Hotel:
While Ireland has a number of Marriott Bonvoy Hotels, it’s surprisingly limited in hotels in the countries’ South West Region towards Killarney and Shannon.
Our travels by car were taking us directly across Ireland to the Galway are and the Cliffs of Moher which would take us through Athlone. Always chasing Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status nights, when I discovered there was a Sheraton in Athlone, it made some sense to work it into the journey. We needed to stay somewhere in order to avoid a marathon day of driving of 5+ hours along with spending time at the Cliff’s of Moher.
The rates at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel are generally quite decent and often under 100€ ($108 USD) a night. Occasionally, the property seems to get a full book out if there is a tour bus group passing through that causes upwards rate pressure above 250€ , but otherwise the rates are quite reasonable. I was able to locate a rate of less than 95 € ($102 USD) for our particular stay.
For those that are so inclined to use Marriott Bonvoy rewards points, rooms can be reserved for 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in what was the Category 4 band. I tend to value Marriott Bonvoy Points at 0.005 cents per point. As a result, you’d be better off redeeming points if the room rate was more than 115 € ($125 USD) per night.
Getting to The Sheraton Athlone Hotel:
After a terrific morning walk through Dublin, we wandered back to Hertz local edition location near the Aloft Dublin City hotel for about 12:45 PM where we picked up our car rental for the week.
My success rate with upgrades as a Hertz Five Star is highly variable depending on where you are, but occasionally you get a gem. Today’s booked “mid size” Jetta diesel turned out to be a terrific and luxurious 2019 Volvo XC 60 D3 Diesel sport utility vehicle.
After we were all sorted, with a damage check, we returned to the Aloft Dublin City to pack up the car. We hit the highway for Athlone for the drive westward midway across the island.
It was only about 2 hours up the road on some fairly good highways and we were there. We easily found the Sheraton which was situated right in the middle of town in what it describes as a “city centre” location.
The Sheraton Athlone Hotel was a low rise tower situated right on top of a mall. The location couldn’t be any more central, with lots of stores within close proximity to the hotel.
Checking into the Sheraton:
We self parked in the mall parking lot underneath the hotel and checked ourselves in. The mall parking doubles as hotel parking, so you can expect to share self parking with mall customers.
On check in, we were advised that we had been upgraded courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status from the base Classic Guest Room, to a larger Family room. We were thanked for being a Titanium level Marriott Bonvoy elite member. Like with our experiences in Australia, they must not get a whole lot of elite members through here, as I was treated like gold.
We were also offered a 1,000 points as Marriott Bonvoy Titanium welcome amenity gift, in addition to a free breakfast in the restaurant. This was pretty generous of the hotel to offer a hot breakfast in the restaurant, and I suspect it was as a result of the hotel preferring to set up one breakfast in the restaurant, as opposed to hosting a breakfast in both the restaurant and the lounge.
The Lobby also featured the usual Sheraton Link zone, which offered some lobby computers and work spaces.
After the check in process, we led ourselves up to the hotel room. In doing so, we had to pass by the second floor “Siege Room”. Nothing like themed names for the conference rooms.
The Room: Family
Larger Guest room, 2 Queen, Sofa bed
The Sheraton Althone is an older property but everything is still in reasonable shape. Our assigned Family Room #312 was decorated in the usual Sheraton browns for the décor leading to a familiar feel. Our family room had two queen beds allowing for a reasonable amount of space.
The beds were otherwise comfortable and we had a pleasant night sleep on the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed.
The room offered two occasional chairs and a small sofa bed. While the furniture wasn’t super aspirational, it was highly functional and perfectly fine for a family room.
We found a very small amenity of welcome cookies in plastic wrap and bottled water waiting for us in the room. It’s always a nice touch to receive an elite welcome amenity, so I applaud the hotel to think of this little touch for their elite loyalty members.
There was a standard room safe and proper glassware. Actual glassware is always a welcome improvement over wrapped plastic cups.
The bathroom was actually quite spacious, with a large tub.
Perhaps the only negative to the room, was that the room had a view over a tired and unkept balcony that was looking a little worse for wear.
Around the Property:
The Sheraton Club Lounge
Our room happened to be next door to the Club Lounge. It was among the smaller Sheraton Lounges that I’d seen in the system. I didn’t happen to have ever seen anyone in there. We stopped by once but there wasn’t much happening there.
There was no exciting evening happy hour or anything scheduled during our stay. It had pretty eager offerings in the fridge; Pepsi, water and that’s about it.
Pepsi and Water Refreshments
We did happen to pick up some Pepsi Cola for the room, which my son appreciated the ability to have access to.
The Harvest Homemade Restaurant:
After a great night’s sleep in the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed, we woke up the next day at about 8 AM. We were downstairs into the Harvest Homemade Restaurant on side for a complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Breakfast at 9 AM.
Although there was no dedicated egg or omelette station, Jr was happy with pre made fried eggs and scrambled eggs were also available. After two weeks on the road, he was growing tired of the European cold cuts at the Aloft Dublin City so he appreciated the option of having an International breakfast. He was also stoked that there was cranberry juice available at the juice bar; the first time we’d seen it since we’d left home in Canada. He happily rated the breakfast a “9 out of 10”.
During our time at the Sheraton Althone Hotel, we walked about town to experience Ireland’s Oldest Bar and to inspect the Athlone Locks amid the waterways around Athlone. After our breakfast, we packed up the car and headed for a great day at the Cliffs of Moher.
The Bottom Line: The Sheraton Athlone
Overall the property was all we could have asked for in a quick stay. The property was reasonably priced and was in good overall condition. The food and quality of the room was better than expected and we found the rate to deliver really good value. While the Sheraton Executive Club Lounge wasn’t anything to write home about, the hotel more than made up for it through alternate offerings. I would easily repeat a stay at this Sheraton in this area again.
If you have stayed at Sheraton Athlone, did you find that it delivered value ?
The country of Ireland is known for one of it’s most famous exports: Guinness Beer. Exported globally, it is one of the World’s most famous beers. We’d explore the home of Guinness; the Guinness Storehouse before taking a walk around one of Ireland’s most famous educational institutions; Trinity College.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Activity City Visit: Calling on the Guinness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
We had a relaxed wake up today. After a surprisingly substantial Aloft breakfast at The Aloft Dublin City that was much better than my last Aloft breakfast at the Aloft Munich, we headed out to explore the Guinness Storehouse.
Visiting the Guinness Storehouse:
It was a short walk from the hotel before we ended up at the dystopian looking Guinness Storehouse which was the origins of the Guinness brand.
As a teenager, WT73Jr was super interested to see this place. I was expecting a bit of a cross between a wine tasting room along with a short walk through of the basic history. It ended up being a lesson in mass marketing as the brand is everywhere and there are lessor Irish beers (like Harp) that are equally as good, but don’t command the same local or worldwide presence as Guinness.
After 41€ admission for the two of us, we entered into the Disney-esque experience. The first impression on arrival is like arriving into an airport duty free shop.
We then took in a walking multi media experience through the ingredients, water, coopering and casking process. It also had a several levels of a tasting experience.
The tour price also included a pint of Guinness, which could be enjoyed on the top floor. Being a teenager, WT73Jr was curious about the whole alcohol experience; “Do you think they’ll serve me?” After the whole introduction to retail liquor license talk, he was a little disappointed but I promised him I’d make it up to him at some other time.
WT73Jr spent a bit of time cautiously collecting souvenirs from the shop. After that was done, it was back to the hotel to drop some items.
Calling on the Trinity College:
After the drop off, we headed over to Trinity College for a walk around. Although the Book of Heles was available to view for 1, we didn’t bother going in.
From there we took a walk around the outside of the Dublin Castle. Some of it was covered in scaffolding, which didn’t make the visit all to impressive.
From there, we wandered around for some general souvenir shopping. This was something that Ireland was famous for; there seemed to be one on every corner.
We eventually wandered back through the river. It was a nicer day and we were to hit the road tomorrow so we took in a last look of the river and city.
We eventually came along to several that were jumping into the water from the bridge decks. It was only about 16 degrees Celcius so it wasn’t all to warm. Nothing like youth to keep you joyful and full of vigorous…
We eventually wandered down to a pub in the Temple Bar area for dinner. They weren’t serving food in the pub itself, so instead we went upstairs to the restaurant. I had an Irish burger whereas Jr had Irish Stew whom he pronounced as exceptionally tasty, despite teenage jokes about British cuisine throughout our stay in London.
We had a walk around the river then back to the hotel for a rest.
We headed back to The Aloft Dublin City hotel to get ready for the road tomorrow. having made the most of our part travel day and first day in Ireland!
My Thoughts on Our Time in Dublin:
All in all, the City of Dublin, Ireland was a surprisingly entertaining city. Much like Lisbon, it was a great weekend stopover of which I’d easily visit again. While the Guinness Storehouse was a bit of a tourist trap, I was happy to have seen it at least once.
If you have visited Dublin, Ireland what attractions topped your list ?
The City of Dublin, Ireland gets most of the tourist attraction attention for visitors to Ireland. It’s party town atmosphere amongst its pedestrian oriented streets in the Temple Bar District gets all the attention when compared against European City get aways. We would spend two days exploring Dublin for a brief introduction to Ireland, prior to setting out on a longer adventure through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Activity City Visit: Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
On arrival day, we headed out for a walk around Dublin. We started walking from The Aloft Dublin City hotel and headed back into town.
Getting closer into town, we headed past the impressive Christchurch Cathedral down towards Temple Bar area.
Before long, we were getting into the Temple Bar District towards the more central part of town.
Exploring the Temple Bar Neighbourhood:
We walked to the Temple Bar neighbourhood. WT73Jr, having viewed on You Tube that the Temple Bar was a tourist trap area, had pro-actively banned us from going to the place. It actually looked like a lot of fun, despite his limiting parameters. All in all, Temple Bar appeared to be quite a lively place, even in the afternoon.
Most interestingly were all the Irish Pubs that were all throughout the neighbourhood. All of them were cheerfully decorated with flowers and a nice sense of camaraderie in the neighbourhood.
Shopping the Grafton Neighbourhood:
We followed the Temple Bar area with a walk down to the Grafton Neighbourhood. I found it to be much more pleasant and it appeared there were more locals and British tourists in this zone, instead of the constant debauchery of the temple area.
A Half Pound Burger at the Hard Rock Café Dublin:
We started getting hungry at this point, so we headed to every teenagers favourite international chain; the Hard Rock Café Dublin. We had a quick run through the souvenir shop for things to take home.
After researching sights to see in Dublin “old school style” through dad’s paperback edition of the Lonely Planet Ireland, WT73Jr set his eyes on a giant half pound burger with a fried egg. He actually finished most of it and I helped him out with his fries.
Strolling the River Liffey:
After the massive feed, we had a walk down past the River Liffey. Since it was summertime, at latitude 50, even at 8:30 PM it’s still quite light out.
We eventually headed back towards The Aloft Dublin City hotel, having made the most of our part travel day and first day in Ireland!
My Thoughts on Our First Day in Dublin:
Our first day in Dublin was spent exploring the Temple Bar District and wandering the Grafton neighbourhood. Although we ended up dining at the Hard Rock Café Dublin, we were able to walk it off with a walk on the River Liffey. It was still a pretty good introduction to our time in Ireland.
If you have visited Dublin, is Temple Bar the focus of your visit, or do you go further afield ?
The time we had in Dublin, Ireland had us starting and ending our trip in Dublin. In addition to being a great city, it has some terrific street scenes and a generally great vibe to the place. We would base ourselves at the Aloft Dublin City hotel, which was located a short ten minute walk away from the Temple Bar district of Dublin. Would we find the distance of the hotel from downtown Dublin an issue ? Read on to find out. . .
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Review: Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
The newly constructed Aloft Dublin City ended up being a perfect place for our two stays in Dublin, Ireland. We would explore almost all the features of this property during our time here.
Booking the Aloft Dublin:
I decided that we’d stay at the Aloft Dublin during our stay in the city. It was the cheaper option compared to the more business oriented Westin Dublin hotel. The paid rate for this bank holiday weekend in the United Kingdom put rates up to 268 per night.
As a result I decided that a redemption under Marriott Bonvoy points were a better value. At a category 4 property, I redeemed 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, per night for a total of 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points redeemed. I value Marriott Bonvoy points at about 0.005 cents per point. Under this math, I would aim to redeem points at this property if the room rate was higher than $125 USD (116 ) a night.
We had two nights here on arrival into Ireland, and one night on departure with our last night in Europe. Overall, it was a great two stays and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.
Getting to the Aloft Dublin:
After arriving off Aer Lingus London Heathrow – Dublin, we collected our checked bags. Instead of taking a taxi, we ended up taking the group bus into town. The original plan was to take a taxi from the airport into town, but the effective tourist bus marketing around the arrivals area won us over and we opted for a 7 per person trip into town.
We ended up getting off at Christchurch Cathedral stop. At this point, it was an advertised short ten minute “mostly flat” walk to the Aloft Dublin City.
The walk actually ended up taking about 15 minutes walk with our luggage through the city streets down to the Aloft. After a few back alleys, we made it to the Aloft.
The property is located in a more residential area of Dublin. This was actually welcomed to be situated just out of the noise and partying of Temple Bar District, where staying would have been a louder experience.
It wasn’t all to bad walking to the Aloft Dublin with my teenager son. We had reasonable weather and weren’t travelling too heavy in luggage. I might not feel the same way about this location if I was travelling with my parents or travelling in winter weather when rain would be expected.
Checking Into the Aloft Dublin:
The Aloft is a reconstructed building on top of an older pub, which can be seen in white below. It is a new build in this upcoming neighbourhood that is slowly being gentrified.
On arrival, we were informed at ground level by the bell captain that check in was on the 7th floor. We took the elevators up where we checked ourselves in.
On arrival to the lobby on the seventh floor, we found ourselves in a bright lobby space. The lobby had great windows and the bar had a nice view over the surrounding area. It was a nice change from the usual dark Aloft lobbies that I have previously experienced.
The lobby featured the usual reception desk immediately across from the arrival elevators, the XYZ Bar, and a flex space that offered chairs, couches and a pool table.
The Lobby also featured some iMac computers for internet surfing. While this is pretty much expected these days, it’s always convenient to have in the event you need to print something.
The bright nature of the lobby of the Aloft Dublin made for a great start to the stay. It was a welcome change of some hotel lobbies that are traditionally very dark and without any natural light.
On check in, we received a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Level soft upgrade to the best available room. I appreciated this despite our stay being a Marriott Bonvoy point redemption. While there aren’t any suites available at Aloft’s in general, any upgrade is a good upgrade. We also selected Breakfast as the Marriott Bonvoy Elite welcome gift; which would serve us well over the next days ahead.
The Room: An Urban Double Double
We then led ourselves down to #514, an Urban Double Double. As mentioned, this was a soft Platinum upgrade to best available room. It was a nice larger room and a nice room upgrade as far as Alofts go; easily by far the largest Aloft room I’ve ever stayed in.
The room was particularly spacious for an Aloft Room and we had lots of space between the beds and the end of the room.
There was a work space desk that overlooked the student building complex next door. The desk itself wasn’t too large, but sufficient for what you’d expect in an Aloft.
There were also the usual simple Nepresso coffee services in the room.
Like other Aloft’s, the room featured art of a local feature. This feature was of the centre piece at Trinity College.
We had a very nice large shower and bathroom. The toiletries were Bliss branded toiletries, which were always handy for take aways at the end of the stay.
Our stay was comfortable and quiet. It was nice to be away from the hollering and shenanigans and freeways sometimes located around lower cost hotels. Our room was really quiet and we had no sleep interruption issues.
Around the Property:
Re-Fuel by Aloft
At the hotel reception when we checked in, I opted for the Marriott Bonvoy Elite Platinum breakfast option. We were issued coupons for breakfasts.
Breakfast at the Aloft Dublin City was a full continental breakfast option. There was no real “hot” option at this particular hotel. However, the continental offering was quite substantial at definitely met our needs. It offered a wide variety of cereals, croissants and pain au chocolat, along with smoked salmon and assorted European Cheeses and cold cuts.
The Bottom Line: The Aloft Dublin City
Overall, I enjoyed our stay at the Aloft Dublin City. Although it was not right in the middle of town, the Aloft met our needs for everything that we could have asked for. Using points here was a great option during the days of our stay and the soft upgrade to the larger room was greatly appreciated. The Marriott Bonvoy Platinum breakfast was reasonable and enough to meet our needs. All in all, it was a great stay and we would easily return.
If you have stayed at the Aloft Dublin City, did it meet your stay needs ?
Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of the Republic of Ireland. While it has established itself as a connecting partner for flights to and from Europe through it’s hub in Dublin, Ireland, it’s not typically a carrier that I regularly get the opportunity to travel. We would get the opportunity to test them out today with a short hop from London Heathrow over to Dublin, Ireland in order to start our Ireland experience. How would the carrier fare compared to other short flights in Europe, and would the carrier offer an Irish travel experience ?
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Review: Aer Lingus Airbus 320 – neo, London Heathrow Terminal Two – Dublin Airport
The next portion of our trip involved us getting over to the Republic of Ireland for a nine day tour around Ireland and Northern Ireland. While we return to the United Kingdom via British Airways Business Class Dublin – London Heathrow (avoiding the Air Passenger Duty by departing from Ireland), we needed to position ourselves in order to get to Ireland.
I ended up booking this Aer Lingus flight one way from London to Ireland. I would end up crediting the flights to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. In doing so, we were able to extend WT73Jr’s expiration of his miles, and earn 500 Alaska Airlines points.
We arrived to the London Heathrow International Airport Terminal Two. We had a little extra time before our flight so we ended up at the Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow Terminal Two located on Level 4 or departures level of the airport.
While we were in the lounge, we kept an eye on the lounge board to see the gate assignment information. When we arrived at the airport, no gate was posted on the boards with a notation of: “Gate posted at 11:10 AM”. We had electronic boarding cards on the Apple Wallet that indicated that boarding was to start at 11:30AM.
I missed the fact that our printed cards had (in fine print) gate closing at 11:30 AM; as opposed to the boarding time as printed on the boarding pass. As a result, when we left the Plaza Premium Lounge at about fifty minutes before our flight, boarding had already started.
Leaving the Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow, we had a short walk to the gate. Boarding was underway when we started.
At the gate, we were ushered into the empty priority boarding queue, which simply deposited us at the front of the queue that was only about 8 persons long at that time.
We landed directly onto a jet bridge that had about 40 people in line…
The bin space was gone already by the time we got on board at T-40, I ended up stowing my rolling suitcase about two rows behind my seat.
Aer Lingus.
EI – 0159 W – Economy Class
LHR – DUB (London Heathrow Terminal 2 – Dublin Terminal 2)
August 24, 2019
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (scheduled)
Booked: Airbus 320 neo
Flown: Airbus 320 neo
On Board Aer Lingus:
Aer Lingus offered the usual 3-3 configuration on this A320 neo. Lessening the standards for trip reporting around here, this is the first trip report that I’ve completed without a photo of the overall seat. It’s the usual economy version and I found it quite cramped in leg room for someone who is 6 feet 2 inches tall.
Just prior to getting underway, the captain announced a flight time of approximately 50 minutes over a blocked time of 1 hour and 30 minutes. As we departed, we had some great views over London’s Heathrow airport.
The most interesting part of the flight, was the in flight map from the magazine showing all the international routes of Aer Lingus. Aside from Seattle, there isn’t much Aer Lingus in my neighbourhood on the West Coast of the America’s.
Food and Beverage: Buy on Board
In another surprisingly cheap move; or perhaps I’m less accustomed to flying intra Europe in economy, is that all beverages, including soft drinks, were for purchase.
As a result, I didn’t bother to spend any money since we’d be on the ground before we knew it.
The service as pretty straightforward, and I was looking for something a little Irish. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a hook or anything that made the carrier stand out as Irish from any other regional service around Europe.
Arriving to Ireland:
We had some views over Liverpool as we tracked towards Dublin. Our final approach into Dublin was over several green fields. Very picturesque!
We approached the Dublin airport with out any delays or waits. We landed into the as expected Aer Lingus stronghold with shamrocks all around, although there were a few jets by American among other low cost carriers.
We were stamped into Ireland at the airport, having a received a green passport stamp. We had our first sighting of Irish or Gaelic language on the signs at the Dublin International Airport.
We collected our bags promptly, which concluded our Aer Lingus experience. We would end up transferring over to the Aloft Dublin City for the start of our stay in Dublin, Ireland.
The Bottom Line: The Aer Lingus Experience
I wish I had more exciting things to say about Aer Lingus. Part of me was expecting a more memorable Irish themed experience for a flag carrier. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to report on other than basic transportation from island to island with a pay for everything model. Despite this, the service was reasonably friendly and everything worked on time.
If you connect between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, do you stick with British Airways or do you go for the Irish Aer Lingus ?
The days during the pandemic were long but the years were certainly short. It boggles my mind that it’s now been two years since we launched the website http://www.worldtraveller73.com .
As in years past, I just wanted to take a moment to recognize you, our readers, that make these stories successful.
Thanks to my Readers on the Two Year Anniversary of World Traveller 73
How we got started:
When the pandemic started, we had lots of spare time. Although we only had about 6 weeks of hard lockdowns in British Columbia, Canada, we all suddenly had a lot of extra time on our hands. All our personal and business travel was immediately switched off, and despite chasing and pursuing loyalty status and travel for well over a decade, we suddenly found my wings completely clipped for the first time in about fifteen years. Going from seventy to eight thousand miles per year to seventeen thousand flown was a stark skid across the tarmac as all travel ground to a full halt.
Why We Got Started:
I had been writing for websites for almost eleven years now and, being a keen photographer, had accumulated over fifty thousand travel photos. The pandemic gave us a break in our day to day lives. It seemed like finally a great time to take ownership of some of those experiences and put them in an easily organized area where it could inspire and benefit others for travel. Often, I found that it’s the insights into how a trip was put together that make the travel that much easier to plan.
Who is Reading World Traveller 73?
The simple answer to this question is “pretty much everyone”. We’ve been fortunate enough to have readers over the last year from an outstanding 194 different countries and territories. The bulk of our readers are in the thousands and are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia (in that order).
Why Travel is Rewarding:
As a child from first generation Canadians, I grew up travelling from Canada to Asia and Canada to Europe. This inspired a love of travel and seeking new experiences. As a child, seeing split flap displays in the Hong Kong Kai Tak airport fascinated me of a world out there that was vastly different than my own.
Watching Displays like this got me hooked on International First Class Travel:
Qantas First Class Lounge – Sydney International Airport
Thanks to collecting miles and points, we were able to experience travel around the world several times. We had used frequent flier points and hotel loyalty program points to fund outstanding adventures. With a little work, it was easy to leverage these opportunities into world class adventures.
Not to mention that experiencing something new in travel is pretty fun too. . .
The Sky is the Limit when Coming up with Travel Experiences:
It’s not that hard to dream up wonderful experiences. The sky is literally the limit.
Some of our more crazy ideas?
MrsWT73 wanted a great beach holidays, so we planned a trip to the atolls of the private islands of the Maldives, staying at the Park Hyatt Maldives.
Private Island Living at the Park Hyatt Maldives
MrsWT73 loves animals, so what’s better than a safari in Maasai Mara, Kenya and seeing lions prance across the savannah ?
The Maasai Mara on Safari in Kenya
MrsWT73 also loves sun tanning and been in the heat, so what’s better than doing that in the middle of a desert oasis surrounded by a luxury hotel at Qsar Al Sarab Resort plunked in the middle of the sand dunes in the Liwa Oasis, United Arab Emirates?
Qsar Al Sarab, United Arab Emirates
Almost anything is possible in the world of points and miles. It only takes a little research and creativity to make it happen.
Why travel reviews are important:
Hotel and Airline websites all promise the lustre of real travel. As a rental property owner myself, properties always market themselves in order to put their best foot forward in order to make their property more appealing. But what if the real experience doesn’t meet what is promised? What if the beach isn’t as spectacular as pictured? What is the Ocean View isn’t actually a view at all?
Why pay for this Ocean Front View?
When you Get this Ocean View?
It is always important to research where you’d like to stay, in order to maximize your travel value on your hard earned dollars. If anything else, you’ll be well informed as to what to expect when you arrive at your destination, in addition to perhaps saving a little time on things around the area.
A well written travel review can help you get a realistic idea of first hand travel experience.
Why track hacking is important:
The truth is, it doesn’t take all that much effort in order to adjust your patterns in order to reap travel benefits available to everyone. Much like spending the five to ten minutes a day watering a plant, spending the equivalent amount of time focusing your efforts on maximizing travel benefits can really pay off. Using the right credit card, by earning points in a transferable points program, or by carefully researching what is needed in order to achieve any travel objective.
Upgraded into Business Class from a Discounted Economy Class Ticket
We were able to upgrade an Air Canada Business Class Toronto – Lima flight, by using Aeroplan e-upgrades from a discounted economy class ticket.
Having a 4 course meal in a Cathay Pacific First Class Suite:
We were able to redeem AAdvantage Miles earned from the Royal Bank Visa Avion Card into Cathay Pacific First Class.
Cathay Pacific Seared Halibut with Krug Champagne
One of the Best Suite Upgrades Ever:
We were able to use Marriott Bonvoy Suite Night Awards for a stay in an ocean view JW Marriott Los Cabos Umey Suite.
JW Marriott Los Cabos Umey Suite valued at $800 USD a Night
Through some pretty simply tips and tricks, you can turn an average stay into a great stay.
My Thanks to Readers:
In the meantime, here’s is looking forward to more travel adventures ahead.
If you’ve just started this journey, you’ll soon be on your way to great travel experiences. All it takes is a little time in order to plan, organize and sort your travel.
If you’ve come along to the blog, thanks for being here.
Plaza Premium Lounge has a strong footprint at various locations throughout the world, and specifically at London Heathrow International Airport. Our flight from London Heathrow Terminal Two would allow us the opportunity to visit their world class award winning lounge in the Queen’s Terminal. How did the Plaza Premium Lounge in London Heathrow Terminal Two stack up as an international departures lounge?
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Review: Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two, Hounslow, United Kingdom
This review is of the Plaza Premium Departures Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal Two. For a review of the Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge London Heathrow – Terminal Two, please see our earlier review.
We had an overnight stay at the nearby Moxy London Heathrow Airport. The next morning, we drove our rental car back to Hertz and it was returned at the quick return aisle relatively easily.
We had a quick ride on the bus up to London Heathrow Terminal 2, along with almost all other passengers riding the bus today.
Checking into Aer Lingus:
We got off where we started and took the lifts up to the 5th floor which was the departure level. London Heathrow Terminal 2 is a beautiful building and is the newest terminal at London. It’s called the Queen’s Terminal, although I doubt Queen Elizabeth’s ever going to fly out of here.
Our Aer Lingus London – Dublin flight check in was located in the “C” Wing. It was a completely automated check in process. We used the kiosk for a paper boarding card reprint, followed by an automated bag drop with the scale, self tagging and baggage acceptance.
After the bag drop, we wandered onwards for the security check. The arrangement is much better set up in London Heathrow Terminal 2 than it is in London Heathrow Terminal 3 thanks to active line management and balancing of the crowds over different security queues. The security area seems to actually be set up with the recognition that the United Kingdom will always have a strong security focus and it was nice not to be too crowded in this zone unlike in the other London Heathrow terminals.
We didn’t purchase the optional lounge access for Aer Lingus offered at the time of purchase, so we headed for the usual standby Plaza Premium Lounge located within the London Heathrow Terminal Two.
Locating the Plaza Premium Lounge:
After the security screening was completed, we wandered down to the ground gate level to locate the departure gates and the lounge offerings.
The Plaza Premium Lounge is located one level down on Level 4 from the Departure Check In Level 5.
Map Courtesy of London Heathrow Airport Authority
The lounge is located in a far away corner of the basement of Terminal 2, immediately adjacent to the airline passenger reconnections channel. If you weren’t looking for the lounge, you’d never have a reason to be down here. As indicated, access today was granted courtesy of Priority Pass.
Accessing the Plaza Premium Lounge:
The Plaza Premium Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal Two is accessed through a variety of methods:
The Lounge offers pay entries at the front reception, subject to space availability. Prices listed on the door started at 40 £, which is similar to the advance on line rate.
The Lounge offers visits booked through their website, in advance. These visits are tiered based on the amount of time that you stay and the amount of features you include (lounge, shower). Rates during our visit were between 40 £ ($52 USD) for a two hour visit, to 82 £ ($106 USD) for a five hour stay with shower.
The lounge also offered access through Priority Pass. Our access for us today was granted via Priority Pass Select. This method has since been discontinued.
For members holding the American Express Platinum Cards, access is also granted through the American Express Membership Lounge Program. Access can be granted by presenting an American Express Platinum Card at the front counter.
Inside the Plaza Premium Lounge:
The lounge is known for its heavily marketed Skytrax 2018 Worlds Best Independent Lounge of the year. Plaza Premium has been quite effective in its marketing of this, as reviews for this lounge often mention this award.
Despite the award, I found this to be a rather typical Plaza Premium Lounge experience.
The lounge has a grand looking entrance, which leads into a regular lounge space.
The lounge was very busy when we arrived; coupled with the morning rush. It was a bit challenging to locate seats together, but we eventually located a pair at a table.
Food and Beverage:
As expected, the Plaza Premium Lounge offers a food station that allows travellers to replenish on food items. Today’s breakfast food in the lounge was just average. It consisted of overcooked scrambled eggs, the usual British slab bacon, oversized sausages and baked beans. It was a reasonable amount available and we did use it to fill up a little, despite having a breakfast earlier at the Moxy London Heathrow Airport hotel.
Surprisingly, in a low rent touch, all the alcohol on offer was for payable starting at about 3 £. Even some certain mixers were pay, making a standard gin and tonic 6 £ by the time you put it all together. As a result, hardly in a festive mood thanks to an early morning flight, I passed on having a cocktail. Drinks were offered from the bar, which was manned.
While we’ve seen lounges offer over the top premium wines and spirits for an additional payment, I haven’t been to many lounges that offer a complete pay menu for it’s alcoholic beverages. It’s usually common to offer a single house white or red wine available on a complimentary basis. It is certainly not a typical experience for an international departures lounge.
After a short stay, we later headed off on our Aer Lingus London – Dublin flight.
The Bottom Line: The Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow
All in all, like many other Plaza Premium Lounges, it was a place to briefly recharge but not all that nice of a place to seek out in advance. Consistent with other Plaza Premium Lounges, the food wasn’t all to impressive or tasty. I found the pay per use alcohol to be a particularly low rent touch and below the usual standards for an international departures business lounge. I guess they have many travellers through this location, which makes this a necessity.
If you travel through the London Heathrow Terminal Two airport, do you have a preferred business departures lounge ?
Our travels had us requiring a brief night at the London Heathrow International Airport after a five day stay in London. We had an early departure the next morning so we were looking for something convenient with easy access to and from the rental car facility at Heathrow International Airport. We ended up at the Moxy London Heathrow Airport for a quick stay in a modern environment. How did the Moxy London Heathrow measure up ?
This post is one chapter on our trip to Portugal, the United Kingdom (England and Norther Ireland) and Ireland. This trip was redeemed through American Airlines Advantage and enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland via TAP Portugal and British Airways Business Class.
- A Positioning Flight: Air Canada Vancouver – Toronto
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Toronto – Lisbon
- Sheraton Lisboa Hotel and Spa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The First Steps in the Hilly Capital City of Lisbon, Portugal
- Exploring the Turrets of Castelo del São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Seaside Town of Belem and the Jerónimos Monastery, Portugal
- The Lisbon Cathedral and Iberico Ham at Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Premium Business Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
- TAP Portugal Business Class: Lisbon – London Heathrow
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge: London Heathrow Terminal Two
- The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington, United Kingdom
- Walking Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, London, United Kingdom
- Churchill’s War Rooms & Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
- Touring the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom
- Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
- De-Cyphering the Rosetta Stone and Camden Locks, London United Kingdom
- Day Tripping to Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom
- The Plaza Premium Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal Two
- Aer Lingus: London Heathrow – Dublin
- Aloft Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland
- Discovering Temple Bar District, Dublin, Ireland
- Calling on the Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
- The Shertaon Athlone Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
- Drinking at Ireland’s Oldest Bar, Athlone, Ireland
- Hiking Along the Cliff’s of Moher, Ireland
- Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
- Circling The Skelling Islands and Driving the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland
- AC Hotel by Marriott, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Experiencing the Tragedy of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- In the Shadows at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Terminal One T1 Lounge, Dublin Airport, Ireland
- British Airways Club Europe: Dublin – London Heathrow
- Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, London Heathrow
- No1 Lounge, London Heathrow
- British Airways Club World Business Class: London – Vancouver
Review: The Moxy London Heathrow Airport, Hounslow, United Kingdom
After our Day visiting Stonehenge, and filling up the car, we headed for the Moxy London Heathrow Airport hotel. I thought it was easier (and cheaper) to stay at one of the London airport hotels instead of back in Metropolitan London, or spending another night at the Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington. As a result, we headed to Moxy London Heathrow for an airport hotel stay prior to our Aer Lingus London – Dublin flight.
Booking the Moxy London Heathrow Airport:
The Moxy London Heathrow Airport is typically among the cheaper London Heathrow Airport hotels. It is positioned as a discount offering below the familiar full service business hotels that include the London Heathrow Marriott Hotel, the Sheraton Skyline London Heathrow, the Renaissance London Heathrow Airport hotel. At this hotel category, there is also a Courtyard London Heathrow Airport hotel which is probably it’s closest comparison.
The Moxy London Heathrow International Airport is among the farthest away from the London Heathrow Airport. As a result, it is often softer on rates here than in other hotels that are nearby. We booked a paid cash rate of 50 £ ($65 USD) a night. I found this to be a steal for an airport hotel, I couldn’t help the great rate.
Under the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, the offers rooms starting at 15,000 points per stay. I value Marriott Bonvoy points at about 0.005 cents a point so I would only recommend redeeming points for this property if the rate were above $75 USD per night. In most cases, with a little pre-planning, you’ll likely be able to find room rates under this price point at this particular location.
Getting to the Moxy London Heathrow:
The Moxy London Heathrow is located on Bath Road in Hounslow near Terminal Two and Three of the London Heathrow International Airport. It’s among the furthest away from the airport itself.
We arrived to the property driving a Hertz Rental Car and found it really easy to locate. We self parked at the rear of the property. Parking was payable separately through a stand alone machine located on the lot that accepted credit cards. Self Parking was into any available spot and spots were not assigned by stall number, meaning that you would have in and out privileges if you were driving to and from this property.
Getting to and from the airport / city:
There was a sign near the main elevator bank that highlighted the methods of getting to the airport. The Moxy London Heathrow Airport property does not offer a complimentary airport shuttle, despite being an airport property. This is probably the largest disadvantage to this property, for those looking for an easy and convenience airport stay.
Checking Into the Moxy London Heathrow:
After arriving to the hotel, we headed over to locate the check in desk at the bar. We were checked in by a hipster millennial and assigned our room. We took the elevator up to the room and found our way down to our assigned area for the night. While there are no suites at this property, our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status got us a quieter room facing the street on a high floor.
Our room was off in the corner, and it was several turns and twists before we got to the room. The hotel was designed in a “U” Shaped design with some rooms quite a ways away from the elevator.
The Room: Moxy Double Sleeper, Guest Room, 2 Single Beds
I had booked a Moxy Double Sleeper Guest room since I was travelling with my son. The Moxy Hotel rooms at the Moxy London Heathrow Airport are generally pretty compact and tiny. I would almost describe them as “child like” rooms. Having said that, the property was new and fresh. The newer and fresh feel was something unique to the London Heathrow airport hotels, since many of them are quite worn with substantial turnover and traffic through them.
The room featured two single beds pushed together in modern themed amenities. The room was fairly dark themed, which wasn’t an issue considering we were just there to sleep.
The room offered a small flat screen television, with a small shelf for the charging of devices. The room did not feature a desk for working, something that is usually standard in a hotel room.
The bathroom was on the smaller side but it had everything that a bathroom needs. The toiletries were “Muk” branded, a unique brand that I’d never seen before.
The next morning, we were able to check out the view from the room. It wasn’t too inspiring, but it was better than looking immediately into another building.
Around the Property:
The Moxy Bar
The Moxy Bar offers a variety of communal lounge spaces. The design of the hotel has made for a larger amount of gathering spaces, encouraging social connectivity as a result of a smaller than average room foot print. As a result, the shared spaces were actually quite impressive for an airport hotel.
The Moxy London Heathrow Airport offers a $10 USD per person credit for breakfast for it’s Marriott Bonvoy Platinum + Titanium level members. The credit was converted at this property into 7 £. Of course, the breakfast was strategically priced at 10 £ so we ended up paying a little extra for a full breakfast. It was a bit cheap on Marriott’s part but at the same time, we weren’t paying much on the room rate. Breakfast was in a pleasant modern space called the Moxy Bar that was more interesting than my last Aloft breakfast experience…
The breakfast buffet was fairly straightforward. There was a selection of pastries, the usual orange and apple juices, drip coffee along with yoghurt and some tinned fruits served in large bowls.
There was also a lobby bar off the breakfast area. It was deserted in the morning, but it looked like it might have some potential with the right group of friends.
There isn’t too much around the property in terms of restaurants. There is a Tesco Express immediately next to the hotel, although we didn’t get the opportunity or need to use it.
When it came time to leave, the check out was handled without any surprises. There were no issues and our Marriott Bonvoy points and elite qualifying nights posted without any issues. We returned our rental car and headed off on our flight on Aer Lingus London – Dublin.
The Bottom Line: The Moxy London Heathrow Airport
The Moxy London Heathrow Airport was a reasonable spot for the night. It wasn’t much more than a crash pad that was really well priced. I might not be so enthusiastic if I didn’t have my own way in the form of a rental car to and from the property as you’d pretty much be stuck here without any private transport. At the very least, the property is new and crisp and you’ll be getting a newer room when you stay here.
World Traveller 73 
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