Clare hotel makes it into prestigious world top 20

The Lodge at Doonbeg, Co Clare, has been ranked 20th among the world’s top 100 hotels and resorts by Condé Nast Traveler, one of the most respected and trusted names in travel.

The country club-style development, which combines a golf course, purpose-built hotel and onsite houses, is the only Irish destination included on the exclusive list.

Nearly 80,000 readers, the highest number ever, took part in the survey and gave Doonbeg a choice rating of 97.3. Doonbeg looks like an aristocrat’s stately 19th century home but was, in fact, built in 2006 by the developers of South Carolina’s Kiawah Island and designed by Americans.