Dshans, just curious...why did you prefer the B&B's over the hotels?!
It was "cozier." A more personal contact with both the locals and other travelers. Conversation at breakfast and afternoon tea, if you're there at the time. I went with coffee since tea (cough, cough) "is not my cup of tea." Part of it, for me, is that I'm second generation Irish American. My paternal grandparents were immigrants so I wanted to get as close to "Irish" as I could. A Hilton is a Hilton is a Hilton.
I spent time in my Grandfather's home town of Castleisland and met with some relatives. It was a gas (dated saying, I know) walking down the street and seeing business after business with my family name attached: pub, law office, general goods store, etc.
To put it in a hippie-dippie way, I felt that I was
IN Ireland and not just stopping by. Dive in, head first, and soak up all that you can.
Oh, and did I mention that it was less expensive? At the time, at least. Package deals may alter the arithmetic. I was there for an extended period and some spots I explored had few or no hotels. Go with your gut and your budget.
Look at it this way: Sleep cheap and party hardy. You're there to watch a football game as well as to take in a bit of the local culture and atmosphere while there. Why waste time and money in a setting that's far too similar to one in Omaha?
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