We pull into the Premier Inn about 4.30 on Wednesday and are quickly checked in and into our room. Next up is the car and the Fiat Panda is deposited into it's new home (Meet and Greet). Then it's the short walk back to the hotel and down to the restaurant for our 6pm reservation.
The bad news is that they have stopped the Happy Hour at the bar - I am not best pleased and this could be a deal breaker in the future. The meal is okay but nowt special. The food is definitely pre-prepared but if feels a gap and it's a reasonable deal - with diner and breakfast for about £23, and it includes a drink.
We have a couple of drinks at the bar and then head back to the room for about 8pm. The Man City v Huddersfield match is on tv so I try and fail to stay awake. Fast asleep by about 9.30
Flash forward a few and fairly uneventful hours. The room is red hot and despite putting the fan on, and setting the a/c at a very low level we achieve a very fitful nights sleep, and are awake at 5.30. Which is fine this gives us plenty of time to drag the cases across the road to the airport and quickly check them in before heading back to the hotel for breakfast.
We thought we had plenty of time but hadn't counted on dear old Doris our server , who took a good 30 minutes to order and then deliver a fully cooked breakfast. We quickly wolf it down when it arrives and then leg it back across the road to the airport. Fortunately there is no line at security and we are through quickly. Our flight is boarding at 8 and it's 7.45 so not too much time to spare.
It's a quick 55 minute trip to Dublin and then 4.5 hours to kill until our flight to Orlando. Before we head through to the airport lounge we sample a couple of free whisky's and then it's through US security and immigration for access to the lounge. In September this process caused a lot of stress but without the elderly Knighton's it's a breeze. There's no line and so very very quickly it's time for 51st & Green airport lounge . WINE TIME !!!
We spend quite some time watching planes and drinking wine , and 1 Guiness just to be respectful to our Dublin hosts.
The bad news is that they have stopped the Happy Hour at the bar - I am not best pleased and this could be a deal breaker in the future. The meal is okay but nowt special. The food is definitely pre-prepared but if feels a gap and it's a reasonable deal - with diner and breakfast for about £23, and it includes a drink.
We have a couple of drinks at the bar and then head back to the room for about 8pm. The Man City v Huddersfield match is on tv so I try and fail to stay awake. Fast asleep by about 9.30
Flash forward a few and fairly uneventful hours. The room is red hot and despite putting the fan on, and setting the a/c at a very low level we achieve a very fitful nights sleep, and are awake at 5.30. Which is fine this gives us plenty of time to drag the cases across the road to the airport and quickly check them in before heading back to the hotel for breakfast.
We thought we had plenty of time but hadn't counted on dear old Doris our server , who took a good 30 minutes to order and then deliver a fully cooked breakfast. We quickly wolf it down when it arrives and then leg it back across the road to the airport. Fortunately there is no line at security and we are through quickly. Our flight is boarding at 8 and it's 7.45 so not too much time to spare.
It's a quick 55 minute trip to Dublin and then 4.5 hours to kill until our flight to Orlando. Before we head through to the airport lounge we sample a couple of free whisky's and then it's through US security and immigration for access to the lounge. In September this process caused a lot of stress but without the elderly Knighton's it's a breeze. There's no line and so very very quickly it's time for 51st & Green airport lounge . WINE TIME !!!
We spend quite some time watching planes and drinking wine , and 1 Guiness just to be respectful to our Dublin hosts.
The flight is on time so after several drinks we manage to sneak onto the plane slightly hammered, and the good news is the flight is only 1/2 full. The journey is well, long and with Aer Lingus there is no free alcohol so we simply focus on the entertainment system. I watch Girl on the Train , the US Office, In Bruges and Nocturnal Animals. 9 long hours later we land, there are hardly any children or old people on the flight and so it passes peacefully !!
Bags arrive safely and Alamo kindly upgrade our car to full size and with little incident we pull into the hotel at about 8pm. The timeshare staff try a bit of a hard sell but it's a firm NO from me and after a quick wash for one of us , but Julie just goes with the lived in smell, we head across the road for a quick bite to eat and some Sam Adams beer at Chilis.
It's a bit manic and the volume is very much American !! I have a prime rib buritto and Julie has fish tacos. Weather is a little chilly (pun alert as we are eating in Chilis) and we pop into Walgreens on the walk back to grab some beer. Back in the room I manage a can before heading to bed after about 26 hours without kip.
Knackered !!
Bags arrive safely and Alamo kindly upgrade our car to full size and with little incident we pull into the hotel at about 8pm. The timeshare staff try a bit of a hard sell but it's a firm NO from me and after a quick wash for one of us , but Julie just goes with the lived in smell, we head across the road for a quick bite to eat and some Sam Adams beer at Chilis.
It's a bit manic and the volume is very much American !! I have a prime rib buritto and Julie has fish tacos. Weather is a little chilly (pun alert as we are eating in Chilis) and we pop into Walgreens on the walk back to grab some beer. Back in the room I manage a can before heading to bed after about 26 hours without kip.
Knackered !!