Blain Gowing, AB, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, October 2019
We had a fabulous time and the arrangements worked out very well. Our driver Owen found us in Dublin and we started out on time but with rain as we headed south. Owen was super at adjusting the itinerary based on weather and the whims of the 4 of us. Nothing we threw at him was an issue that he couldn’t solve. The larger Van was perfect and gave the 4 of us and our luggage lots of room and great visibility for viewing the country side. As both of the ladies suffered a little from car sickness, Owen was able to minimize the Van time while not giving up significant sightseeing. The distances were actually longer than we might have imagined but again Owen was responsive to that.
The Castle Hotels were fabulous and we were able to avail ourselves with many additions activities beyond what we had pre-booked. I suspect availability was a little easier as we were moving into the shoulder season but we were right to book the Hawk Walk at Ashford Castle ahead of time as it was an incredible adventure and seemed to be heavily booked. After dinner at George V – Ashford Castle we had the Blue room to ourselves with a great singer ( McDonald I think ) and danced as if the Castle belonged to us. We booked the Fitzpatrick Castle as our last night near Dublin prior to our flight departure the next day. Enda suggested this as we wanted Castle Hotels but she was also good at telling us that it would not compare (at 4 stars) to the 3 properties we had just stayed in. When you spend 2 nights at Ashford and then go to the Fitzpatrick, it is hard not to feel let down…….even though we were prepared appropriately. I think the 4 of us agreed we might spend the last night in Dublin at a 5 star just to finish things off as if we were really Kings and Queens which we felt at Muckross, Dromoland & Ashford. If Fitzpatrick was a first night hotel it would be just fine but not after the luxury of the Ashford. Queen Shelley and Prince Phillip as we called them had also upgraded to suites and these suites were exquisite at Dromoland and Ashford (Ronald Reagan Suite) so they were coming off a very big high arriving at Fitzpatrick.
We were very pleased with all the work put into our travel plans and would not hesitate to recommend your services to others contemplating a similar trip. Ireland is beautiful in spite of us encountering a bit of the hurricane and we did not let any of the liquid sunshine impede our enjoyment. Of course the Irish people were a big part of our enjoyment along with the food and a new fondness for Guiness. Thanks again to the whole team at Sheenco.
Blain Gowing, AB
Donald Walkinton, NZ, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, October 2019
We enjoyed our trip immensely, very lucky with the weather, only rained a few times when we were driving, so we really didn’t need our rain coats at any stage. This is the first time we have used a driver, and it won’t be the last. It was just so relaxing to be picked up each day, sit back and enjoy the scenery or the points of interest. Ray our driver was absolutely excellent, he was very knowledgeable on a wide range of topics, a good conversationalist and very soon picked up on what was of interest to us. I sure we saw more in 12 days with him than we would have if we had been driving ourselves for 3 weeks, plus we would have missed some of the best sights. He also had a lovely sense of humor which we enjoyed. He was a very good driver, his car was very comfortable and nothing was too much trouble . Your choice of hotels and where they we situated was another highlight. A great holiday, thanks for you organization.
Donald Walkinton, NZ
Kathleen Ferrell, AL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2019
We just returned from our trip to Ireland and we wanted to thank you for helping us with the arrangements. The trip exceeded our expectations at every level. The attention and guidance we were given during the planning stages helped build a personalized itinerary that included the sights and activities that we were most interested in. The hotels you helped us select were amazing; the only disappointment was at the Great Southern Hotel. The accommodations were very nice but our dinner in the dining room was very disappointing, as the service was very slow, and the food was served cold. The following night’s dinner in town at Lord Kenmore’s was lovely. Both the Westbury and the Lough Eske Castle were amazing! Thank you for helping us find the best of Ireland!! We especially want to thank you for our driver, Paul Hehir. He provided so much history and information about Ireland and every area that we drove through and stopped to visit. I think we wore him out by engaging him in so much conversation!! He was gracious and always made sure our bags were delivered and we were settled in at each destination. He made the trip very memorable for us — the perfect driver and guide! We are referring Sheenco and Paul Hehir to our friends that are planning to visit Ireland. Our granddaughter wants to visit Ireland and we will definitely ask for Paul again. You have an amazing team! It was a perfect trip.
Kathleen Ferrell, AL
Gary Coles, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2019
We all had a great time. We ended up with 2 drivers and they were both very good. Jay got to know us best and was very accommodating and patient with us. Dave was very funny and was very knowledgeable about Irish history and music. I would recommend both of them. We loved Ashford Castle of course. As nice as a hotel as we ever stayed. Close to that was the Great Southern, Killarney. Beautiful property and rooms. River Lee in Cork had a very nice bar area and the service in the Kilkenny hotel was first rate. The Davenport in Dublin was in a great location but felt it was missing character. Water bottles only showed up the 3rd night and the room had 2 very uncomfortable chairs. The bar area was brightly lit like a cafeteria. No bathrobes. Seems more like a hotel for business people.
We loved Kilkenny and especially Killarney. Could have skipped Cork and Galway. Dublin has lots to see and some great pubs. Our favorite activities were the Hawk Walk at Ashford, Jameson distillery tour at Middleton, Guinness Tour, Dublin and the Blarney castle. We give Sheenco 5 stars. Everything went without a hitch and we felt very cared for. I would recommend Sheenco to anyone wanting a carefree, top notch service travel company in Ireland. Thanks.
Gary Coles, ON
Paul & Leslie Tsourounis, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, Sept 2019
We just returned from our trip to Ireland. The trip was amazing and the driver/car service provided for our trip was wonderful. We loved all accommodations (great locations – easy walking access to activities, restaurants, etc) and suggested tourist activities. Your attention to detail was outstanding! We would definitely rate our trip 5 star plus.
Paul & Leslie Tsourounis, ON
Paul Haviland, PH, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2019
It was the trip of a lifetime, my children and I loved all the Hotels and stops that were set up. Your attention to detail was extraordinary. The driver that was provided was excellent and I cant tell you enough how much we enjoyed this trip.
Paul Haviland, PH
Brenda Bauman, AB, Custom Chauffeur Driven, England & Scotland, Sept 2019
We had an exceptional time and visit to the UK. Our driver/guide John Moltwould was exceptional!!
Bloomsbury ok – clean, but really small rooms. Staff very nice and helpful . Breakfast was good.
Amberley Was upgraded to Amberely room. Grounds and room very nice on appearance. Dinner quite pretentious – presented as 3 course dinner with little variety and one dinner not served as ordered (meat ordered medium but was extremely rare – virtually inedible). One dinner was ok. The upgraded room unfortunately was on the same floor as the dining room so departing diners kept us awake while leaving up til nearly midnight. Breakfast was ok. Staff very nice but seemed a bit disorganized.
Thornbury – Very nice grounds, very nice room, and hotel. Staff were very nice. Room was upgraded to a ‘turret’ room which was exceptional! Breakfast ok.
Coombe Abbey – Room was very clean and modern with nice appointments – had the room that the closet opened to the bathroom – very clever! Dinner was ok and had a lot more variety than others previous. Breakfast was awesome!
Swinton Park Spectacular! Were put in a spacious room, very modern bathroom with ice bucket filled, little bottle of sloe gin to greet us!! Beautiful king size sleigh bed – view of the park with deer grazing. Absolutely awesome castle and grounds. Went to restaurant which was not the high level option at the property and the food was spectacular and not exorbitant. Staff very gracious and welcoming – our favorite of the entire group! Breakfast was very good and in the formal dining room where the high level option was served the evening before.
Carberry Tower Nice accommodation, welcoming staff, food was good and we were able to order from the bistro menu which had far more variety than the gourmet restaurant. Very inviting bar and staff which encouraged chatting among guests. Very much enjoyed the atmosphere.
Holyrood Hotel Location ok close to Royal Mile but a bit confusing as the streets are windy and easy to get lost. The food for dinner was ridiculously expensive but pubs were close by and reasonably priced and pretty good food. Dropped off late morning – they were supposed to call and tell us when we could check in – never got a call…. Came back around 4 pm and they were ready but no comment made as to contacting us. Breakfast was good.
Knockendarroch Small manor house and we were contacted by phone the day earlier to see if our dinner reservation could be changed as they were over booked for dinner @ time we were booked for. That was fine. We were told we were upgraded and put in a new addition to the side of the house which was extremely new and modern – so lacked the charm we had come to expect in the prior accommodations. The parlor was charming but a bit worn in places – hostess was pleasant but it was a bit uncomfortable when seating started for those readying for dinner. Dinner was good for one of us and exceptional for other – absolutely best fish meal ever! Breakfast was good.
Tulloch Castle Very nice and comfortable room and castle. Good meal and good breakfast. They had a ghost tour and was a fun atmosphere and friendly visitors.
Grand Central – didn’t like the location nor the city for the most part. There was a lot of screaming and shouting most of the night due to the pubs being open til 4 am and we could hear in our room on the 3rd floor. Also terribly inconvenient to get to – our driver had to drop us a block down the street because private car not allowed to stop within a decent distance from the hotel entrance. Hotel and room were clean and nice enough. One of the restaurants closed on weekends so there wasn’t anywhere informal to eat at the hotel but found something a few blocks away. Was easy to find our way back to the hotel. We were told breakfast was included but when we said we had to leave @ 5 am they said they’d find if they could make something up for us – never heard back on that….
Lastly – I am sorry we weren’t able to include Ireland in this adventure – we had to make choices and because my ancestry was English my husband Scottish – had to make some choices – alas limited time made this choice difficult. We appreciate your guidance and expertise and thank you again!!
Brenda Bauman, AB
Tony and Janet Quattrochi, FL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, August 2019
First and foremost, Janet and I cannot express how much we enjoyed our journey through Scotland. The initial framework of the journey/castles established by Colin Grant was flawlessly executed, after the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, over an 11 day period under the watchful care of Maurice McKendrick, our Executive Driver Guide. Maurice met and exceeded our expectations with his extensive knowledge of Scottish History, Prepared Daily Venue of the Significant Sights, Selection of Amazing Pubs and Restaurants, and his careful overview of each day’s agenda w/options to address the overall individual needs of our Group. This aspect of the journey, supported by the pre-trip preparations and daily attention we received from Elaine, Ruth and Nicola when needed, delivered the exceptional commitment we expected from Sheenco Travel. Although I cannot speak for the other travelers in our Group, below please find my comments regarding this Trip.
- Overall Janet and I give Sheenco Travel a 5+* Rating.
Feedback & Comments:
Rating
- Airport Transfers. (5*)
- Premium Seating @ The Military Tattoo. (5+*).
- Maurice McKendrick. (5+++++*).
- Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh – Location (5*), Accommodations & Service (4*)
- Carlton George Hotel, Glasgow – Location (5*), Accommodations & Service (4+*) [Unlimited Cocktails – Executive Lounge].
- Inverlochy Castle, Fort William – Elegant … one of the best Accommodations, Excellent Staff Service, Quality Breakfast Menu, Fine Appointments – Truly a 5+* Castle!!!
- Cuillin Hills Hotel, Isle of Skye – Location (5+*), Accommodations (5*) & Service (4* .. short Staff .. long wait at Dinner on second night).
- Drumossie Hotel, Inverness – Location (4* .. to far out to enjoy the historic sights in Inverness), Accommodations & Service (4*).
- Pittodrie House, Inverurie – Location (5*), Accommodations (4* … arrived early evening, luggage transport to rooms was very difficult), Service (3* .. significantly under staffed, available staff focused on wedding guests, dinner service not offered or available upon our arrival).
- Fonab Castle, Pitlochry – Elegant … one of the best Accommodations, Excellent Staff Service, Quality Breakfast Menu, Fine Appointments – Truly a 5+* Castle Resort!!!
- Carberry Tower, East Lothian – Location (3*), Accommodations (2* … Rooms not Executive Level .. carpets dirty, flies in room, upper level rooms very hot. Note: Front Desk Manager very uncooperative when questioned on the overall quality of the rooms assigned to Sheenco Travel vs. the other rooms in the Castle. The furniture and fixture appointments within the Property … such as the Library and Sitting Rooms, did not match the poor quality of the rooms we were provided). Service (4* .. Breakfast Manager was very accommodating to our early departure for the airport arriving early to prepare a continental breakfast).
General Comment: Rooms were for the most part were not assigned to the individual couples within our Group at Check-In. This created confusion.
- The High Level Properties (Rated 5*) did assign rooms to the individual couples.
Tony and Janet Quattrochi, FL
Don & Barbara Booker, FL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, August 2019
Barbara and I welcome the opportunity to share our thoughts on our trip. The short version is it was wonderful. We both have Scottish roots and grew up near the US Appalachian mountain towns where Scottish immigrants were abundant. We wanted to see how much Scotland and the North Carolina mountain areas were the same both geographically and culturally. The tour you provided, and Maurice’s refinements fully answered our curiosity. In our previous travels we have learned the guide can turn a great trip into a spectacular trip as did for this trip. You had given us a great framework of where to be, things we might do and a place to stay. Then Maurice adjusted beautifully to the weather, our interests, our eating styles, and the group’s overall energy level. The overall pace was good, but Barbara and I would like to have gone longer on several days. Turns out we were the only ones who wanted to take more than a 30 min walk. For me Tattoo, golf, the historic castles, the beauty of the Highlands, the hike on the Isle of Sky, and the whisky tours all met or exceeded expectations. The serendipitous surprises like the Falkirk Wheel, the Drovers pub, the Skye brewery, retrieving a golden eagle and an owl, and the Outlander filming sites, made the trip even more spectacular. Many thanks to you and Maurice for making this trip so wonderful. If 5 is the top of your scale, we would give you a 5+
Don and Barbara Booker, FL
Robert Thomas, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, August 2019
Thank you – vacation was fantastic! Our driver, Roddy Young, was extremely knowledgeable, very accommodating, and entertainingly funny. If he was unable to give an answer – the next day he would provide it – sometime even in the next hour. We were trying to identify a wild flower prevalent on the roadside, he found an app took a photo and had the name. The Tattoo was a high point in spite of the 20 minute downpour at the ending. Our seating was at the very top next to the Royal Box – excellent vantage point and the only area with an overhang so we did not get too wet. Inverary Castle – Campbell Clan was amazing. Also the falconry demonstration at Dunrobin Castle was amazing. Tallisker and Glen Ord distilleries were well planned tours. There are many other sites and experiences that are too numerous to mention. Thank you!
Robert Thomas, ON
Bob McDade, PA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland & Scotland, August 2019
We had booked a land tour in Scotland over a year and a half ago which included the Tattoo in Edinburgh. However, we always wanted to see Northern Ireland since genealogy researched confirmed a link with the McDade Family Tree. During my trip research I discovered your travel agency and I liked the fact that we could call a U.S. phone number to talk to one of your agents. On my first call I talked with Colin Grant and we discussed our vision to see Northern Ireland and then travel to Glasgow, Scotland to start our second tour. Colin listened very carefully then suggested using a driver/guide in order to focus on exactly what we wanted to see and do. He put together a suggested package based on places we thought would work, our timetable, and approximate budget. We then fine tuned this. Once finalized, multiple people at your company jumped into action and made suggestions and bought timed tickets. Every one of these people were truly focused on making sure our trip could be the best it could be (except maybe the weather). The selected hotels booked by Sheenco were first rate and at great locations. In addition, our driver/guide made our trip experience a real dream! Paul Hehir knows so much about his country and willingly shared his knowledge. He also listened to our vision and then completed research using a data sheet I provided that showed church locations that were tied to my genealogy. Thanks to Paul, we found one of my ancestors headstones inside St. Columb’s Cathedral in Derry and another ancestor’s church in Tobermore. In addition, we were able to see everything on our wish list including a stop at the Royal Portrush Golf Course plus more. All of our airport transfers were great as well. We can not say enough good things about Paul and Sheenco and we have started to spread the word. Thanks for helping us realize our dream!
Bob McDade, PA
John Large, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland & Ireland, July 2019
My biggest issue with the entire trip to Scotland and Ireland was simply, IT WAS TOO SHORT! Seriously, please extend to your entire staff who worked on our family vacation our gratitude for making it truly a fun time that was had by all. Given the 6 hour time difference between Ireland and Texas I was really impressed with the responsiveness of your staff to my inquiries. With email being the better means of communicating, the quickness of the responses was most welcomed. The hotels we stayed at, the Dromossie Hotel in Inverness, The Twelve Hotel in Galway, and the Carlton House in Dublin, were all uniquely different and all exceptional. The drivers we had, Bob in Scotland and Nigel in Ireland, were different personalities and exceptional. Their willingness to work with us in adjusting our daily itinerary as well as make great suggestions, did nothing but enhance the entire experience. In short, everyone connected with Sheenco and arranged by Sheenco, made our family vacation outstanding. Thank you from all of us !
John Large, TX
Cheryl & Paul Ellis, MA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2019
I will review our trip right away while we are still under the spell of Ireland and before the reality of everyday life returns. In a word, our adventure in Ireland was Wonderful. Thank you to all of the folks at Sheenco Travel who were so very helpful in planning our itinerary with us, in answering all our questions, in guiding us toward the most fantastic places and unique experiences and sending us the best driver guide we could hope for. Des Doherty, became our fast friend. A true Irishman with all the stories and knowledge to prove it. Thanks to Des, our experience in his country was the best it could be. Our first night at Glenlo Abbey and my first taste of Irish whiskey was delightful. Visiting Katie’s Claddagh Cottage in Galway was lovely. Seeing the sheep dog training at Joe Joyce’s farm is not to be missed. We decided the highlight of our trip was our overnight visit to Ashford Castle where we celebrated Paul’s 70th Birthday, the real purpose of our vacation. The service at the Castle exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed delicious food, beautiful gardens and a morning visit with the resident Irish wolfhounds. The most amazing Ashford Castle experience was our visit to the Ireland’s School of Falconry. The Hawk Walk, with a brilliant young man named Connor, was exceptional. Seeing ‘The Quiet Man’ come to life in Cong was a treat. Of course there were many more awesome adventures driving through the countryside. Visiting the Cliffs of Moher and the Kylemore Abbey are not to be missed. Experiencing the drive around the Ring of Kerry was spectacular. Our only glitch was the weather. A bit more sunshine would have been lovely but the colors of the clouds and the short bouts of rain were still beautiful and in fact gave us an amazing rainbow over The Lake Hotel on the banks of the Lough Lein in Killarney. A meandering drive back to Dublin with impromptu visits on the way concluded our dream vacation. This special trip to Ireland has left us wanting. Wanting to return to revisit places we have been and to add more experiences to our memory. We found the people of Ireland to be friendly and gracious. Ireland appears to be enjoying a prosperous time in their history and we are happy for the country. If we are able to visit again we would not hesitant to use Sheenco Travel to help us plan our adventure and we would specifically ask for Des Doherty to accompany us on our adventure.
Cheryl and Paul Ellis, MA
Duncan MacNaughton, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, July 2019
The tour was excellent and thoroughly enjoyed by all participants. The coach, driver and guide were all superb. The guide Allasdair, consulted me regularly regarding length of stays at sites and opting out of some itinerary in lieu of lengthening others. I usually deferred to his expertise. The drivers for the transfers were congenial, punctual and ready to assist at all times. I dealt personally with Bob (coach driver), Brian, Karen and Gary and found them to be extremely professional. In fact I booked Karen for our final transfer on July 12. The tour was extremely well organized, the accommodations amazing in most cases and if there were problems, they were immediately addressed. The above is the reasoning that I used in contacting Sheenco to coordinate this clan tour. Having utilized Sheenco, personally, in the past, I knew the level of service to expect. I was pleased (as were all members) with the attention to details that Sheenco staff oversaw. I never give a perfect score, because, in business I always felt there was room for improvement; however if your scoring is out of 5, I am quite willing to allocate a 4.5.
W.P. Bone, TN, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2019
Everything went off without a hitch. Everyone was where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be. The facilities were exemplary and staffs very kind. Here is a special recognition to the staff at the Savoy. We covered all the spots the twins wanted to hit thanks to your arrangement and the pre-printed tickets and reservations. Our driver was over the moon in companionship, knowledge, helpfulness, and suggestions. We thoroughly enjoyed being with him. Thanks to you and your staff.
David Powell, OK, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, June 2019
All in all, we had a wonderful holiday. We loved your country. The people were uniformly pleasant and friendly. The music was great. Our holiday will be a great memory for our family, especially the children. Thank you to your company and the driver/guide for organizing such a special visit. A 5 star recommendation.
Barbara Stewart, VA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, England, June 2019
We had a fabulous time on our trip to the Cotswolds and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our hotel, driver John and our itinerary! I do believe it was everything we had hoped for and the weather cooperated too! We thought that the Lygon Arms in Broadway was terrific and we just loved the setting in the little village. We walked to several excellent restaurants and thoroughly enjoyed Broadway and all of the Cotswolds. We look forward to working with your company on future trips to the U.K.
Barbara Stewart, VA
Amy Wilinski, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, May 2019
Thank you for another wonderful journey. You do such a wonderful job in making sure everything is organized and when there are blips you get right on fixing it up. I am very grateful for the care and attention to detail you put towards our trip.
Amy Wilinski, CA
Irene Dryden, AB, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, May 2019
Just a quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed our holiday. Dave is very knowledgeable about Ireland’s history. He is proud of Ireland and happy show it off. We are home and busy so will need some time to reflect on what we did and get it organized into a journal. We covered a lot in a short time and can’t say there was absolutely any one thing that stood out. It was all great. Thank you.
Irene Dryden, AB
Ponnattu George, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, April 2019
I would like to thank the Sheenco family for arranging our wonderful tour of Scotland. All of us enjoyed all aspects of the tour – the coach, hotels, early breakfast, and most of all the sights. We will definitely keep Sheenco in mind for future tours.
Ponnattu George, TX
