Town suggestions for B&B - help!

kristian12

If you are set on being a hr or so away from Dublin how about Kells, Virginia area. Kells has a few small b&bs and a hotel and all seem fairly busy. Close enough to the shops/Motorway and attractions.

leonidas83

mfitzy wrote: »

That is not true!! The county has a long list of attractions many others would give their righ arm for...Dunbrody Famine Ship, Hook Lighthouse and Johnstown Castle...that's before we even get to the lovely beaches and restaurants. Strokestown is the middle of no where in comparison...so what if Galway is 1.5 hour away ...parts of Wexford equally are that if not closer to Dublin, Waterford, Kilkenny and Cork. The OP would want to be off their heads to open up there unless they had ties to Roscommon specifically.

No they wouldnt, they'd be losing their marbles if they moved anywhere near Wexford.

Roscommon has an awful lot going for it. Its in the centre of the country, its no more than a short drive away from Galway, Dublin, Athlone. Even Limerick is closer to it than it is to Wexford. On top of this its only 50 mins away from Knock airport.

There is a host of attractions in Roscommon on top of this,
- Roscommon castle
- Lough Key
- The arigna mines
- Lough Key forest park
- Boyle abbey
- Stroketown Park
- Rathcroghan royal site

It's a much more beautiful county than Wexford will ever be & the people are the salt of the earth. I dont know if the same can be said for Wexford people

road_high

leonidas83 wrote: »

No they wouldnt, they'd be losing their marbles if they moved anywhere near Wexford.

Roscommon has an awful lot going for it. Its in the centre of the country, its no more than a short drive away from Galway, Dublin, Athlone. Even Limerick is closer to it than it is to Wexford. On top of this its only 50 mins away from Knock airport.

There is a host of attractions in Roscommon on top of this,
- Roscommon castle
- Lough Key
- The arigna mines
- Lough Key forest park
- Boyle abbey
- Stroketown Park
- Rathcroghan royal site

It's a much more beautiful county than Wexford will ever be & the people are the salt of the earth. I dont know if the same can be said for Wexford people

That's a matter of opinion and I strongly disagree. Never heard of half those attractions you list. Roscommon is one of the blandest counties I have (thankfully) passed through. It's not the centre of the country, you need to get a new map. As for short drive from Dublin, not what I'd call short anyhow. It's surrounded by some of the most remote and empty parts of Ireland. Desperate location for a B and B.

leonidas83

mfitzy wrote: »

That's a matter of opinion and I strongly disagree. Never heard of half those attractions you list. Roscommon is one of the blandest counties I have (thankfully) passed through. It's not the centre of the country, you need to get a new map. It's surrounded by some of the most remote and empty parts of Ireland. Desperate location for a B and B.

I think you need to rub the s*it out of your eyes, Roscommon is one the most fascinating, interesting, cultured counties in Ireland. It's surrounded by everything a B&B would look for. Beautiful scenery & unique landscapes are just some of the features of it. From what ive heard about Wexford, the main thing your likely to experience down there is the smell of cow sh*t.

road_high

leonidas83 wrote: »

I think you need to rub the s*it out of your eyes, Roscommon is one the most fascinating, interesting, cultured counties in Ireland. It's surrounded by everything a B&B would look for. Beautiful scenery & unique landscapes are just some of the features of it. From what ive heard about Wexford, the main thing your likely to experience down there is the smell of cow sh*t.

Now I know this a p!sstake, good one :D

OP if you want no business set up in Roscommon.

djimi

leonidas83 wrote: »

I think you need to rub the s*it out of your eyes, Roscommon is one the most fascinating, interesting, cultured counties in Ireland. It's surrounded by everything a B&B would look for. Beautiful scenery & unique landscapes are just some of the features of it. From what ive heard about Wexford, the main thing your likely to experience down there is the smell of cow sh*t.

In fairness, if you are basing your opinion on hearsay then you are probably not in a great position to be giving advice.

Wexford is generally considered to be one of the tourism hotspots in this country. Supposedly decent weather, beaches and generally more geared towards tourism. It might not be everyones cup of tea, but in terms of opening a B&B it is one of the places you would consider almost by default.

Places like Roscommon are lovely as you say but they are not traditional tourism areas. As the OP has said, there are no real B&Bs to speak of in the area; there is a reason for this. If there was a market for it then the B&Bs would be there already. Its not a slight on Roscommon; its just a fact of the matter. Its a business decision; you go to go where the punters are.

leonidas83

To quote your post

"Roscommon is one of the blandest counties I have (thankfully) passed through"

How can u have such a definitive opinion about a county that you only passed through. If I was you, I'd do a little more research before forming opinions like the one above because its quite obvious you are posting sheer drivel

road_high

leonidas83 wrote: »

To quote your post

"Roscommon is one of the blandest counties I have (thankfully) passed through"

How can u have such a definitive opinion about a county that you only passed through. If I was you, I'd do a little more research before forming opinions like the one above because its quite obvious you are posting sheer drivel

Because it's based on my own experience. It is bland. And practice what you preach re the stupid comment on "what I've heard about Wexford and the smell of cow s!iT"...prob don't come across many cows I guess that would survive the bogs and rubbish land up there

road_high

djimi wrote: »

In fairness, if you are basing your opinion on hearsay then you are probably not in a great position to be giving advice.

Wexford is generally considered to be one of the tourism hotspots in this country. Supposedly decent weather, beaches and generally more geared towards tourism. It might not be everyones cup of tea, but in terms of opening a B&B it is one of the places you would consider almost by default.

Places like Roscommon are lovely as you say but they are not traditional tourism areas. As the OP has said, there are no real B&Bs to speak of in the area; there is a reason for this. If there was a market for it then the B&Bs would be there already. Its not a slight on Roscommon; its just a fact of the matter. Its a business decision; you go to go where the punters are.

Absolutely. The OP wants to run a business and have customers. That's why they need to avoid places like Cavan and Roscommon like the plague.

Wexford/Kilkenny is well estrablished on the weekend break away circuit...can't remember the last time I've heard/met anyone going to Roscommon for the weekend.

leonidas83

djimi wrote: »

In fairness, if you are basing your opinion on hearsay then you are probably not in a great position to be giving advice.

Wexford is generally considered to be one of the tourism hotspots in this country. Supposedly decent weather, beaches and generally more geared towards tourism. It might not be everyones cup of tea, but in terms of opening a B&B it is one of the places you would consider almost by default.

Places like Roscommon are lovely as you say but they are not traditional tourism areas. As the OP has said, there are no real B&Bs to speak of in the area; there is a reason for this. If there was a market for it then the B&Bs would be there already. Its not a slight on Roscommon; its just a fact of the matter. Its a business decision; you go to go where the punters are.

I didnt say I had an opinion on Wexford, I said from what I had heard, it wasnt my opinion, big difference & I stated that.

If people were only ever to open up B&B's in traditional tourism areas we'd only have have a handful of B&B areas in the country. How boring that would be & thankfully this is not the case.

For all you know the main reason why Wexford may be a tourism hotspot (I've never heard this before btw) is its close proximity to Rosslare harbour. This doesnt mean it has alot to offer potential tourists or that it has more to offer than Roscommon. Its just in a convenient location.

For your information aswell, there is a wealth of great B&B's, hotels, restaurants & bars all across Roscommon so think about your posts before you make them in future

djimi

leonidas83 wrote: »

I didnt say I had an opinion on Wexford, I said from what I had heard, it wasnt my opinion, big difference & I stated that.

If people were only ever to open up B&B's in traditional tourism areas we'd only have have a handful of B&B areas in the country. How boring that would be & thankfully this is not the case.

For all you know the main reason why Wexford may be a tourism hotspot (I've never heard this before btw) is its close proximity to Rosslare harbour. This doesnt mean it has alot to offer potential tourists or that it has more to offer than Roscommon. Its just in a convenient location.

For your information aswell, there is a wealth of great B&B's, hotels, restaurants & bars all across Roscommon so think about your posts before you make them in future

I didnt mention hostels, restaurants and bars; I mentioned B&Bs, and I was basing what I said on the OPs research which found that there were not many B&Bs in the area that they were looking at. If that is not the case then so be it.

Wexford is a tourism hotspot because it has plenty of good beaches, usually pretty decent weather during the summer, and areas that are well geared for tourism. Its a convenient location because its got a lot of things that your average tourist is looking for.

There is no need to take this so personally; if the OP really wants to open a B&B anywhere then they need to do their research properly, so if Roscommon turns out to be a great location for them then more power to them. In general though, in terms of areas where one would be inclined to look at first when opening something like a B&B it would not be very high on the list. Cities, bigger towns and more established tourist areas would be the first port of call. Thats not to say that other areas could not and should not be considered, which is where the likes of Roscommon come into it, but depending on the exact location it may be seen as being a more risky business venture to open a B&B in an area where there is a smaller market for such a business.

Frynge

OP Maybe you should consider the option of a small hotel instead of a B&B. There are small hotels (10-30 bed, no ballroom/leisure centre) on the market that would be in similar price brackets as B&B's. The biggest annual cost would probably be rates which would be the same for B&B's, but there are far more revenue streams.
If yourself and your partner were to work in the business taking a salary it could be a safer bet than a B&B. From my experience there are less and less people that even consider staying in B&B's.
Also as some one else said taking over an existing business would be easier than trying to create a new customer base.

RoscommonTom

mfitzy wrote: »

Because it's based on my own experience. It is bland. And practice what you preach re the stupid comment on "what I've heard about Wexford and the smell of cow s!iT"...prob don't come across many cows I guess that would survive the bogs and rubbish land up there

Im from ros and I have to agree with this fella I'm afraid, the main benefit of ros is that its not too far from good places like Galway or Sligo. Sure why would the tourists not just stay in the good places. Wexford has the sea and the car ferry on its doorstep so would make more sense, its all well and good sticking up for our own county but there's a fella with a question whats trying to make a living so we should be honest

road_high

RoscommonTom wrote: »

Im from ros and I have to agree with this fella I'm afraid, the main benefit of ros is that its not too far from good places like Galway or Sligo. Sure why would the tourists not just stay in the good places. Wexford has the sea and the car ferry on its doorstep so would make more sense, its all well and good sticking up for our own county but there's a fella with a question whats trying to make a living so we should be honest

Thanks I didn't mean to insult ros or it's fine people but being realistic it does not offer as much as places like Wexford, that is a fact. Nobody intended to single out roscommon either, there are parts of wexford or Kilkenny i would advise the op to avoid as well. Exactly the op wants to set up a business and advising them to set up in somewhere a little off the beaten track is downright foolhardy in my opinion.
I do agree that people up west tend to be friendlier but that's hardly a reason to set up a business there.

Jonmel

Thanks for all your comments, it does give me an insight into the different areas, i have been doing research full time and will be viewing 2 properties, 1 in kilkenny and the other on the west coast in Ballyvaughan. I've come to the conclusion Ros will have potential someday but not today and that the west coast would probably be the best solution to guarantee very busy summers. The properties are already b&b's so that avoids problems setting up....i have looked at other solutions on the net but small hotels look way to expensive to me! Also there are just a few for sale that i can find through the usual estate agents websites etc...

road_high

Jonmel wrote: »

Thanks for all your comments, it does give me an insight into the different areas, i have been doing research full time and will be viewing 2 properties, 1 in kilkenny and the other on the west coast in Ballyvaughan. I've come to the conclusion Ros will have potential someday but not today and that the west coast would probably be the best solution to guarantee very busy summers. The properties are already b&b's so that avoids problems setting up....i have looked at other solutions on the net but small hotels look way to expensive to me! Also there are just a few for sale that i can find through the usual estate agents websites etc...

Goood choice, two places firmly on the tourist trail. Kilkenny is probably a little less seasonal than Ballyvaughan and obviously closer to Dublin. Gorgeous part of the country though. Best of luck with what ever you decide to do.

zef

I don't think B&B's are as popular as they once were.
Hotels are very cheap now, esp with "Groupon Deals" , plus the fact that many people prefer hotels rather than staying in somebodys house.
You would have to put a lot of money into a place to compete with hotel standards that are the norm now.
I also think that if there was any money to be made in B&B accom in any of the towns you mentioned a canny local with a few spare bedrooms would have capitalised on it by now.
Money is really tight in Ireland right now, the price of houses has by no means stabilised and could fall further (don't believe all you read in the Irish Independent).

Jonmel

I agree things are still tight and there may be further descent in house prices, i have seen evidence of this in the last few days, some people have chopped off 10/15 per cent, probably just wanting to sell knowing the mortgage incentives have disappeared...as far as b&b are concerned it depends where your talking about, ive stayed in hotels in dub and galway for less than 50 euro and had a good room...but in the more rural touristic locations, take ballyvaughan as an example, hotel prices are higher than b&b, and many people prefer to explore the local pubs and restaurants rather than stay in at the hotel, therefore the difference in price still makes a difference, along with those that tour ireland on car and b&b trips...many of them too....the b&b market has been hit hard, but if board failte are investing in them, it means that they have identified a sector worth preserving, it just means you need to be the best and offer something a little special! :-) well, thats my opinion!

antoinolachtnai

I don't see Bord Failte investing much in B+B's. I could be wrong but I don't see it.

On the other hand, NAMA, the State Assets Agency is heavily invested in hotels up and down the country and many of these are able to trade at break even or even at a loss as a result.

Jonmel

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I don't see Bord Failte investing much in B+B's. I could be wrong but I don't see it.

On the other hand, NAMA, the State Assets Agency is heavily invested in hotels up and down the country and many of these are able to trade at break even or even at a loss as a result.

Sorry i was not clear, what i meant is that bord failte has recently ( recent years) started an 'approved b&b scheme' the organisation and implementation of this scheme must mean they identified the sector as an interesting one for tourists...that needs quality assurance etc. to keep its reputation high. There has been a massive reduction in b&b's, but that goes the same for hotels and other sectors too, just a sign of the times...

Frynge

Jonmel wrote: »

Thanks for all your comments, it does give me an insight into the different areas, i have been doing research full time and will be viewing 2 properties, 1 in kilkenny and the other on the west coast in Ballyvaughan. I've come to the conclusion Ros will have potential someday but not today and that the west coast would probably be the best solution to guarantee very busy summers. The properties are already b&b's so that avoids problems setting up....i have looked at other solutions on the net but small hotels look way to expensive to me! Also there are just a few for sale that i can find through the usual estate agents websites etc...

Just to say there are alot of hotels for sale in this country but you wont find them on websites. If you ring some estate agents they will probably know of some hotels for sale but arent being advertised for the fear that it would effect business. Could i ask roughly how much you are cinsidering investing?

L1011

Frynge wrote: »

Just to say there are alot of hotels for sale in this country but you wont find them on websites.

There's loads of hotels for sale on Daft actually...

However there are definitely more for sale through commercial specialist agents as well as local ones sometimes.

Frynge

MYOB wrote: »

There's loads of hotels for sale on Daft actually...

However there are definitely more for sale through commercial specialist agents as well as local ones sometimes.

There is a specialist as you say in dublin who has property for sale in kilkenny. It may be more hotels and pubs but there might be b&b's aswell. I will get the name on monday morning and post it.

Op if and when you buy a property/business make sure to let us know the name so you can avail of some boards support. I.e. i wil come and stay.

Jonmel

More than likely my budget is under that of most small hotel price tags...depending on the business and the fact i dont want an old place needing renovation its unlikely i will find a small hotel or sorts for less than 400- 500k, ive seen some around that price but im actually bargain hunting as i cant afford such prices, b&bs seem more accessible at way lower prices...on daft ive seen hotels, but they are too large and expensive, ive not seen small hotels for sale at good prices....its asking too much of the property market !

L1011

There's one in Galway for 650k and smaller/in need of more work ones down as POA which may be got for significantly less...

Small hotel where the owner borrowed for a refit in 2006/7 and then went under water since then could easily be got for that.

Jonmel

My budget is not of 400 or 500k, i wish! :-) half of that could be more realistic, no hotels going in that region and i doubt anywhere under 400k.

RATM

mfitzy wrote: »

That's a matter of opinion and I strongly disagree. Never heard of half those attractions you list. Roscommon is one of the blandest counties I have (thankfully) passed through. It's not the centre of the country, you need to get a new map. As for short drive from Dublin, not what I'd call short anyhow. It's surrounded by some of the most remote and empty parts of Ireland. Desperate location for a B and B.

leonidas83 wrote: »

I think you need to rub the s*it out of your eyes, Roscommon is one the most fascinating, interesting, cultured counties in Ireland. It's surrounded by everything a B&B would look for. Beautiful scenery & unique landscapes are just some of the features of it. From what ive heard about Wexford, the main thing your likely to experience down there is the smell of cow sh*t.

As someone who runs a B&B I feel I have a valid opinion here. And I agree with mfitzy that Roscommon would be a disaster of an area to establish a B&B. I'm not sure about Cavan but I'd be very wary of how much demand is there. Leonidas lists all Roscommon attractions that no-one has heard of or are interested in. Running a B&B is all about three things and three things only- location, location, location. Why? Because a good location brings with it a volume of potential trade. I am lucky enough to run my business in Dublin and I'm very busy. Why ? Because I'm located halfway between Dublin Airport and the city center. A huge majority of Irish bound tourists arrive into Dublin airport which means I have several million of them coming by or close ot my door every year. Roscommon doesn't have this volume of traffic and nor I suspect does Cavan.

The reason why Wexford might be a good pick is simply because on the east coast it is the second largest port of entry (after Dublin). It's not hard to find out the passenger numbers annually on the ferries to give a good idea of the market that is there and waiting to be tapped.

The OP needs to decide for themselves what kind of B&B they want to run and how much money it needs to generate. If they are doing this as a lifestyle business where they're not that bothered so long as it makes them €300 a week then a place somewhere more rural than the main ports of entry into Ireland may well suit them. But if they want it to be a proper viable business that generates a substantial income that they can genuinely live off then it is paramount that they are near a major tourist attraction or a main port of entry.

If I were establishing a B&B in a quiet rural area that doesn't have a popular tourist attraction then I'd take an alternate strategy and locate myself as near as possible to a major 4 or 5 star hotel that does hundreds of wedding per year, I mean the really busy ones who do weddings every day and sometimes two a day throughout weekends in the spring/summer. Places like the Hodson Bay in Athlone or Cabra Castle in Cavan, either of them have literally hundreds of weddings per year, there are many more rural hotels that do similar numbers in other parts of the country. With weddings there is always a good market for close by B&B's as some people won't pay what the hotel is asking for a room (typically €100+ for wedding guests). Places like Ashford Castle hold a lot of weddings but it is €200 odd for guests to stay there. As a result the local B&B's are packed busy with the overflow of people who won't or can't afford it.

The strategy doesn't mean you'll be busy during the week. It would be a trickle compared to a Friday/Sat night. But vis a vis other similar B&B's in rural locations with no major tourist attraction nearby you'd do a lot better than them as you'd be riding the coat tails of a busy hotel but under cutting their prices and offering an attractive value alternative.

Jonmel

RATM wrote: »

As someone who runs a B&B I feel I have a valid opinion here. And I agree with mfitzy that Roscommon would be a disaster of an area to establish a B&B. I'm not sure about Cavan but I'd be very wary of how much demand is there.
If I were establishing a B&B in a quiet rural area that doesn't have a popular tourist attraction then I'd take an alternate strategy and locate myself as near as possible to a major 4 or 5 star hotel that does hundreds of wedding per year, I mean the really busy ones who do weddings every day and sometimes two a day throughout weekends in the spring/summer. Places like the Hodson Bay in Athlone or Cabra Castle in Cavan, either of them have literally hundreds of weddings per year,

The strategy doesn't mean you'll be busy during the week. It would be a trickle compared to a Friday/Sat night. But vis a vis other similar B&B's in rural locations with no major tourist attraction nearby you'd do a lot better than them as you'd be riding the coat tails of a busy hotel but under cutting their prices and offering an attractive value alternative.

Thanks, really appreciate your comment, our move is a 'lifestyle' move and we are very keen on the hyper touristic village of Ballyvaughan, if it works out it would mean busy summers and quiet winters, but years back i did that in the restaurant business and i love it. Your general considerations are spot on, i agree in full on all points.

RATM

Well if it is as a lifestyle business then a place like Ballyvaughan would tick a lot of boxes. The fact it is seasonal means you'll make 80% of your annual revenue within 4-5 months of the summer and the rest of the year will be a trickle, all of which is fine if you're keen to engage in other pursuits rather than just running a B&B.

Winter time will be fairly quiet but if you did want to increase business you need to give the domestic Irish market a reason to go to your B&B (because they won't be going for the weather!). A good few rural B&B's have got into the practice of hosting themed weekends to attract people. Things like cookery weekends or art or creative writing courses run through the B&B can mean you have a full house for the weekend even in a dark November.

Ballyvaughan would tick many of the boxes but also take a look at other west coast towns that get a lot of tourism, both domestic and international. Fanore, Doolin and Lahinch on the Clare coast could all suit the bill. Lahinch gets a steady stream of surfers in the summer and some in the winter too. I'd have a preference of Dingle in Kerry as it's a lovely place to live but it may be too far south for you. If not I would advise checking it out, it is very busy in the summer but also has good repeat winter business from the domestic market.

In buying a B&B I suspect you're looking for a turn key operation. But I wouldn't rule out buying a regular house and doing the necessary conversions, especially if it means you get a better location. Extra space / land around the house is also important- not only if you want to extend but also if you spot a market trend and want to tap into it. EG you might notice a lot of cyclists or motorbikers pass through the area and want to attract them by building an outside shed to accommodate their bikes over night (something many cyclists and bikers would appreciate).

road_high

Yea I agree though Ballyavughan would/could be good, it would be far more seasonal than say Kilkenny or Dublin, which always have something going on and are better located. There are conferences weekly in Kilkenny as it is on the Motorway network (again, very important factor) and accessible to Dublin and Cork (where most people live in Ireland).