Irish Clock Hotel

Post by **UdonThaniPete** » June 25, 2017, 9:42 am

vincemunday wrote: ↑
June 25, 2017, 7:02 am
How can TripAdvisor be rubbish? Yes you get the odd idiotic review but they get 300,000,000 users each month, that's a whole lot of rubbish! if I'm booking a hotel or going to a restaurant I'll always take a quick peek on TA, you can usually sort through the chaff and get a good idea of what a place will be like, if somewhere has got 200 reviews and 190 says it's good or better there's a fair chance it's going to be okay but if there's 200 reviews and 50 of them are panning a place well it's obvious you're taking a chance, usually the people who don't like TA are the ones who own an establishment and are being slated by their punters. And by the by, you can't leave zero on TA. My own opinion of the Irish Clock isn't great either, the staff are grumpy and rude and it could do with a coat of paint.

Vince, I agree with you 100%, I get to travel around the world a lot for work and pleasure, I normally do my research on TripAdvisor for Hotels and restaurants especially if I'm going on holidays, yes you can get some chaff but you will get a very good idea on the place and recognise the chaff as being just that, i personally have never been let down by TripAdvisor and believe it's a good tool to use for planning where ever you go in the world.

Post by **tamada** » June 25, 2017, 10:27 am

"... usually the people who don't like TA are the ones who own an establishment and are being slated by their punters..."

There's still an ongoing brouhaha about TA allowing dining establishments with their own TA membership to create their own faux glowing 'anonymous' reviews, thus defeating their whole raison d'etre. Been that way for at least 8 years now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hotel ... -them.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -fake.html
https://tripadvisorwatch.wordpress.com/ ... r-reviews/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -cash.html

I have managed to live, work and travel around the world for nigh on 40 years and except the one time I foolishly browsed TA for things to do and eat in Nha Trang, I have managed without their rather dubious advice. Beyond building the dunny's at Mrs tam's restaurant and wiring up the gazebo's, I do not have a vested interest in any restaurant.... but her restaurant was bloody good anyway.

Now, do I feel bad about not being part of their 300,000,000 monthly sheeple count?

You said it yourself,

"...that's a whole lot of rubbish..."

Post by **Barney** » June 25, 2017, 10:34 am

For some reason the original post was in regard to availability of accommodation but some posters quickly saw fit to try and denigrate the establishment with repeated posts about the business as a whole, to include the décor, the manager, the food, the staff etc etc.
Why cant people just make their comment or opinion and move on.
Ok every one gets it now, you either like it or don't like it.
Give the business a break.
I personally can't fathom what personal satisfaction people get from continuing a debate with at times personal barbs or comments and always wanting the last word if people do to agree with their view.
Good luck to the Irish Clock. I do not frequent the establishment as a local drinking hole but over some years now I do visit and have had some good meals and Guinness there.

Post by **Stevo** » June 25, 2017, 11:14 am

I agree with you Barney... I've known the Irish Clock since it was converted from a shop house and Tom held the keep; Over the years I became a regular eater there when Steve and Mali held it, that continued when Trevor and Ann took over, my wife and I even held the reigns for Trevor whilst he and his family were in UK for a spell, I have played pool there since Fred has held it although I am not a regular customer as I rarely get into town any more. The Clock has had it's ups and downs as any business will have over the years, but I would certainly drop in for a meal if I was in town and hungry.

Post by **grievous** » June 25, 2017, 10:35 pm

Agree with Barney one comment is enough for feedback but some of theses guys feel a need to keep it going until they convince everyone. I've had a few average experiences in town but I'd prefer to bring it up with the manager to give them a chance to explain or makes amends. I would only give bad feedback if their resonse was not satisfactory. Everyone has a bad day, give them a break. By the way I love the Grapow beef and my kids reckon they have the best Red curry in town.

Post by **harry68** » June 26, 2017, 7:18 am

its always different strokes for different folks
feed back its great for business but the slagging is not needed
personaly i get tired of the BS but some people just haven't got anything better to do
filter throught the ---- and do what you think is best Fred
Ive never had a problem with the food and I'm the enemy

Post by **Wisdom** » July 16, 2017, 12:11 am

Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.

Post by **UdonThaniPete** » July 16, 2017, 8:50 am

PhilR wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:11 am
Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.

Check out the reports on TripAdvisor and you may have your answer.

Post by **fatbob** » July 16, 2017, 12:00 pm

UdonThaniPete wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 8:50 am

PhilR wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:11 am
Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.
Check out the reports on TripAdvisor and you may have your answer.

Dear old Grandma always told me if you don't have anything nice to say then shut the ---- up, she was such a sweet soul with great advice....

Post by **UdonThaniPete** » July 16, 2017, 12:30 pm

fatbob wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:00 pm

UdonThaniPete wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 8:50 am

PhilR wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:11 am
Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.
Check out the reports on TripAdvisor and you may have your answer.

Dear old Grandma always told me if you don't have anything nice to say then shut the ---- up, she was such a sweet soul with great advice....

Have you ever heard of the saying " The truth hurts" now thats great advice....

Post by **tamada** » July 17, 2017, 10:28 am

PhilR wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:11 am
Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.

Why are you concerned? Are you stuck for alternatives in Udon?

Why bring it up here? Go check out the place, book a room and if it's sub-par, tell the management ON SITE.

Posting such deep and pithy questions here will only attract the TripAdvisor aficionados like flies to the proverbial.

Post by **tamada** » July 17, 2017, 10:34 am

UdonThaniPete wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 8:50 am

PhilR wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:11 am
Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.
Check out the reports on TripAdvisor and you may have your answer.

What are you on about (as if we didn't know already)?

: Four out of five stars

: 54% excellent, 28% very good

Post by **tamada** » July 17, 2017, 10:37 am

PhilR wrote: ↑
July 16, 2017, 12:11 am
Hi there. I am concerned that a hotel which was in such a good location, competitive price, lovely balcony to see the world go by, meals just downstairs, cannot seemingly be booked on any hotels website! I can't even find the actual website for the hotel. Is the hotel now with no guests? If not, how on earth do you make a booking for the hotel these days? Thanks.

Try agoda, or hotels or Expedia...

: Rated 8.0 'Very Good' from 112 reviews

Post by **tamada** » July 17, 2017, 10:38 am

Reminder for the 'usual suspects'...

This is the Udon Thani Accommodation forum.

Post by **BobHelm** » July 17, 2017, 10:49 am

Unfortunately Tam, although the Irish Clock is listed on many hotel booking sites, it is impossible to actually book a room through any of them.
No matter what dates you enter it says rooms are not available at that time.

Unless he is actually fully booked at all times (a wonderful situation in central Udon I would have thought) it is something that the owner needs to fix. It looks, to me, that he is currently losing business.

p.s. it looked fairly busy in the restaurant last night when I went by at about 7pm. so they must be doing something right...

Post by **tamada** » July 17, 2017, 11:42 am

BobHelm wrote: ↑
July 17, 2017, 10:49 am
Unfortunately Tam, although the Irish Clock is listed on many hotel booking sites, it is impossible to actually book a room through any of them.
No matter what dates you enter it says rooms are not available at that time.

Unless he is actually fully booked at all times (a wonderful situation in central Udon I would have thought) it is something that the owner needs to fix. It looks, to me, that he is currently losing business.

p.s. it looked fairly busy in the restaurant last night when I went by at about 7pm. so they must be doing something right...

And that is entirely up to Fred or whoever is running the show these days. There's only 7 rooms anyway (I think). If their blogs and FB pages are either years out of date and bereft of information, people need to get a clue. Just because one establishment doesn't appear to be doing a job of marketing itself, doesn't mean that you have to slag it off here because the Guinness was off or the waitress didn't smile 6 months ago. Just look at the puerile complaint on TA following the one I copy/pasted earlier complaining that it's "Not very Irish at all." To me, along with the dim buggers that I mentioned earlier who complained they wanted noodles instead of an expensive burger in Vietnam, it just about sums up the true value of TA. It is mostly wrote by muppets to be read mostly by muppets. I am really upset that I had to actually visit TA to reconfirm what a pile of rubbish it still is but it does indicate that the claims made in a forum members recent posts here are totally fallacious.

BTW, I once stumbled across an Irish Bar in Buenos Aires one wet afternoon that had neither Guinness nor an Ulster Fry. But their enchiladas and margaritas hit the spot. Needless to say, I didn't complain. Anywhere.

Now, if anyone wants to go down and have a beer and something to eat at the Irish Clock once the rain eases off, let me know what time. At least that will be two real customers they'll have today and not those who live here, haven't been there for months, had a somewhat lacking dining experience but just can't seem to let it go.

Hells bells, I may even ask about a room!

Post by **the-monk** » July 17, 2017, 11:58 am

tamada wrote: ↑
July 17, 2017, 11:42 am

BobHelm wrote: ↑
July 17, 2017, 10:49 am
Unfortunately Tam, although the Irish Clock is listed on many hotel booking sites, it is impossible to actually book a room through any of them.
No matter what dates you enter it says rooms are not available at that time.
This might be a problem-situation created by the booking sites, not getting a big commission or much traffic they will show '' no room available "" and proposed similar venues . Happened to a friend of mine trying to book a mansion in Tokyo, the various sites kept showing '' not available " yet i was in there and plenty of empty rooms so my friend logged in directly with the mansion site and voila : problem solved. DON T fall for this '' no room available for your dates"" check with the hotel.

Post by **BobHelm** » July 17, 2017, 1:03 pm

Unfortunately, with The Clock you can't check on their web site, as they don't have one!!!

Post by **tamada** » July 17, 2017, 2:03 pm

042 247 450

Post by **UdonThaniPete** » July 17, 2017, 3:07 pm

tamada wrote: ↑
July 17, 2017, 11:42 am

BobHelm wrote: ↑
July 17, 2017, 10:49 am
Unfortunately Tam, although the Irish Clock is listed on many hotel booking sites, it is impossible to actually book a room through any of them.
No matter what dates you enter it says rooms are not available at that time.

Unless he is actually fully booked at all times (a wonderful situation in central Udon I would have thought) it is something that the owner needs to fix. It looks, to me, that he is currently losing business.

p.s. it looked fairly busy in the restaurant last night when I went by at about 7pm. so they must be doing something right...
And that is entirely up to Fred or whoever is running the show these days. There's only 7 rooms anyway (I think). If their blogs and FB pages are either years out of date and bereft of information, people need to get a clue. Just because one establishment doesn't appear to be doing a job of marketing itself, doesn't mean that you have to slag it off here because the Guinness was off or the waitress didn't smile 6 months ago. Just look at the puerile complaint on TA following the one I copy/pasted earlier complaining that it's "Not very Irish at all." To me, along with the dim buggers that I mentioned earlier who complained they wanted noodles instead of an expensive burger in Vietnam, it just about sums up the true value of TA. It is mostly wrote by muppets to be read mostly by muppets. I am really upset that I had to actually visit TA to reconfirm what a pile of rubbish it still is but it does indicate that the claims made in a forum members recent posts here are totally fallacious.

BTW, I once stumbled across an Irish Bar in Buenos Aires one wet afternoon that had neither Guinness nor an Ulster Fry. But their enchiladas and margaritas hit the spot. Needless to say, I didn't complain. Anywhere.

Now, if anyone wants to go down and have a beer and something to eat at the Irish Clock once the rain eases off, let me know what time. At least that will be two real customers they'll have today and not those who live here, haven't been there for months, had a somewhat lacking dining experience but just can't seem to let it go.

Hells bells, I may even ask about a room!

The Google reviews must be wrong also

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