Of course it’s not just Dublin that celebrates on St Patricks Day, in every town and village events will be held for our Patron Saint and Kilkenny has a fantastic programme planned. All throughout the day there will be live entertainment at McDonagh Junction beginning with traditional music from the Whiskey Kings followed by a host of other bands and dance groups. The parade starts at 2pm and our All Ireland Hurling Champions will lead the procession with 40 other clubs from across the country, we’re also looking forward to seeing what floats, dance troops, bands and other brilliant performers will be taking part on the day.
Kilkenny Hotel Special Offer
The city has an amazing atmosphere, especially on St Patricks bank holiday weekend, and you can be sure of a fantastic night out so it might be an idea to book our new Late Checkout Package. From just €45 for 2 people sharing, the Late Checkout Package includes welcome drink in the hotel bar, overnight stay in a double or twin room at the Aspect Hotel Kilkenny, full Irish breakfast and extended checkout time up to 4pm. As with all our amazing value rates wireless internet access, parking and daily newspaper are included and you can even earn Rewards From Us to You points for a free nights in the future or One4All gift cards!
This year Paddys Day falls on a Saturday and we get to enjoy a lovely long bank holiday weekend. If you’re planning a St Patricks Weekend Break Aspect Hotels are the perfect destinations.
St Patricks Festival Dublin
Nowhere celebrates St Patrick’s like Dublin. Our recommendations for the ultimate 2012 St Patricks Festival weekend would be:
Arrive early at the Aspect Hotel Dublin Park West. It’ll be a busy weekend so we can’t guarantee your rooms will be ready but you can leave the car and store your luggage before heading into town.
Catch the Luas directly to the IFSC for the Irish Craft Beer Festival. As well as a celebration of the finest brews in the country there will be live music, fabulous food stalls and chance to learn about Brewing in the Time of St Patrick!
Work off lunch by joining the Dublin Walking Tour to uncover the historic sights and fascinating stories of the Saints life and legacy. The tours start opposite Trinity College at 2:30pm and ends at the Cathedrals so it’s a nice gentle stroll downhill to the Quays for the 79A bus that brings you back to the hotel.
Ruebens Restaurant serves a fantastic menu and we’d recommend an early dinner in the hotel then getting tickets to the Father Ted Weekend. Held at the Laughter Lounge on Eden Quay, the show features 2 of the original characters, a Lovely Girls Completion and refreshments including Mrs Doyles Craggy Island Iced Tea (have a glass, go on, go on go on…)
St Patrick’s Day in Dublin
Up bright an early Saturday morning to get a good spot for the parade. The St Patricks Parade starts on Parnell Square and everyone heads to O’Connnell and Westmoreland Streets, it’s a great atmosphere but can be hard to get a good view so I think Dame Street is much better. Afterwards everyone heads to the pubs for a pint or two. With over 1,000 in the city you can’t really go wrong!
On Sunday morning breakfast is served till a leisurely 11am, perfect after a night of celebrations. Alternatively how about a 5km Road Race? Starting at noon outside the Mansion House, run through Georgian Dublin in support of Crumlin Childrens Hospital.
Whatever you plan for you St Patricks weekend we hope you have a fantastic time.
The Six Nations (officially the RBS 6 Nations) is almost upon us and for rugby fans it doesn’t get much better! The international rugby union teams from Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy compete for title of European Champions.
Each year the teams alternate between hosting and visiting each other and in 2012 we welcome the Welsh, Italian and Scottish teams and their supporters to Dublin.
6 Nations Hotel in Dublin
Our Aspect Hotel Dublin Park West is an ideal choice if you are visiting Dublin to watch any of the rugby matches at Aviva Stadium. Getting to our hotel from the airport is quick and easy and we offer some of the best value rates in Dublin.
Hotel for Irish Rugby Fans
Our south Dublin hotel is a little outside the city centre, just off the M50, so if you’re driving you can avoid the hassle of negotiating city traffic.
Getting to Aviva Stadium
On match days we operate a complimentary shuttle bus directly from the hotel to Lansdowne Road. After enjoying the post-match celebrations in town catch the bus (79A) from Aston Quay and its only about 30 minutes to our front door, or a taxi typically costs €10 – 15.
RBS 6 Nations Rugby Dublin Match Dates 2012
- Ireland v Wales – Sunday February 6th
- Ireland v Italy – Saturday February 25th
- Ireland v Scotland – Saturday March 10th
We’re looking forward to watching some amazing rugby but if you can’t make it to Dublin, all the Aspect Hotels will be showing the matches live on the big screens in the bar.
Surprise your special someone this Valentines and treat the one you love to an unforgettable romantic valentines break.
Aspect Hotels have some unbeatable valentines weekend special offers so you can spoil your partner this year. Check-in to your hotel and enjoy stylish, modern guest rooms, delicious dining in Rubens Restaurant and afterwards treat yourselves to glass of champagne in the bar.
Whisk your loved one away for a Valentines Break in Kilkenny. Explore the historic medieval city centre; its winding streets hiding an eclectic mix of shops or visit the magnificent cathedral and dramatic castle. Kilkenny evokes an allure all to itself.
Did you know that some of St Valentines remains are in Dublin? The Shrine of St Valentine in Whitefriar Street Church contains relics believed to be the martyred saint and each February 14th a special mass is celebrated dedicated to all those in love. This valentines weekend the Aspect Hotel Dublin Park West has rooms from just €39 per couple. Seduce your valentine and add some romantic touches to your reservation: chocolates in the room; cuddle up and enjoy a late checkout or surprise them with champagne on ice waiting in the room!
Explore the heart of England with a romantic break at the Aspect Hotel Tamworth. With plenty of historic sites, wonderful scenery, quaint towns and charming villages on the hotels doorstep it is the perfect romantic destination to take time out and relax together.
A night or weekend away together is the perfect way to spend Valentines – just forget to mention that it was a bargain!
With Christmas only around the corner and so much to do sometimes it can be a good idea to just take a day out with the family so we’ve composed some fantastic events to be done for all our guests at Aspect Hotel Park west
Dublinia, Christchurch. A great family day out and one of Dublin’s top visitor attractions with three exciting exhibitions; Viking Dublin, Medieval Dublin and History Hunters Exhibition. A fun and contemporary way for all ages to learn and experience Old Dublin sights sound smells and ways. A fantastic day out that is sure to keep you entertained all day long.
Dublin Bus Hop On Hop Off Tour (Kids go Free). Kids love being
on the open-top bus and having the freedom to visit some great places for kids.
Stops include the National Gallery (kids art workshops), St. Stephen’s Green
(playground and ducks), Dublinia (exhibition), the National Museum at Collins
Barracks (kids art workshops) and of course Dublin Zoo. Your 2 day ticket allows you to hop on and off as often as you wish. 2 children under 14 years travel FREE with 1 paying adult. The convenience of having a super bus route that only caters to places of interest is a fantastic price and above all else is very handy for travelling through the city in Dublin traffic
Finally the Irish National Stud, Kildare have a great family day out at the Irish
National Stud, the Japanese Gardens, Fiachra’s Garden and the Horse Museum.
You can take a 35 minute tour of the stud, visit the museum or stroll through St.
Fiachra’s Garden which has 4 acres of woodland & lakeside walks. The paddocks are quite close by so you may see the foals running freely with their Mothers. In the evening you can eat in the restaurant, or bring your own picnic and browse our very unique gift shop.
It seems like only yesterday I was complaining it’s just gone Halloween and too early to think about Christmas. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have whizzed by and there are now just 18 days left…
Time to start buying those gifts!
If you’re searching for the perfect present for someone who has everything, how about a relaxing hotel break? Hotel gift vouchers are the ideal gift as they let the lucky recipient choose their perfect break away. Gift vouchers for hotels can be used for all sorts of minibreaks: shopping breaks in top European cities; getting away from it all on a country house retreat; or spending time with the family. Vouchers remain valid for 2 years so they have plenty of time to plan the perfect holiday and with over 40 participating hotels and luxury serviced apartments to choose from they’re sure to find one that’s right for them.
Last Minute Christmas Gift Idea
The shops are already hectic, avoid the craziness and order online. Hotel Gift Vouchers can be downloaded and printed out at home. Create your own fancy packaging for a fantastic personalised gift. Gift vouchers can be ordered anytime and downloaded immediately for the ultimate last minute Christmas gift idea.
With the Henry Street Christmas lights being lit on Sunday afternoon, Dublin is really beginning to feel festive!
Beat Santa this year
With so much to do this month it might seem like there are not enough hours in the day. To help you beat the Christmas crush almost all city centre shops are staying open late on Thursday evenings giving you extra time to find the perfect present. If you’re staying at Aspect Hotel Park West the nearby Liffey Valley and Dundrum shopping centres are open late every evening but we have an even better Christmas gift idea – Hotel Gift Vouchers!
Give someone the gift of a stay at Aspect Hotels! The gift vouchers can also be used at 40 other hotels and serviced apartments giving the lucky recipient plenty of choice to plan their perfect break away. You can buy gift vouchers on-line and download to print out at home to create a personalised present or if you prefer we can post out traditional gift certificates.
Festive Fun
This year 7up on Ice presents us with a new Venue for Skating, Arnotts rooftop now has a rink built with the world’s best synthetic ice technology called Xtraice. As seen in Disneyland Paris, Xtraice is safer and easier to skate and has 62 times less carbon emissions than conventional ice making it perfect for young families and less experienced skaters. It allows families to shop to your heart’s content and then glide under the stars with a backdrop of Christmas lights.
Festive Food
A visit to Taste of Christmas down the the Dublin Convention Centre is a must for all foodies. Following on from “Taste Of Dublin” summer event where all first class food and drink brands, both big and small, come when they want to get noticed. Large crowds are expected as 94% of the people who visited last year said they would return so try to arrive early to avoid the crowds!
For more inspiration the Visit Dublin website has details of all the fantastic Christmas events taking place this festive season!
Aspect Hotels are delighted to announce you can now earn reward points every time you stay at our hotels in Kilkenny and Dublin Park West.
Whether you’re staying for business or pleasure, get more from your visit. Collect hotel loyalty reward points for free nights stay with us (or another participating hotel) or use your points for One For All Gift Cards (perfect in the run-up to Christmas).
It’s free to join Rewards From Us to You and you can enrol online or with reception at your hotel.
With 15 points for every Euro spent you’ll quickly build up hotel loyalty card points. If your room rate is €60 per night after 6 nights you’ll already have enough points for a €15 One For All voucher to spend.
You can earn hotel points on all room rates booked on our Aspect Hotel websites or reservations made by calling the hotel directly. Discover more about Rewards From Us to You on the website or speak to our hotel reception team.
If there is anything us Irish are good at, it is celebrating Halloween to the fullest extent and making sure to scare the living wits out of each other as the occasion calls for. Halloween has for a long time and will continue to be a memorable date on the Irish calendar as one of the, if not the greatest horror novels in the world was written by an Irish man of Dublin descent. Bram Stoker was the critically acclaimed author behind “Dracula”, which apart from the Bible is the bestselling book in the world! So to pay respect to all the Frankenstein’s, Vampires, and Zombies, Aspect Hotel Parkwest have done a bit of researching into everything our visitors can get up to this Halloween.
Firstly we have the “Ghastly Glasnevin Exhibition” This is a history tour of all the horrific and gruesome tales of death and burial in Dublin during the 19th century. If you’re interested in tales of grave robbers, rituals and burial customs and there practical reason for being used then this is the horror tour for you!
We have also got a Halloween family fun day for you and the family. The day consists of seasonal fun and a wild trail! Later on in the evening there will be a live Ceili and also a scarecrow building activity to par take in where you can build a scarecrow or be the scarecrow!
What would you do if you won €10.000.000 with Euromillions???
For myself I know what I would do! But what do other people want to do with such an amount of money? To find out we’ve asked this to our friends on Facebook and this is the result:
- Let me first win! and will see afterwards. !!
Lol - quite a few new handbags.
- I’m going out now and I’ll buy a ticket Euromillons !!
- I would have a big big party !!! lol !!!”
- i’ll pay my debts off
- I’ll buy Astoria Hotel!
From this comments the idea came up to play and share. Following text was posted on Facebook with a few friends fast enough to join us and play.
“Astoria Hotel Antwerp
OK! Good news! Astoria will play Euromillions for you tonight! The first 5 numbers that our friends choose will be played tonight, ok? Shoot! I am waiting for 5 numbers between 1 and 50… We need also 2 numbers between 1 and 11 for the stars! Let’s hope we can share tonight 146.000.000!!!!!”
Good luck to Dimitry, Alfonso, Gregory, Astoria, Rosi, Myriam and Victoria! They have picked each 1 number to get lucky together tonight.
If you want to join us for the next Euromillions, please feel free to pick numbers next Friday afternoon! For sure we are “Happy Friends” with or without winning! Money is nice but does not make happy! Only for tonight then…