18 high-class Irish hotels included on AA list

SOME of world’s best hotels are located here, according to a newly published league table of Britain’s and Ireland’s top establishments.

The Automobile Association (AA) has included 18 Irish hotels in its latest list of the top 200 hotels in these islands.

The AA star awards increase a hotel’s profile throughout Europe.

The news that 18 establishments here were selected was welcomed by the hospitality industry yesterday.

Ann Gill, assistant manager of the selected Sheen Falls hotel in Kenmare, said the exposure that comes with the AA awards boosts business. “This is very significant.

“It’s a great honour for us to be chosen for the second year in a row.

“The AA is well regarded internationally and making the list benefits every hotel,” she said.

Some hotels picked by the AA in nine counties include: the Portmarnock Hotel & Country Club,

The Clarence Hotel, the Killarney Park Hotel, Kelly's Resort Hotel, Rosslare, the Mount Juliet Hotel, Waterford Castle and Dromoland Castle.

Four of the top hotels were in Kerry, with three each in Dublin and Wexford.

Two hotels in each of Cork and Clare were chosen while establishments in Kildare, Kilkenny, Galway and Waterford also made the cut.

This is the first year the AA has revealed its top 200 hotels, which were picked after a lengthy assessment.

“We anticipate that competition to be in this new annual list of the AA’s top 200 hotels, and be awarded red stars for 12 months, will be intense.

“It will help raise standards even higher right across Ireland and Britain,” AA hotel services business manager Albert Hampson said.

While London might be expensive for weekend breaks, the city has four of the top 10 UK hotels and 19 of Britain’s top 200 hotels.

The four were Claridge’s, the Dorchester, the Landmark and Hyde Park’s Mandarin Oriental.

Among Scotland’s top 10 were Inverlochy Castle Hotel in Fort William, Lochgreen House in Troon and Glenapp Castle in Ballantrae.

Bodysgallen Hall in Llandudno and Tan-y-Foel Country House in Betws-y-Coed were among the top Welsh hotels.

The total league table was made up of 130 hotels in England, 36 in Scotland, 13 in Wales, 18 in Ireland and three in the Channel Islands.

Of these 200 hotels, 26 have been awarded five red stars, 46 have four, 82 have three, 35 have two and seven have one.