Captain Stable - my apologies for the thread creep here, but I feel that a slight mis-impression is being created over what is 'legal' or not - in the UK.
Cap 371. Page 37. Para 17.2.1
In the case where the rest period earned by a crew member is 12 hours, and suitable accomodation is provided by the company, then that rest period may be reduced by one hour. In such circumstances, if the travelling time between the aerodrome and the accommodation is more than 30 minutes each way then the rest period will be increased by the amount the total time spent travelling exceeds one hour. In both situations the room allocated to the crew member must be available for occupation for a minimum of 10 hours. This paragraph does not apply to rest periods that exceed 12 hours.
This - generally interpreted as '10 hours at the hotel', is, according to the CAA (verbally only), a company 'facility' - NOT AT THE CAPTAIN'S 'DISCRETION', AS MANY PEOPLE THINK - and there is nothing to stop a crew being rostered for such rest if a company choses. Nor does it count as 'reduced rest' for the purposes of the next duty (this again from the CAA - verbally only). This could lead an 'unscrupulous' management into regular use of such reduced rest to the detriment of safety.
Obviously in that situation, the question of abuse of what must surely be intended as an 'escape' option would come to the fore?
The travelling public should, perhaps, be asking themselves and the CAA - and any other regulatory body (in this case, Ireland) - whether this is a safe practice. Perhaps the exact status of this 'let' needs to be clarified as well by the relevant professional bodies?