Expert: Michele Erdvig - 2/24/2009

Question
I notice you advise against purchasing vouchers for B&B stays.  Why please?

Answer
Jodi,

I do not always advise against buying B&B vouchers for Ireland. Sometimes vouchers can be a very good deal as part of a fly/drive/voucher package.  

It depends on which vouchers you are buying (there are different kinds), time of year you are traveling, whether you plan on using B&B vouchers in Dublin, what the cost is to you versus what it will cost you to pay in cash as you go.  

As you see, there are many different aspects of B&B vouchers to consider.

Purchasing B&B vouchers for Ireland will greatly limit where you can stay. Not all places accept them. It is possible that during high season, on holidays, during festivals, races and special events that many B&Bs may not accept the vouchers. They know they will be filled with cash-paying customers and need not take the vouchers then. It is subject to the whim of the B&B owners.

Why would a B&B owner NOT want to accept a voucher in favor of a cash-paying customer, you might ask? Let's say the rate at a B&B is 35 euro per person. If you give the B&B owner a voucher they must turn it in, wait to get paid (sometimes for many weeks or months), and they do not get 35 euro. They get paid a fraction of their 35 euro price. The company selling the vouchers and the travel agent each get a cut of that price. During the off-season it is good for B&B owners to at least be able to fill a room even at a reduced rate. At other times, not so much.

You might think of using vouchers like using frequent flyer miles. No airline will give all of their seats on a plane to people only using FF miles. They have a few seats available for free. Few B&Bs will give all their rooms to those using vouchers. Will they give those using vouchers their best room or a less desirable room? That is up to them.  

On occasion I have heard of people with vouchers making reservations and turning up to find no room. Yes, they had reservations but a cash-paying customer turned up before they did and the B&B owner "forgot" all about the voucher reservation in favor of convenience and more money.

My questions to you:

What time of year are you going to Ireland?
What is the cost of each voucher?
Does each voucher cost more or less than what you would pay in cash at a B&B?
Is the voucher good at Town & Country B&Bs or Farmhouse B&Bs?
Do you have to pay extra for anything like an en suite room?
Do the vouchers expire?
Can you return unused vouchers for a refund? Is there a service charge for that?
Will the voucher deal allow you to make advance reservations?
Are you staying in Dublin? If so, you should upgrade to hotels.
Are you traveling to Northern Ireland? Even fewer places take them there.

There is a lot to understand and consider when purchasing B&B vouchers for Ireland. Only you can make the decision as to what is best for your situation.

Michele Erdvig

Ireland Expert
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