I went on a two week Rick Steve’s tour in August 2023. In general the accommodations were really bad. A couple of attendees also complained to the tour guide. He said prices had increased. In my follow up email, I said I would not be going on another tour because the accommodations in Ireland were so bad. I suggested raising the prices for the tour until hotel rates went back down. I was a hotel professional for over 25 years. Surprisingly, no one on his staff responded to me.
Posted by
Chicago
8164 posts
Your mistake was to buy a tour to English speaking 1st world countries outside of you home town USA; going forward get a travel guide book and organize your own trip online; this forum is geared toward answering questions from do it yourself low end budget to older financially comfortable retired travelers that need clarification or recommendations.
Given that you were a hotel profesional stick to the brands that you know you would like that are available overseas . Avoid booking tours from companies in the USA. Book tours locally through hotel brands that you know you like.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2006 posts
The end of the pandemic brought a surge in tourism in 2023. That drove up the numbers of tourists visiting Ireland which already was seeing huge international tourist numbers. Ireland is popular and it has been for several years now. If you visit Dublin, you’ll notice the city center around O’Connell Street for the most part has the same skyline it had decades ago. Despite the tech boom, housing construction has not kept up with the demand and the same is true of tourist accommodations. This is happening not just in Dublin, but in other cities throughout the country.
Increased demand with a lack of supply raises prices.
Moreover, most visitors want to visit (1) When they can get time off work or school and (2) when the weather is best. That makes June, July and August the most popular months for visitors. And that’s when your trip occurred.
I’m going to Dublin after New Year’s and the mid-range lodging I’ve stayed at in the past is only $75 per night in January. In August that same accommodation ranges between $288 and $426 per night.
If the accommodations you had on your two-week tour cost anything approaching that— adjusting for the hotel markets in the places you stayed at— I’ll bet the cost of the tour would easily be 50% to 100% more than what you paid.
Posted by
Freedonia
16273 posts
The hotels on RS tours can range from "Not bad" to "very bad." And, unfortunately, you don't know most of your hotels until just before you leave.
In the future, look into Odysseys Unlimited. Same small group philosophy but much better hotels, bellman service, and more. You will know what hotels they use before you book the tour as they are listed on each tour's itinerary.