About Us

Why Kirker?

Over the last five years the world of travel has changed dramatically, yet, in spite of the influence of the internet, our clients continue to rely on our service and advice to ensure that they get the best out of their holiday. If you delight in spending time surfing the worldwide web to secure the cheapest ‘no frills’ flights, and if you are confident in booking hotels on the strength of a tempting website photograph, then Kirker is perhaps not (yet!) for you. However, if you need flexibility, and would like the reassurance of speaking to a human being, then please do call us! Within our team we have over 150 years of experience and we willingly take responsibility for every aspect of your trip to ensure that we turn your short break into a really exceptional holiday.

Carefully Selected Hotels

Since 1986 we have taken great care to select only the best hotels and have developed close relationships with many owners and managers who have become firm friends - as a result, they go out of their way to give our clients the very best service. Our hotels must satisfy our strict criteria based on location, quality of facilities, ambience, style, character and value for money. Wherever possible, we prefer smaller, family-run properties which reflect the style and character of their local region; our recommended hotels are often too small to be included on mass-market dot.com websites.

Private transfers

Our holidays include private transfers on arrival and on departure –  instantly removing the anxiety that many experience when arriving in an
unfamiliar destination. No taxis, no fare negotiation, – just a warm welcome and a smooth journey to your chosen hotel. (Eurostar holidays to Lille and Bruges do not include transfers).

Flexible and personal service

We aim to offer outstanding service from start to finish; whether you would like us to recommend and book a restaurant for a special celebration dinner, arrange private guided tours, organise opera or concert tickets, wine tasting, cookery courses or even a wedding in Venice or on the Amalfi Coast – we take full responsibility for the smooth running of every aspect of your holiday, so that you can relax and enjoy every minute. It is never too late to book with us. We welcome late bookings – even on the day of departure and can often book rooms when hotels say they are full.

Speak to an expert

Our sales team has many years of experience and visit the hotels and destinations that we feature frequently. Clients often comment that they
have seen a tempting photograph on a hotel’s website but would prefer to speak to someone who knows the property, because they need to  find out what it is really like.

Added value

Many of our destinations include pre-booked tickets to popular museums including the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Alhambra in Granada, the Uffizi in Florence, even the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Our hotels allow us to offer complimentary nights or room upgrades. In addition, we have negotiated some outstanding new fares for First Class travel on all Eurostar holidays. The benefits of First Class, apart from being away from the madding crowd…, include luxury seating, a complimentary meal – depending on the time of day – and complimentary drinks.
For holidays by air, our brochure prices are based on Economy Class flights. However, we offer upgrades to Club Class at highly affordable
supplements – please ask for details or see the flight information given by each price panel. Our flexible contracts enable us to offer one way
upgrades: we particularly recommend upgrading to Club inbound for your journey home, it can help soften the blow as your holiday comes to an end and you head back to reality!

Kirker tailor-made

You may choose to visit two or more destinations in one holiday. Fly into one airport and back from another – why not include a mixture of air
travel with rail? Our experienced tailor-made department can help you to get the most out of your holiday. We thoroughly recommend longer
itineraries combining a few days in a city followed by 3 or 4 nights relaxing in one of our countryside, lakeside or coastal properties We take immense pride in creating carefully crafted holidays, and although we are not necessarily the cheapest, we do aim to offer exceptional overall
value for money and rely on our clients for repeat business and recommendations for our future success.

A responsible holiday company

As a member of ABTA and AITO we conform fully to Government legislation regarding the protection of clients’ money. Air holidays are protected under our ATOL licence, all other holidays are bonded by ABTA.

In addition, in the event that your holiday is adversely affected by something beyond our control, we shall always endeavour to advise you in
advance and take the appropriate action to minimise any disruption to your holiday. Booking your own flights and hotel on-line may appear to be
cheaper, but please beware of low website prices – they often don’t include breakfast, tax, service or transfers. At least call us to double check our latest offers, and, remember that you may be leaving a lot to chance – what you might have planned as a holiday can quickly become an endurance test! We take full responsibility for every element of your holiday and provide you with a telephone number to contact us 24 hours a day in the event of a problem.

 

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