Pillo Hotel, Galway

Internet was not free. It was also down at the time.

In the middle of an Irish vacation, I was asked to conduct a phone interview for a job I've been seeking for several months. I knew that Courtyard by Marriot Hotels were "Biz First" hotels, so I decided to try and find one to use the business center and other facilities. The first problem I encountered was the internet search engine promised more benefits than the hotel actually offered. Free Parking, free wireless, breakfast, etc. When I booked thru Orbitz, my reservation had NONE of the normal Courtyard perks. It also rejected any of my coupon codes I had from my credit card (AmEx Blue) and other corporate discounts. The next problem was that the "business centre" was nothing more than some PC's next to the check-in desk, in an open lobby next to the main entrance. IT was worse than useless for a business interview on with multiple clients. The saving grace? The amazing courteous, friendly helpful staff. This hotel chain still understands that the best feature a hotel can have is customer service. They cheerfully provided some of the perks promised by the search (though not all. but I can hardly blame them) and were helpful with the local attractions and bus service.