My husband and I are visiting Ireland in June of 2009. In researching hotels, the Solís Lough Eske Castle to be exact, I saw on a travel agent's website that the hotel tax is 34.5%. Is this correct?!

No. The normal VAT rate is 21.0%. For hotels, this rate is reduced to 13.5%. This not too bright travel agent apparently added the two numbers, as if the hotel rate was a supplement.

What the rate is doesn't usually matter, since it is normally included in the quoted price.

ron wrote: "What the rate is doesn't usually matter, since it is normally included in the quoted price."

It's pretty well invariable. I would be inclined to distrust any agent who gave information like that.

What a relief! I thought I'd have to add 30% to my hotel budget!

I didn't actually speak to a travel agent - it came up on a website - www.fivestaralliance.com. It stated that the total tax is 34.5% (13.5% hotel tax and 21% VAT tax). I thought it sounded absurd, but I wasn't sure if the VAT was added on to hotel rates or not.]

It is also nice to know that taxes are usually included (unlike in the US...)