Aubey Banack, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2018
Please accept our thanks for the Amazing Ireland Adventure you all put together for us. The minor problems we encountered were quickly and professionally handled by your staff. Elaine kept in touch and made sure that all went well. We look forward to using your Travel Services again and have passed on your name to friends who wish to visit Ireland, Scotland & England. Thanks again for “the memories”.
Aubey Banack, ON
Janet Davidson, ON, Escorted Castle Tour, Scotland, September 2018
We had a wonderful trip to Scotland and enjoyed most accommodations. Crossbasket, Fonab, and Inverlochy Castles were excellent as far as accommodation, cleanliness, service and staff. We cannot say enough for our driver, Stuart Ferguson. He was an excellent driver who went out of his way to make our trip memorable. Stuart was knowledgeable about the history of the areas we visited and was accommodating when we requested some minor changes. We would definitely travel with Stuart again. In conclusion, we enjoyed out time in Scotland and it’s beautiful landscape but I have to say that Ireland will always be the most memorable and the place I loved the most.
Janet Davidson, ON
Bruce Missett, CT, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2018
Nanette and I had a wonderful time and you are now two for two in setting up great trips for us. We have fond memories of our trip to Scotland and the two guides that, like Paddy Noonan, added significantly to the total experience. Paddy was terrific and his efforts went well beyond what we could have expected. While I’m not sure what could be done, we had maybe one too many stops (I’m also not sure what we would have given up). Hotels were also fine but if you put someone at the Trident make sure they get room 119 or 219, basically the end rooms over the water. The Ballyseede Castle has charm and the people are delightful. It was what we asked for (castle experience) but it probably could use a little more updating than charm. Twelve Hotel was great their restaurant was excellent. Maybe it was better to stay there than in the city but it is something to think about. We have no idea what hotels would have been like in Galway. Lough Eske was just great although we found going out to see more coast and cliffs outweighed stuff at the castle. Again, the restaurant was great. Barberstown Castle was more cute than charming (maybe unfair as it was our last day) and at the end of a trip it might be better to go simple and closer to the airport. I would go back to Ireland just to have dinner again at Finn’s Table and Kinsale is a cool place. So much of a trip like ours depends on what your goals are. We wanted to see the coast in all it’s splendor and it worked (again thanks to Paddy) and your routing of us along the coast. Thanks for your help and our best to Elaine who was most helpful.
Bruce Missett, CT
Ami Hileman, IL, Custom Self Drive Honeymoon, Ireland, September 2018
We had a fabulous time! We enjoyed each of the places we stayed at, and the information you sent ahead of time was particularly helpful. We looked back through your guide many times to remember bits of information about tipping and etiquette. Dromoland and Carton House both surprised us with extras for our honeymoon, which was so thoughtful! At Dromoland they had a lovely fruit tray and chocolates sent to our room as a gift. At Carton House they upgraded us to an amazing suite! It would be hard to say which was our favorite activity, as we enjoyed everything so much. I think my favorite activity was the falcon walk at Dromoland and my husband really enjoyed cycling through the estate. Our only regret was that we did not arrive earlier at Carton House to take advantage of the facilities on our last day, but we stopped at Rock of Cashel and that took longer than we expected so that we did not arrive at Carton until evening. Thank you again for all your help!
Ami Hileman, IL
Marilyn Mower, OH, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, September 2018
We had a wonderful adventure! Scotland is beautiful and 10 days there was enough for us to know we’ll be back! Many thanks to Elaine and Ruth for a great job and continued assistance. And to Colin for laying out the initial itinerary. I felt that the agenda gave us a good representation for our first visit to Scotland. The trip went smoothly for us, from picking up our van to meeting our transport back to the airport for departure. We enjoyed our accommodations at each stop and appreciated their diversity. We were especially happy that, upon a couple days’ notice, Sheenco was able to cancel our Glasgow stay and extend our time in Invergarry. My husband made the call so I am not sure which representative he worked with, but we needed more Highland time and this was much appreciated.
Favorites short list:
- Pitlochry Highland Games
- The Macallan Distillery
- Melrose Abbey
- Stirling Castle
- Driving through the Highlands – Breathtaking scenery.
- Favorite accommodations – Dalhousie Castle, Glengarry Castle on Loch Oich, and Atholl Palace in Pitlochry.
In closing, I will definitely be recommending your company to others.
Marilyn Mower, OH
Robert Morton, ON, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, September 2018
We had a great time in Scotland!
Car Rental – Enterprise Car Rental provide us with a Toyota Rav 4. This was a larger vehicle than the Ford Focus we expected and it had a Sat Nav system built in. This proved to be very useful.
Heritage Pass – We were happy to learn that these were included in our package and found them very easy to use.
Stirling – Colessio Hotel provided comfortable accommodation, great service, and an excellent breakfast. We had our first dinner there as well but were disappointed that our entree was overcooked. We mentioned this to our server. We really enjoyed our visit to Stirling Castle. The reservation that you made for Lynn at the National Curling Academy was one of the many highlights of the trip. Lynn got to meet members of both of Scotland’s men’s and women’s national teams.
Fort William – While there were many nice things about Corriegour Lodge Hotel (location and staff), it’s time for a major updating of the facility. The meals were of high quality but in comparing their cost to the cost of the other great meals that we had in Scotland we believe that they are somewhat pricey.
Isle of Skye – Even though it was quite rainy we really enjoyed our time on Skye. We hiked both around the peninsula and into Portree. Cullin Hills Hotels was very comfortable and had a great group of staff members. The dining room was excellent both in terms of the view and the quality of the meals.
Inverness – We visited Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness on the way to Inverness. There was no monster to be seen. Rocpool Reserve Hotel was exceptional and Inverness offered a very pleasant small city environment. We used the hop on hop off bus and highly recommend it.
Aberdeen – Norwood Hall provided excellent accommodation and great meals in a lovely setting. We wandered the city center and the beach. We really enjoyed the Marine Museum.
St Andrews – We drove the coastal route from Aberdeen to St Andrews and found it to be an excellent choice. There were lots of scenic vistas and interesting small communities to pass through. Russacks Hotel was wonderful form all perspectives including the food and the view. Thank you for booking our golf. We enjoyed our game as well as our walk on the Old Course. There is a small tractor drawn “train” that tours St. Andrews. The ride was great and the historic commentary added much to our visit to St Andrews.
Edinburgh – What a great city! Once again the hop on hop off bus became our mode of transportation. We bought the 48 hour pass and traveled all three routes. This enabled our visits to the Botanical Gardens and the Castle. The Rutland Hotel was terrific. Well located, with a very comfortable room and staff members who provided great service. As we had to depart very early on our final day, the porter delivered breakfast to our room and ensured that a taxi was waiting when we were ready to leave for the airport. If anything on our trip could have been changed it would be to add another day in Edinburgh. We felt like we only scratched the surface.
Thanks again to you and your team for putting together a wonderful vacation.
Robert Morton, ON
Johnnie Holley, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, September 2018
Our trip to Scotland was all we had hoped for. All of our accommodations were excellent and no problems were encountered. Our driver, Ken Thompson, was excellent. He was helpful, cooperative and capable. I cannot praise Ken enough and because of him our trip was all we had hoped for. We encountered no glitches and all bookings were as stated. All tours and reservations were as planned and the restaurants were very good. On arrival ,the pickup was on time and the departure was as planned. We greatly enjoyed our trip .
Johnnie Holley, TX
Joe Trachtenburg, FL, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, September 2018
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Scotland, and could not have done this trip without your help.
– Enterprise CarvRental in Edinburgh was something of a circus. I called the day before for pickup at my hotel; they simply said no. (In the US this is their most known benefit). Once we arrived, only one lady working the desk, so a long queue to check in, and another long queue to get our car. On a positive note we were upgraded to a Mercedes 350GLE (my car in the US) so it was very comfortable.
– The Rutland Hotel in Edinburgh was a good mid-range hotel, attached to a great bar and restaurant where we had our breakfasts and cocktails
– The Blytheswood Square was wonderful in every respect.
– Barcaldine Square was quaint and comfortable. We were on the top floor – four steep winding flights. We had to carry our bags up; staff brought them down. It tested our 70+ year old strength skills, but the rooms and grounds were great, as were the young couple who run it.
– We enjoyed Oban and especially our day in Mull. Thanks for the help with the ferry and distillery.
– Inverlochy Castle was spectacular, in every respect. Their gardens are better than Edinburgh’s botanical garden.
– We enjoyed our visit to Skye. Duisdale House isn’t great, but not sure there’s much better. And they could not have been nicer to us on day 2. (Thank you again for dinner). Our lunch at Three Chimneys was amazing.
– Drumossie Hotel was just OK. Our dinner at Rocpool was spectacular.
– St Andrews was the highlight of our trip. We loved the hotel and the town. We got to wander the golf course and played mini-golf on “the Himalayas” – great fun. (Even a hole in one for Gail, a non -golfer).
– Dalhousie Castle has some lovely public rooms, but it appears they ran out of money when it came to the guest rooms. Views however are beautiful. Dinner in the Dungeon was an experience, not all good. Beautiful setting, efficient staff, awful food.
But we got to eat in some of Scotland ‘s best restaurants so we acknowledge others may have been quite satisfied. The best part – we love Scotland. Weather is iffy, but the country is beautiful. And the people are among the friendliest in the world! So thank you all again for facilitating our visit.
Joe Trachtenburg, FL
Lella Smith, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2018
We had such a lovely time in Ireland and want to thank you for all of your efforts on our behalf. The many arrangements that Sheenco made went off without a hitch and simplified our trip enormously. By the way, the best dinner we had was at Cronins in Killarney and we so appreciated that recommendation. Because of my foot injury, we cancelled a couple of items on the itinerary but that turned out to be a good thing. We did not go to the Cliffs of Moher because of the distances to walk to the cliffs; nor did we go to the Aran Islands. Our wonderful driver John Rice suggested that we drive to Ashford Castle and the picturesque town of Cong. Afterwards, we went to Kylemore Abby and finally to Sky Road. It was a very long day but the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful! There are many incredible sites in Ireland but our favorite stops turned out to be Kylemore Abby, the town of Cong and Newgrange. Thank you again.
Lella Smith, CA
Mary Ostling, MN, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, September 2018
We had a wonderful time in Scotland. Every transfer transportation occurred on time, without a single hitch. The castle and manor home accommodations were lovely, the service impeccable. Our guide, Gerry Toner, was exceptional in every way. It was like traveling with an old friend who knew all the cool places to visit. We laughed and talked and almost fell together into a highland fairy pool! We would recommend him without reservation. If fact, my husband was wondering what other countries Gerry guides in as we would be thrilled to follow him anywhere. From start to finish, Sheenco Travel exceeded all our expectations. Your attention to all the little details ensured that our trip was a relaxed yet stimulating experience. We have done considerable international travel and we know it’s the little things that can make the difference between a great trip and a travel nightmare. Thankfully, you guys do it right! I will happily submit glowing reviews to all the travel links. Thank you, Colin, Garry, and everyone at Sheenco Travel.
Mary Ostling, MN
Sir Trevor & Lady Hassell, BB, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, September 2018
Firstly our driver Glen was very good and suited us perfectly He was a safe driver and made our days as long or short as we wanted them to be. We usually started at about 100.00am and were in our hotel by 6.00pm
CHATEAU RHIANFA, ANGLESEY
This was a lovely hotel with gardens and on the estuary however this property has lots of stairs on landings etc and steep stairs to go down to the breakfast room. We liked that we were able to have a light dinner in a very cosy sitting room without having to go into the main dinning room.
TWR Y FELIN HOTEL
A very modern hotel with every thing state of the art and within walking distance of ST DAVIDS CATHEDRAL. Our room had a pleasant view of the courtyard and bay.
COED Y MWSTWR HOTEL BRIDGEND
Very comfortable hotel with beautiful gardens. Room was very spacious with sitting area and 2 tvs. This was my favorite hotel
NOTES
All of our hotels were pretty isolated and we could not have stayed there if we did not have our driver Glen. Also these are old hotels and if you have mobility issues that could be a problem
Both Sir Trevor and myself thank you for organizing our trip and will be quite happy to recommend SHEENCO TRAVEL. Thanks once again to you and your team
Lucinda Lady Hassell, BB
Thomas & Kitty Dindo, OH, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, September 2018
Our trip with Maurice was nothing short of amazing. Everything went as planned but also he was very flexible and each day we decided what our day would be. He was an outstanding guide and driver. He just knows so much about Scotland’s history. Our own personal guide no matter what we wanted to do. Anyone who has him as their guide is very lucky. He even made the weather great. It hardly rained for two weeks. Sunny everyday. We were extremely happy with our experience working with Sheenco.
Thomas & Kitty Dindo, OH
Laura Dotson, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, August 2018
First off – it was a great trip! Opting for a driver/guide was the absolute best choice. As my husband Mike said several times, we would have never made it out of Edinburgh!
Maurice was outstanding! He went above and beyond right out of the gate helping us with our genealogy search. We went to what appeared the logical church in Sauchie/Alloa. He was persistent in getting the cleaning lady to the door who directed us to the right door for the office (not marked at all in an adjacent building). The secretary was there and extremely helpful. We learned about Sauchie and based on the dates, she directed us to county offices and the correct cemetery. Unfortunately the cemetery was closed to the public, but we found it and took pictures. Would not have been possible without Maurice. When he found out Mike wanted a cashmere sweater, he took us to The House of Bruar on the way to Pitlochly. Needless to say we made a contribution to the local economy at that most delightful store. Maurice definitely made the trip.
Inverlochy Castle was amazing – spoiled us for the rest of the trip. Truly best accommodations, food and service. Setting and grounds were extremely nice and conducive for a leisurely walk. Room was delightful and spacious.
Glengarry Castle was nice. Common rooms were very bright, inviting with nice views. However, the upstairs and our room had a drab appearance for lack of a better word, there was something lacking. The room was a nice size but the shower was extremely small. Staff was nice and welcoming.
Drummossie Hotel was just okay. We decided not to go “back into town” for dinner at the Rocpool restaurant and opted for room service. Hotel seemed woefully understaffed, calls went unanswered and had to make multiple trips to front desk for service.
Fonab Castle was very good. Service was outstanding. Castle room was nice, but small. Again no air conditioning and no fan. Meals were good, views of the lake from table were very serene. Nice walk across the dam.
Sheenco staff and the communications were spot on. Thanks again for a great trip.
Laura Dotson, TX
Colleen Toner, AB, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, August 2018
Colleen Toner, AB
Karen & Kevin Martin, ON, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, August 2018
We had an amazing holiday. Stirling Castle, Doune Castle, Linlithgow Palace and Edinburgh Castle were all amazing!!! We covered a lot of territory and put on a lot of miles and saw so much. We absolutely loved the Rutland Hotel, Mar Hall, Glengarry Castle, Bosville was very nice, but we were directly over the bar for 2 nights and it was very loud until 11pm every night. Dornoch Castle was our favorite along with Dalhousie Castle as we had authentic Castle rooms and were thrilled! The trip was overall amazing, and the scenery was awe inspiring.
Karen & Kevin Martin, ON
Karen Pierz, IL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, August 2018
We had a wonderful time in Ireland, and our driver Jerry was absolutely the best. His knowledge of Ireland and fantastic stops long the way made it so much better. He could sense when the driving got too long and kept us entertained and made wonderful small changes to our itinerary, calling ahead so pubs would be ready. At our stop at the house in Kilkee where my husband’s family lived, the current owner let us in and John Kelly , one of your suggested photographers, was right on time and took great pictures. The food and beverages were enjoyed by all and very high quality. We loved all of the hotels, but I think the views from our windows at the Lake Hotel were spectacular. Watching the deer come to the water to drink near the herons in the morning was beautiful. The final dinner at the Barberstown Castle was a great ending. Our family was just amazed at our itinerary. Many thanks for such great planning.
Karen Pierz, IL
CC Jacques, MD, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, July 2018
CC Jacques, MD
Doug Reed, NY, Custom Self Drive, England & Wales, July 2018
Our trip was wonderful! We took advantage of many of the recommendations that you presented. We also found a few things ourselves, including driving through the Cotswolds, a Roman villa, Brimham rocks, Barmouth, and some druid stone formations. We loved Hadrian’s Wall, York, Canterbury, and Liverpool. Truly a wonderful trip. Thanks again.
Doug Reed, NY
Bethany Landing, CA, Custom Chauffeur Drive, Scotland, July 2018
We had a fantastic time on our Scotland vacation! Colin was a great asset in planning our trip. Andy was a great driver and had a wealth of knowledge to share with us throughout the trip and every excursion we took. Such a great guy and a perfect fit for our personalities. He called ahead of the first meeting and chatted with me about what we really wanted to do and what were our ‘must sees and must dos’ while in Scotland. I would like to share the positives and negatives for the hotels for future guest’s benefit if you don’t mind. We loved the Principal in Edinburgh. They had amazing service, amazing rooms, great food everything. This was our perfect fit for a modern hotel experience. We loved the Glengarry Castle hotel it was wonderful for the castle/manor house experience I was looking for. Technically, I would have loved to stay in a place like this in every location as I mentioned to Colin but I know that just wasn’t realistic for July as it’s a busy time. But this was my favorite location of the whole trip. It felt like Downton Abbey 🙂 great service, great food… the grounds were lovely just loved that place. The Kingsmills was a fast turn around, I tried to book a spa treatment, but everything was booked for the times I was available. (Note from Sheenco – we do recommend using our Concierge service to book spa treatments in advance of your trip). We did get to enjoy the spa and gym a bit. Again, my preference would have been a more castle/ manor house type experience but maybe there wasn’t anything available near Inverness. But the place was definitely lovely! Overall, Scotland was amazing as the landscape, castles and history could never disappoint it was all wonderful and I would love to come back again someday!
Bethany Landing, CA
Steve and Linda DelRossi, NJ, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, July 2018
Our 9 day trip touring Scotland was absolutely wonderful. We worked with Colin to create our itinerary. Since I am a devout Outlander fan, he was able to include all of the sites that I requested. The accommodations, all five star except one, were superb. The castle hotels, especially Inverlochy and Crossbasket are so exceptionally beautiful. Moreover, Elaine did a splendid job with dinner recommendations. All of our meals were outstanding including the buffet breakfasts. Transportation to an from the airport was on time and the drivers were very professional. One of the best aspects of our trip in addition to the scenery and castles, etc. was our driver, Jerry Toner. He is so knowledgeable and personable and was a highlight of our trip. He was able to include all that we wanted to see and even had some additional sites for us to explore. By the end of our trip he was like a best friend. We were sad to say good by. We will certainly work with Colin and Elaine for our return trip and request Jerry again. Scotland is such a beautiful country and Sheenco is the best. We will certainly recommend you. See you next year.
Steve and Linda DelRossi, NJ
Chip McFarland, CA, Custom Self Drive, Ireland & Scotland, July 2018
Just returned from our trip and wanted to say thank you for all your help in setting up arrangements. Everything went great with the travel package your team set up, without any problems. We had a great time, loved both Ireland and Scotland. Spent a couple of days at the British Open as well. Hotel accommodations were outstanding, service by all great, friendly and helpful. Scottish countryside was beautiful. Highly recommend to anyone driving to have Apple or Google Maps available to use. Was extremely useful for directions. Thank you again for your services, I will definitely recommend to my friends.
Chip McFarland
Dorothea Downey, MA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, July 2018
With the exception of Melville, which you went above and beyond to correct, we were very pleased with everything you planned and all of the other accommodations. I think Skye was everyone’s favorite but even that was hard to say because everything was superb. Maurice was a very patient and pleasant person and we all felt very comfortable with him. Believe me, we witnessed a few other drivers and their attitude and were even more grateful to have Maurice as our driver. Truly it was a trip of a lifetime for my sister and I and our nieces. Everyplace we ate was very good, even Melville castle at least served good food. Overall 10 stars, outstanding choices of hotels, driver, and suggested sites. The Jacobite train was awesome also. I will certainly rate you and your company top notch because you deserve it. I know you and your team worked hard to make this a wonderful vacation for us and it was. With great sincerity, thank you.
Dorothea Downey, MA
Diane Sullivan, MA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2018
We came back from our trip last week “Sullivan’s Family Trip to Ireland July 4-9th”. First, by far the highlight was visiting our extended family in Ireland and the Van Trips with Danny our tour guide/driver! He is amazing. From his beautiful voice singing us Irish songs, to his knowledge of Ireland’s history, to his gift of storytelling, we thoroughly enjoyed him and the tour!!! He really made our trip special. Secondly, working with Sheenco was easy and very beneficial with this size of group. We are very happy we used Sheenco, thank you! The only constructive feedback I would offer is that the we would have preferred more time at the Cliffs of Moher and forgone the Bunratty Castle. We are an outdoor activities/hiking sort of crowd and thought the Bunratty experience was not as nice as hiking/site seeing the beautiful Irish countryside/ocean cliffs. We also loved our trip to the Aran Islands. It was spectacular and I highly recommend that to others you work with if they have the time and the weather cooperates. Overall, we truly appreciated how the trip was planned and having our private van for the 20 family members with Danny as the driver was simply wonderful! Many thanks.
Diane Sullivan, MA
Chris Maher, BC, Custom Self Drive, Ireland & Scotland, July 2018
Well Genevieve I must say you and your team have done it again, what an amazing holiday. The place you chose were incredible and golf courses you sure know Johns taste. Today we are off to St Andrews. The accommodation were outstanding the only down on the Dalhousie Castle was that there was no internet in our room and in the library where it is suppose to have it the signal was very low. Thank you so much for all you have done to make this holiday special.
Chris Maher, BC
John Calibria, MI, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, June 2018
My wife and I just wanted to thank you for helping set up our travels in Scotland. You did such a great job arranging the hotels, the dinner reservations and the tickets needed for the excursions. I really appreciate the work Colin did in helping me plan the itinerary. I don’t think I would change a thing. I even started to feel comfortable driving on the left. I will be recommending Sheenco to others and hope to use you again in the future when we travel to Ireland.
John Calibria, MI
Anja McAlister, NJ, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, June 2018
We had great time in Scotland. The whole trip was enjoyable. Our drive guide, John Maltwood was really excellent. He added items to our itinerary on the way. That was excellent. We saw more than we were hoping for. Hotels were good. We fell in love to Stonefield castle hotel and Fonab. Thank you for organizing everything! I will definitely recommend your company.
Anja McAlister, NJ
Lane McKinney, TN, Escorted Castle Tour, Ireland, June 2018
We had a fantastic trip! This is due to your team. Colin was great getting our trip set up including the part on our own after the escorted tour ended. During our Self-Drive part Elaine was so helpful in working with us on getting 2 flat tires fixed. You have a great staff.
Things that were great were:
Group size
- Sites we visited
- Food choices
- Driver/guide – Paddy
- Staying 2 nights at some locations
- Accommodations
Thank you again for making our trip to Ireland so fabulous.
Lane McKinney, TN
Linda Mellema, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, June 2018
We have returned from our vacation to Ireland and we had a fantastic time. All the transportation was easy and smooth. We found our transfer drivers easily and John was easy to contact to rearrange our departure time from Dublin (we had luggage delayed and had to wait for it to arrive before we departed Dublin). John O’Mahoney was a great driver and a fantastic reference. Many of the days we went to places he thought we would like and he was always right.
Camden Court Hotel: Beautiful lobby and wonderful breakfast. The hotel room was the smallest of the trip and the bedding situation was crowded with one real bed and two fold-out sofabed type beds. I’d give it 5 stars for breakfast but about 3 stars for hotel room compared to our other stays. It is right above a pub that was loud late but I brought a white noise machine and of course any city is loud. Good location for walking around and shopping.
Ballyseede Castle Hotel was a favorite with our group because of it’s quiet rural location, the big dogs, the donkeys, and the ponies. Huge room with window seats all around. Nice staff and great breakfast. We were very happy there.
Old Ground Hotel was very nice with comfy beds and good breakfast. There were many free amenities and the location was fantastic for shopping, with a grocery store and pharmacy steps away. Wonderful food and music in the hotel pub. We were really happy there. There was no hot water first thing in the morning but I called the front desk and there was hot water within 10 minutes.
The Park House Hotel in Galway was very nice and roomy with a large bathroom. We walked to a pizza place nearby but didn’t do much else in Galway as we were tired.
Ashford Castle was everything it is supposed to be. The room was really nice, central top floor with a view of the lake and fountain through the dormer windows. Nice bathroom (but the water wasn’t quite hot enough for me). The BEST part was the falconry. We ended up signing up and all of us loved it. The kids also did archery and we rode horses. It was fantastic. I also loved Cong, the nearby village where we could get some good pub food for cheap and enjoy the river with all its stone bridges. We want to live in Cong permanently. Or maybe Dingle. We loved Dingle. Ashford Castle was definitely 5 stars all around. The grounds were amazing.
Barberstown Castle suffered by comparison only, comparing to Ashford Castle. The grounds were nice and they had two golden retrievers that my boys adored. The desk staff were wonderful. They recommended a restaurant/pub called Friels about 1.5 km from the hotel (we were hunting for chicken strips, burgers, etc.) and they called ahead to make sure what we wanted was on the menu; they were worried that the walking was a little unsafe and that turned out to be true. We had to spend a bit of time in the bushes waiting for traffic to pass and the day was warm. We arrived sweaty and the woman running the place knew who we were based on the phone call. The food and service was FANTASTIC! When it was time to depart, the server offered to have someone there drive us back to the Barberstown Castle because she was concerned about us walking back during rush hour. So sweet! We gave the nice Lithuanian man who drove us back 10 euro but felt like we should have given him 20 because we were so grateful. The breakfast next day was not as great as the other places we stayed (buffet portion was more limited). The transfer to the airport the next day was on time and easy. We had a fantastic time and will strongly recommend Sheenco again. Thank you!
Linda Mellema, CA
Jay Shell, MI, Escorted Castle Tour, Ireland, June 2018
Kim and I really enjoyed the trip and it being our first trip to Ireland we found the country simply magnificent! Our guide Paddy Kennedy was terrific. We found him knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible. To give you some specific feedback, below I have provides a few comments on each lodging / major site / event:
Fitzpatrick Castle: Great first stop. Close proximity to the airport allowed for a place to rest and recharge following the long flight. Best part of this stop was the walk to Dalkey; terrific town and we walked beyond to the Irish Sea / Dalkey Rowing Club.
Ballyseede Castle: This was our favorite ‘stay’. The dining room / bar was really authentic and the setting was beautiful. I did send a photo which was posted on the Sheenco website of me meeting Molly the Irish Wolfhound. Feel free using this photo – Molly is really smiling at the camera. Just a VERY Irish experience at Ballyseede.
Dromoland Castle: This was probably our least favorite. It resembled too much an American Golf Course Country Club. We could tell the place was full of wealthy Americans that were there to just golf. We could have experienced this anywhere in America.
Ashford Castle: This was our second favorite. Loved the setting, the facility was very authentic. We took the boat cruise to the island and really enjoyed that. The gardens were spectacular. There was a lot to do at this property. One drawback for us was the spa that had been constructed right in front of the castle which really blocked our view of the lake. At times we could look out our window and see spa clients getting their treatments!
Lough Eske Castle: Beautiful setting, gardens, and the dining / food was very good. The welcome we received here outdid all other properties. Pool and spa appeared to be closed or locked – it would have been nice to go for a swim.
Barberstown Castle: Excellent dinner here, but the place seemed a little low on staff and the grounds were pretty un-attended. Many of the gardens were weed filled and overgrown. Rear patio bar needed a good sweeping; there was much plant debris all over the patio.
Blarney Castle was outstanding. A lot of fun to kiss the Blarney stone.
Rock of Cashel was very impressive and gave us a lot of historical prospective of Ireland. Loved it!
Bunratty Banquet: while the ribs were out of this world and the entertainment was good, it was a bit crowded for our liking.
Westport House was beautiful, great guided tour and we enjoyed all of the history.
Cliffs of Moher, what can I say; like no place on earth! Just magnificent.
Giant’s Causeway was another magnificent site to see.
Belleek Pottery while we did not receive a tour of the factory we had been told it was because they do not do tours on Sunday but while we were in the gift shop a tourbus pulled up and brought a whole load of people back to the factory for a tour?
Bush Mills Distillery was a terrific stop on the tour. Very informative and we learned a lot about how they make their product.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge was another unbelievable site to see.
Ring of Kerry; while we had foggy, drizzle weather, we really enjoyed this driving tour. Waterville was beautiful and the Sheep Dog exhibit was really great.
Thank you again for a wonderful experience. We are just in love with Ireland and we will definitely return in the future!
Jay Shell, MI
Marla Fischer, IL, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, June 2018
Our trip was absolutely wonderful! By far, our favorite accommodation was Ashford Castle. What a beautiful castle and the staff were amazing too! We would highly recommend Falconry. Such a unique and entertaining experience! We did rent a GPS from the car rental, but didn’t end up using it very often. Another option that I stumbled upon was to download a map of Ireland in my Google Maps app. You can use the ‘offline maps’ without using data. It doesn’t show traffic, but it was quite helpful and got us all around Ireland. Our next favorite hotel was the Great Southern in Kilarney. Good location, nice facility and good breakfast. The Park House and The Alex were just ok. The Park House seemed a little older, but the breakfast was good. The Alex didn’t have our rooms ready until later in the afternoon, one of our rooms was on the 2nd floor and the other on the 5th, and the breakfast wasn’t very good. It was a good location though! The itinerary worked well for us. We all enjoyed seeing so much of your beautiful country. Thank you!!!
Marla Fischer, IL
Eve German, VA, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, June 2018
We had the MOST WONDERFUL TIME in Ireland. Really, just the best trip. According to everyone we met, we lucked out on the weather. Every day was sunny and warm, with the exception of about the last 24 hours at Kinnity Castle and 6/14, the travel day. But the gusting wind and rain at the castle was romantic in its own way. Sleep was an initial issue, and I will be more careful scheduling our flight next trip to Europe. My husband was, as usual, a little overly ambitious with pre-vacation commitments and we were really hurting the first few days. We did visit Kilmainham Gaol, the library at Trinity, Kilkenny Castle, and the Rock of Cashel. But for the rest of the trip, we sort of followed our whims. We had a happy social obligation in Kinsale, visiting the mother of a friend — our daughter works summers as a sailing instructor for our friend’s sailing school in Irvington, Virginia. Her mother lives on the waterfront in Kinsale. So we spent the Saturday on a day trip there from Inchydoney. On our way to Dingle, we drove around the Ring of Kerry except for the non-coastal portion that goes through Killarney. We had a wonderful time doing it and only wished we had another week to devote to the trip so we had more time and energy for everything. Dingle was my favorite landing. We sort of took it easy there and didn’t see everything possible. We went on long walks from the hotel. The meals were great, but the real winner there is the view from the restaurant. At first I was ever so slightly disappointed in the castle, feeling it a bit — I don’t even know how to say exactly — cute or hokey? A boat-shaped bed, very rustic — nothing wrong with this, but I’m sort of a luxury-dependent girl, it’s just a first impression. But this first impression rapidly gave way to loving the Castle. The people who worked there were really adorable and helpful. The grounds were beautiful. We had a lovely meal at Sli Dala, the tea — we had the entire restaurant to ourselves for the tea because everyone else was at a destination wedding in another part of the castle. We opted to have our second dinner at the Dungeon pub in the castle basement. It was charming and provided the best Irish stew of the trip. I would just like to pass along, because not sure if you realized, that our room was on the 3rd or 4th floor. We are in decent shape, so it wasn’t a big deal for us. But there is no elevator at Kinnitty and I thought you might like to know that for other bookings. Again, we had the most wonderful time! There are many other trips to be planned in the future, but we are hoping to plan a return to do the whole west coast of Ireland with our kids. Our daughter is going to a college that does a semester abroad in Ireland, so coordinating with that, maybe. Thanks so much for everything. We loved it. It was so amazing.
Eve German, VA
Bonnie & Michael McGuffin, TN, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, June 2018
I just wanted to let you know we made it home yesterday evening safe and sound and that we had the most amazing time. Thank you to you and your staff for an amazing job with making our trip to Ireland a very memorable one. The recommended itinerary listed for each day was very helpful and had some really great things to visit listed. The hotel accommodations were beyond expectations. I don’t know if you had anything to do with our room upgrade in Kinsale but if you did, thank you!!! The room was the best and had an amazing view. My husband and I will always treasure this 25th anniversary trip, we made some great memories and have some great pictures to remember them by.
Bonnie and Michael McGuffin, TN
Carol Welty & Art Stephens, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, June 2018
We are back from our grand trip and though tired we thoroughly enjoyed the time. Our driver John was just fantastic. He was easy going, knowledgeable and so helpful at every junction including helping us find lunch at each stop. We cannot say enough about how he made the trip so enjoyable. The car was also very comfortable and air conditioned which was a respite on the days we had to be in hotels without it. The biggest surprise was the hotels that are top rated not having air conditioning. It was very uncomfortable and surprising to us. I suggest you at least let people know when there will not be air conditioning before their trip. We did hear that the weather was unusually hot and of course were happy there wasn’t rain. The Ashford Castle and K Club were the best (except K Club didn’t have air conditioning) – how is that a 5 star hotel? They grounds and rooms were lovely. All in all our trip was a very memorable one. Grateful thanks for all of your help in making our trip the best.
Carol Welty & Art Stephens, CA
Andrea Becvar, CO, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, June 2018
We had a fantastic trip to Scotland. Both our driver and our accommodations were top-notch. We especially enjoyed our driver, Roy Lake who became part of our family by the end of the trip. Thank you to everyone with Sheenco that put together our trip…Colin, Ruth and Nicola – we really appreciate the time spent.
Andrea Becvar, CO
Stacey Lecours, RI, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, June 2018
We were thrilled with every aspect of our trip. Everything was wonderful and went off without a hitch! From the transfers, the car rentals and the hotel and restaurant reservations, everything was fantastic! We were blessed with perfect weather- warm sunny days for the duration of our trip with only sprinkles of rain here and there and a thunder storm our last night which didn’t bother us at all as we were snug and warm in our castle. We ended up staying at Dalhousie Castle the last night and did the falconry experience the morning before we got on our plane home. We met up with Scottish cousins twice while in Edinburgh and we were able to find my great grandfather’s store and residences in Oban. Scotland is an absolutely beautiful country and the people are so warm and kind! We will be recommending and using Sheenco Travel and Elaine in particular for upcoming trips! Elaine is fantastic! She really gets to know her clients and what they are looking for in their vacation. She handles changes with a smile and with ease. I loved receiving a phone call from her making sure we arrived safely and everything was going well on our first day in Scotland. Also, I appreciate her going above and beyond in finding us a van with an automatic transmission. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Elaine! I look forward to working with Elaine as we plan our trip next year to Ireland! Thank you for a job well done! It was a pleasure working with you!
Stacey Lecours, RI
Art Sbarsky, FL, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, June 2018
Hotels: The Lake Hotel is obviously a classic hotel; great view from my room; a little fusty/rundown; short enough drive into Killarney; only major issue is the lack of air-conditioning (I know it’s not needed year round but on the days I was there it really would have helped; maybe you should mention it to customers). The Twelve Hotel was the best of the three in terms of modernity, appealing to my style, being in the heart of things; ate one night in the hotel bar area which was great and went down the street the other night, right on the water, best meal of the trip. Barberstown Castle: gorgeous classic older property; great bar and garden; not much nearby in Barna but I went on to Clane and found a great local bar for beer and dinner.
Attractions: all of the places you pointed out had benefits; the only real weakness is tourist overcrowding which you obviously cannot control. By far the worst was Blarney Castle. Even with buying my ticket in advance I had to wait on the ticket line to get in. Then, once through that, it was 90 minutes from the entrance to the castle to the stone itself through/up very narrow steps and passageway, it was a debacle for me. I’d suggest you put in a disclaimer upfront letter your clients know things like this can happen. The best parts of the trip by far were the very scenic Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry and Sky Road. I bought a ticket in advance for a different time for Moher which is how I avoided the “Not Available” debacle. All three were beautiful. The latter two were spectacular for scenery and worth the narrow road aspect. Bunratty was fun. I also managed to get to Ailwee Caves which was fun (I was underground when it rained outside; the only rain in a week) and Waterford Factory. It was just a matter of planning time.
Cities: loved Dublin. Killarney is fun. Found great pubs both nights for food, drink and music; easy parking. Loved the whole small town feeling. Dropped in many places for a snack/beverage.
Car Rental: excellent in all aspects. I drove over 900 miles in the five days. Other that the outskirts of Galway, I never hit bad traffic. Managed the driving well despite the preponderance of narrow roads (still better than freeways).
Overall: it all worked out very well in terms of everything you controlled. Weather was great but I cannot give you credit. Crowding in certain spots a problem but I cannot blame you.
Art Sbarsky, FL
Barbara Eaton, CO, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, May 2018
My week with my Sheenco Travel tour was beyond fabulous. John was exceptional, and I saw and experienced so much, everything I could have wanted. I wish I could do this forever. And I will definitely contact you again as well as recommend you to my friends. Bless you all. Thank you.
Barbara Eaton, CO
Susan Steffee, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, May 2018
Our trip was wonderful!!! After having experienced our trip to Ireland (which we loved) with Sheenco, our expectations were high. And we were not disappointed! Our driver, Maurice, was a perfect match for us. He was always prompt, had a very pleasant personality, was knowledgeable and very accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and the extra sights he shared with us. Our favorite accommodation was Inverlochy Castle. Such an elegant atmosphere and the service was outstanding! We loved the fresh flowers, wonderful breakfast served on fine china and overall feeling of being special to the staff. All the other accommodations were great too with the exception of one, the Atholl Palace Hotel. It was nowhere near the standard we have experienced with all the other accommodations we’ve had on either of our trips with Sheenco. Overall we loved the trip and just wish you had more destinations to choose from so we could book another one! Sheenco gets an A++ from us!
Susan Steffee, TX
John Taipale, MI, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, May 2018
We all very much enjoyed our Ireland adventure. Beautiful country and beautiful people! Elaine was wonderful to work with in planning our itinerary – knowledgeable, attentive to detail and a delight to speak with on the telephone. I appreciate so much her insights, guidance, and follow through at every step. The reservations that were made all went smoothly, and again, I appreciate all who helped with them. Transportation from and to the airport was flawless. Our driver/guide Jerry was great – again very knowledgeable, punctual, flexible and entertaining and we really enjoyed the time we got to spend with him. All of our accommodations were wonderful. We only wished we could have spent more time at each of them. I guess we will just have to come back. The two places that stood out the most were Ashford Castle and the Castlewood Hotel in Dingle. Everything at Ashford Castle was simply fantastic but the Hawk Walk and High Tea stood out as particularly special for us. Brian and Helen at Castlewood were most gracious hosts and Brian’s cooking was spectacular!! There were so many special moments during this trip that I really cannot adequately describe them all. All in all we had a wonderful trip and created some wonderful family memories. Thanks so much to you all. I certainly would travel with Sheenco again and would not hesitate to recommend your company to friends or relatives. You are a very special group of people at Sheenco and my best wishes go out to all of you! Thanks again!
John Taipale, MI
Anne-Marie Styles, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, April 2018
Colin and the rest of the Sheenco Travel team made my “Cinderella ” vacation come true! We had the most amazing adventures and our driver Paul Hehir was so great I want to request him should I ever be able to return. I really think Hayfield Manor was my favourite of all our stays. We had such a good time we didn’t want to leave!!!!! Many thanks again for a truly outstanding vacation!
Anne-Marie Styles, ON
Scot Henderson, MA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, April 2018
Thank you to you and your team (Elaine Desmond & Ruth Mahoney) for your efforts in organizing our trip to Ireland. FYI….all the arrangements that you set up worked SEEMLESSLY………every driver, every reservation, etc. were spot on. In fact, even our driver mentioned that you folks were “one of the better ones” to deal with. All in all, a FANTASTIC trip……………and thank you again.
Scott Henderson, MA
John O’Brien, LA, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, April 2018
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a trip that couldn’t have come off any better. From having someone pick us up at the airport to arranging all of the accommodations and the rental car, everything worked out perfectly. The convenience of pre-pay was a great time-saver as well. The Heritage passes saved us lots of money. My wife and I appreciated the calls to check on us as we went about our tour of Scotland (a beautiful country and people). Thank you again and, when we next travel your way, you will be our first call.
John O’Brien, LA
Elizabeth McCuin, VA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, April 2018
The trip was great! Transfer arrangements (pick up at the airport and pick up at hotel to go back to the airport) were excellent. Our private driver – Jerry Horgan – was personable and a “walking encyclopaedia”. He found out the things we wanted to do and arranged them. We could not have asked for a better experience with him. We would highly recommend him again. Ashford Castle was the favourite accommodation. Thanks for arranging a great vacation for us.
Elizabeth McCuin, VA
David Banther, FL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, February 2018
We absolutely loved our trip! Our driver Mike Dooley was amazing, he showed us more in 6 days than we would see in weeks on a bus and he knew all we could ever want to know about Irish history. I would highly recommend him as a driver, he was attentive to our every need. The hotels were perfect. We LOVED Ashford Castle. We had no clue that it was remodelled since our last visit. We will go back no later than two years, this time in the summer and we will bring our daughters. We will use you all again.
David Banther, FL
