need Dublin hotel space for the U2 concert?

see how Jameson Irish Whiskey is made when touring Dublin

U2 - The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 in Dublin... A client emailed this morning, having just scored two tickets to see the U2 concert in Dublin, Ireland on July 22nd. She immediately checked her (and my) favorite hotel in Dublin, The Merrion, and saw no availability.

Where to stay? I discovered that most hotels have "special event" pricing for the concert — prepaid reservations that cannot be cancelled, but I found good availability and flexible rates at one of our Virtuoso collection hotels in Dublin, The Westbury. Located on Grafton Street in the heart of Dublin, The Westbury is ideally situated between Trinity College (and its Book of Kells) and St. Stephen's Green

Virtuoso guests receive value added amenities by booking through a Virtuoso travel advisor

• Upgrade at time of arrival, subject to availability
• Complimentary Continental Breakfast for two daily for duration of the stay, served in restaurant
• A complimentary lunch or dinner for up to two people per room, excluding alcohol, taxes and gratuities once during stay (must be 3 course minimum with a minimum value of $100 USD equivalent)
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Ireland is one of our favorite destinations, with the warmest, friendliest people you'll ever find and beautiful scenery with "forty shades of green." Ireland is also the birthplace of Guinness and Jameson's. See my google map of Ourisman Travel's preferred luxury hotels in Ireland, and call us to plan a vacation to Ireland.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

next stop, Ireland!

Wasn't I just in France, you ask? Well, yes… and I've been back all of three weeks.

And wasn't I just in Ireland last year? You have such a good memory! I was indeed in Ireland a year ago and posted this trip report on eleven luxury hotels and this brief article about Guinness (to which I took a liking).

So why am I going back?

1. Partly because it's Brownell's annual educational trip, and it's a great opportunity to spend time with my friends and colleagues.

2. Partly because I want to compare Irish Guiness with what they pour in the States. I had a half pint at The Irish Bank on Saturday night in San Francisco, along with some excellent Shepherd's Pie. The US version had a slightly bitter taste, so that's what I'll be tasting for in Ireland.

3. But mostly because Ireland is an incredible destination. Beautiful scenery with forty shades of green, friendly people, great food, pubs, and ancient Celtic ruins (such as the amazing structure pictured above that predates Stonehenge). How did they get that 3,000 pound stone raised to the top of the structure, and what has kept it from falling for more than a millenium?

Ireland deserves a consideration as your next European destination. Everyone wants to go to Italy in the summer, but Italy is so hot and humid during the summer months … and crowded all the time. When I get back, I'll have even more to share … as well as my impressions of some hotels I missed the first time around including Ashford Castle, Gregans Castle, K Club, Westin Dublin, and Ballyfin.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

do less, discover more!

scene from the Ring of Dingle, County Kerry

A traveler planning a trip to Ireland next May asked for suggestions for her itinerary on fodors.com. Her plan is to drive all the way around Ireland in three weeks, beginning in Dublin, going to Belfast, and continuing counter-clockwise all the way around the island.

It was exhausting just to read her twenty-one day itinerary! She had something planned virtually every day. Lots of one-night stays. Lots of long driving days. Lots of attractions to see. Lots of things to do. Lots of places to visit. Lots of questions about even more places she might add to her trip.

The one thing missing from her itinerary was time … time to relax, time to soak in the culture, time to feast her eyes on Ireland's forty shades of green, time to unwind and spend a day in a small Irish village just doing nothing but relaxing, time to meet the locals, time to hang out in the pubs, time to listen to Irish music, time to discover Ireland.

Do less, discover more! Fodors definitely has a bias against using travel consultants. Too bad, because travel can be the realization of a dream … if we can get away from the mentality of checking off items on a bucket list. Focus instead on the travel experiences we want to have. Here is where a trusted travel advisor can be so valuable. She will ask you the right kinds of questions:

• Tell me about the trip you want to take. What's important to you about it?
• What would make this a wow trip for you?
• When you come home from your trip, what will you want to say about it? How would you describe what you've just experienced in Ireland?

Discover More is Brownell's tagline, and our entire purpose is to listen to your dreams, then collaborate with you to design a life-enriching travel experience … and not a twenty-one day endurance test of a road trip.

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.