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Zombie Hotel weekends as radio competition prizes.

2

Comments

  • #32
    NuckingFacker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,221 ✭✭✭NuckingFacker


    Scarlet42 wrote: »
    Have never stayed in The Glasshouse. . But have been in it loads of times. Have had great food in the restaurant and great nights in the bar. . The setting and location of the hotel is excellent and it looked class all in Green for St Patricks day last year.. would love to stay in one of those rooms overlooking the River Garavogue.. especially when the water is really gushing. .. not a roundabout in sight!
    and it has Zombies. Sounds feckin class.


  • #33
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »
    I still can not see where you make the connections to either zombies or Soveit apartment blocks. First requies a more approriate defintion; second a more appropriate comparison! Sounds like you're using these phrases simply because they sound dramatic rather than to paint any accurate picture.

    How can you call either hotel if you've never stayed at it? Saying a hotel is bad or didn't meet you standards in on online review is one thing, but did the reviews actually portray them as you do?

    Leaving architectural definitions to one side, this thread is about hotel breaks that are given out as prizes by the two mentioned radio stations and my research into said hotels. That I haven't been to either doesn't invalidate the reviews on TripAdvisor. The fact that the reviews, so far, have backed up my biased attitude towards that type of hotel is a happy coincidence.


  • #34
    Fox_In_Socks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭Fox_In_Socks


    Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »
    I still can not see where you make the connections to either zombies or Soveit apartment blocks.

    It's the worth of boast worlds-failing to combine the two into Soviet Zombies, where "if communism doesn't kyill you, comdrade, then the zyombies do."


  • #35
    Princess Consuela Bananahammock
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,779 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Leaving architectural definitions to one side, this thread is about hotel breaks that are given out as prizes by the two mentioned radio stations and my research into said hotels. That I haven't been to either doesn't invalidate the reviews on TripAdvisor. The fact that the reviews, so far, have backed up my biased attitude towards that type of hotel is a happy coincidence.

    Your opinion on the stations' choices is fair enough, but you haven't backed up your descriptions in the opening post. The tripadvisor reviews are invalidated, unless you can find one that describes it in the same way you do, not just merely saying they didn't like the hotel. Regardless of the accuracy of your critcims, they were very specific.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



  • #36
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,784 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Newstalk & Today FM's love affair with Zombie Hotels continues apace..every time that Matt Cooper or George Hook run a competition it's inevitably for one of these 'roundabout view' Soviet architecture hospital hotels. A feature common to most of them is their failure to operate to a standard befitting a country with aspirations to having a tourist industry. Two of the current favourites as competition prizes are the McWilliam Park Hotel (Claremorris) and the Glasshouse Hotel in Sligo. As a contributor to TripAdvisor myself I always head there after the latest prize competition is read out.

    The McWilliam Park which has 260 reviews has almost 30% of respondents rating it Average/Terrible with 70% rating it Very Good/Excellent.

    While the recently opened (2007) Glasshouse Hotel in Sligo fares slightly worse again from a larger pool of 672 reviews. Reading the reviews would put one off ever setting foot in either venue.

    The glowing advertorials read out by the Newstalk/Today FM presenters would lead you to believe that they are talking from personal experience of these hotels. Anyway, you have been warned by an insider. :D

    Veering off topic in the interest of fairness to the Zombie Hotels, some of the older hotels fare little better or even worse in some instances! The former Great Southern Hotel, adjacent to Sligo Station, has an incredible dissatisfaction record of 50% of the respondents. It strikes me as long overdue that many of these Fawlty Towers operators lost their ratings.

    I don't see either of those on the Newstalk competition page. There are however current competitions for trips to Frankfurt and Las Vegas with what appears to be decent accommodation thrown in. And prizes of stays in Travelodge hotels in Ireland, which you might not like. But if I didn't like the prize in a competiton I wouldn't bother entering.

    http://www.newstalk.ie/competitions/-/


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  • #37
    Scarlet42
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 457 ✭✭Scarlet42


    dxhound2005 wrote: »
    I don't see either of those on the Newstalk competition page. There are however current competitions for trips to Frankfurt and Las Vegas with what appears to be decent accommodation thrown in. And prizes of stays in Travelodge hotels in Ireland, which you might not like. But if I didn't like the prize in a competiton I wouldn't bother entering.

    http://www.newstalk.ie/competitions/-/

    FRANKFURT!! .. jees shure who would want to go there .. full of zombie nazis!

    ah..but there is a great flea market along the river Main on a Sat morning!


  • #38
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,366 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    I wonder do these hotels (not just the ones mentioned, there's been lots of hotel breaks as prizes over the last couple of years) pay the radio station as well, or is it just cheaper than regular advertising ?


  • #39
    Son Of A Vidic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,370 ✭✭✭✭Son Of A Vidic


    Been in the Glasshouse a few times and it's a fine hotel with a very nice bar. It has a great view over the river, with a very original glass facade shaped like the bow of a ship. On top of all that, it's a pretty lively spot. So why OP? Why even start a thread on something you know nothing about? A pretty stupid thing to do imo.


  • #40
    MadsL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Zombie hotels - is there a definition. My own interpretation of the term is hotels built in inappropriate locations, with tax incentives, by people with little or no experience of the hotel trade. They then proceeded to operate them with poor management and as much foreign labour as they could get away with. The architectural 'style' speaks for itself - they either look like Soviet apartment blocks, hospitals or shopping centre - were probably designed by quantity surveyors rather than architects...

    My understanding of Zombie hotels is hotels owned by NAMA with interim staff. Hotels that were it not for the bailout of the developer would be dead by now; hence the term Zombie. I undrstand other well-mangaed hoteliers dislike the fact that they operate at a loss as they undercut the market whilst effectively subsidised by the state.

    Since neither of these hotels (or radio stations) are owned by the State I am baffled as to your gripe with the newstations. But then it wouldn't be the first time you have blamed something on an organisation that bears no responsibility.

    What exactly is wrong with radio stations handing out subsidised sponsored prizes, they are profit-driven businesses?


  • #41
    qapmoc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 50 ✭✭qapmoc


    Corvus Maximus wrote: »
    Been in the Glasshouse a few times and it's a fine hotel with a very nice bar. It has a great view over the river, with a very original glass facade shaped like the bow of a ship. On top of all that, it's a pretty lively spot. So why OP? Why even start a thread on something you know nothing about? A pretty stupid thing to do imo.

    Its a fine hotel, for a hotel in the centre of a town. Spectacular setting overlooking gushing river. Large windows, great light. Stop writing negative reviews on trip advisor OP. I would tend to distrust trip advisor anyway as you see even the best hotels in the country getting lots of poor reviews. Silly people can distort results.

    Cannot understand why anyone would go to a hotel in Claremorris though. I remember last year everyone in the audience on the late late show got a weekend away there. I wonder how many went.


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  • #42
    Mr. Nice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 355 ✭✭Mr. Nice


    Deleted User wrote: »
    My idea of hell is a weekend staying in a wedding hotel.

    I guess that depends on whether you're there for your wedding or not.


  • #43
    Mr. Nice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 355 ✭✭Mr. Nice


    For Forks Sake wrote: »
    It's only selling point is the location next door to the train station (as with all former Great Southern hotels).

    Yes, most notably the Great Southern Shannon Hotel...


  • #44
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    MadsL wrote: »
    My understanding of Zombie hotels is hotels owned by NAMA with interim staff. Hotels that were it not for the bailout of the developer would be dead by now; hence the term Zombie. I undrstand other well-mangaed hoteliers dislike the fact that they operate at a loss as they undercut the market whilst effectively subsidised by the state.

    Since neither of these hotels (or radio stations) are owned by the State I am baffled as to your gripe with the newstations. But then it wouldn't be the first time you have blamed something on an organisation that bears no responsibility.

    What exactly is wrong with radio stations handing out subsidised sponsored prizes, they are profit-driven businesses?

    Why don't you try reading the OP and see what I wrote rather than what you think I wrote?

    PS Thanks for the back seat modding. Keep it up and they might make you one.


  • #45
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Corvus Maximus wrote: »
    Been in the Glasshouse a few times and it's a fine hotel with a very nice bar. It has a great view over the river, with a very original glass facade shaped like the bow of a ship. On top of all that, it's a pretty lively spot. So why OP? Why even start a thread on something you know nothing about? A pretty stupid thing to do imo.

    I know nothing about the two hotels in particular - apart from what I've read online - but why that invalidates my research, or the reviews, I don't know. My point was that many of the hotels being promoted on the aforementioned radio stations fail to cut the mustard when it comes to reviews on TripAdvisor. I know it's fashionable to deride sites like TripAdvisor but I fail to see why. I have only left one negative review on TripAdvisor and that was for a place that is since gone.

    PS Thanks for the insult. :P


  • #46
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    If you don't like the prize, don't enter.

    I don't bother for most of these, esp. if it's some 'retreat' in the arse end of nowhere with a stark choice of golf or a spa where they dump a wheelbarrow of stones on your back.


  • #47
    Frank Black
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,296 ✭✭✭Frank Black


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    I know nothing about the two hotels in particular - apart from what I've read online - but why that invalidates my research, or the reviews, I don't know. My point was that many of the hotels being promoted on the aforementioned radio stations fail to cut the mustard when it comes to reviews on TripAdvisor. I know it's fashionable to deride sites like TripAdvisor but I fail to see why. I have only left one negative review on TripAdvisor and that was for a place that is since gone.

    PS Thanks for the insult. :P

    So basically your problem is the standard of prizes being offered by radio stations?

    Just don't enter the competitions if they don't appeal - problem solved.


  • #48
    Matt_Trakker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭Matt_Trakker


    You said there'd be zombies.
    WTF? :mad::mad:


  • #49
    MadsL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Why don't you try reading the OP and see what I wrote rather than what you think I wrote?
    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Newstalk & Today FM's love affair with Zombie Hotels continues apace..

    Neither of the hotels you mentioned are in fact zombie hotels, except by the strange definition you made up yourself. Both radio stations are private profit making organisations, why shouldn't they take sponsored prizes?

    You are basically grumbling that the prize isn't good enough for your taste. My advice would be to not enter the competition, that way you will be assured that the prize will not disappoint.
    PS Thanks for the back seat modding. Keep it up and they might make you one.

    If you have a problem with my posts please use the report button, I'd encourage you to do so.

    I merely pointed out that this isn't the first time you have ascribed blame to an organisation who bear no responsibility whatsoever for the problem you are complaining about. Nothing to do with the rules of the forum.


  • #50
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    How is your favourite wildfowl reserve these days - there's a fine pre-Celtic Tiger Zombie (from an architectural point of view) hotel overlooking it if memory serves me.


  • #51
    MadsL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    How is your favourite wildfowl reserve these days - there's a fine pre-Celtic Tiger Zombie (from an architectural point of view) hotel overlooking it if memory serves me.

    Doing just fine according to the NPWS Survey of 2009 http://www.npws.ie/media/npws/publications/reports/McCorry_&_Ryle_2009_Saltmarsh_survey_V1.pdf

    I suggest you post on that thread if you want to discuss it with me.


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  • #52
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    It's okay thanks as I feel there's little more that I can say about Booterstown without another visit. The report that you link to seems mainly to be about grass and does little to change my opinion about the development of the reserve. Anyway, let sleeping zombies dogs lie. My last post in this thread which seems to have upset you so much.


  • #53
    MadsL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    It's okay thanks as I feel there's little more that I can say about Booterstown without another visit. The report that you link to seems mainly to be about grass and does little to change my opinion about the development of the reserve. Anyway, let sleeping zombies dogs lie. My last post in this thread which seems to have upset you so much.

    Upset me? Amused me more like...perhaps you should retune to a different radio station where the prizes are more to your taste. Good luck.


  • #54
    Princess Consuela Bananahammock
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,779 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    How is your favourite wildfowl reserve these days - there's a fine pre-Celtic Tiger Zombie (from an architectural point of view) hotel overlooking it if memory serves me.

    Zombie hotels, Celtic Tiger zombies, perhaps we're in the wrong forum...?

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



  • #55
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 3,251 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I wish there was a simple video of Tommy Lee Jones saying

    "I don't care"

    Because this is a non-issue.


  • #56
    ash23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,791 ✭✭✭ash23


    The claremorris one is two minutes walk from the main street, if even. I've stayed in it and been to functions in it. Service is a bit slow at times but other than that, no complaints.

    I live near enough and find moat people stay there to explore the west as it's about halfway between Galway and Westport so it's good for day trips.
    Town is big enough, plenty of restaurants, pubs, a new swimming pool and close to castlebar for shopping.

    Don't see how or why you'd diss a place when you've never even been there.


  • #57
    geeky
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,380 ✭✭✭geeky


    I saw the thread title and thought it was like a murder mystery weekend, except with the guests participating in a mass zombie game.

    I was deeply disappointed.


  • #58
    terfiona
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭terfiona


    funny enough i met george hook there so he must have been talking from personal experience .
    i know the hotel and its hardly a zombie hotel as its not in nama and run by local guys who are Paying their banks and bills


  • #59
    Castlebar12
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Castlebar12


    ash23 wrote: »
    The claremorris one is two minutes walk from the main street, if even. I've stayed in it and been to functions in it. Service is a bit slow at times but other than that, no complaints.

    I live near enough and find moat people stay there to explore the west as it's about halfway between Galway and Westport so it's good for day trips.
    Town is big enough, plenty of restaurants, pubs, a new swimming pool and close to castlebar for shopping.

    Don't see how or why you'd diss a place when you've never even been there.
    Westport quite boring no shops just a few yanks taking pictures of the footpaths.
    Just go to castlebar, some great restaurants, beautiful lake beside town with new bridge and great shopping


  • #60
    NegativeCreep
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,351 ✭✭✭NegativeCreep


    Castlebar12 wrote: »
    Westport quite boring no shops just a few yanks taking pictures of the footpaths.
    Just go to castlebar, some great restaurants, beautiful lake beside town with new bridge and great shopping

    Hold the fucking phone! A new bridge?! I was dragging my heels a bit but that's it, Castlebar it is for summer 2014!


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  • #61
    Menas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    The glasshouse is a fine hotel. Under previous ownership it was the Silver swan and has been operating for the last 70 years. That is not a zombie hotel.

    The two radio stations can give whatever prizes they want to, or are sponsered to.

    So it seems to me that the problem may be with the integrity of tripadvisor rather than the hotel or radio stations.


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