Originally Posted by
BigLar
Yeah - I took my whole family (including SO's) to Ireland back some years ago. If they all came, about 12 people. We had initially rented a house, but the owner pulled out a couple of weeks before the trip.
In a panic, I scoured the listings to see where my points would take us, and I ran across the Clarion IFSC (I think it was about 10,000 points/night) so I booked.
Oh man! two of the rooms were corner suites (second floor?) with both balconies and party decks. The other rooms were just gigantic suites. We had a fabulous time and I agree - one of the best redemptions ever, in any of the programs I was in.
Sad to see Ireland so poorly represented by Choice these days.
My other Choice choices were in the south of France, and they're pretty much gone, as well as some others we had stayed at in Paris. They never were in Amsterdam.
Guess I'll just have to save the points for domestic rooms. Now that my Marriott points are gone (along with my status), I'm left with Choice and Hilton. Hi ho.
Yeah, I think there was a period in Ireland when the Clarion IFSC royally treated American members redeeming points. I had two visits with those great suites, and then slowly, but surely, I was given smaller rooms until it left Choice. It's now called The Spencer Hotel. At the time of my first stays, I remember a lot of hoopla being made about the Westin Dublin, but I vastly preferred the Clarion. Not only was the hotel just as nice, it was located in a slightly quieter section of town although not far from the action.