WELCOME
You are all very welcome to the 2024 Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Hotel Awards, held in association with Hotel & Catering Review magazine.
In its 35th year, the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Hotel Awards stand as a hallmark of excellence, acknowledging and applauding the outstanding achievements within Ireland’s esteemed hotel. This annual event serves as a testament to the industry’s unwavering commitment to high standards, innovation, and exceptional service. As we celebrate over three decades of recognizing excellence, the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Awards underscore the pivotal role played by the hotel and catering sector in enhancing Ireland’s reputation as a top-tier destination for hospitality. The awards showcase the industry’s resilience, dedication to quality, and its integral contribution to the nation’s thriving tourism landscape.
Judges for this year’s Gold Medal Awards received over 1000 entries in total to consider, from guest houses, country houses, restaurants, cafés, bars and healthcare companies from across the country.
An important factor in the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Hotel Awards is the credibility and impartial nature of the judging process. Every property that undergoes this process is subject to benchmarking against a strict set of criteria and a blind site inspection conducted by the judging panel. This panel comprises respected industry experts from across the hospitality sectors.
“Change is a constant in the Hospitality Sector and this year saw the judging panel visit many hotels who had invested in their product in recent years to offer improved standards to their valued customers. Investment was also evident in their people, with Hoteliers investing in their training and development to ensure the best possible service standards are evident consistently. In a challenging business environment when it comes to the cost of doing business, we applaud the finalists on their sterling efforts to offer the best in Irish hospitality.”
Dr Donagh Davern FIHI, Judging Panel Member
From all of us here at the Gold Medal Awards, we wish all of our finalists the very best of luck and an enjoyable evening in truly fabulous surroundings. Your dedication, innovation and hard work is a credit to the industry and we wish you all success in the future.
Jill Thornton, Senior Events Manager Trish Murphy, Sales & Sponsorship Director
The Ashville Events Team
ThankDrinkssponsors you to our Hotel
IRELAND’S FOUR STAR HOTEL
KENMARE BAY HOTEL & RESORT
IRELAND’S CITY HOTEL
Hotel
Virgin Media Business wishes the best of luck to all finalists in the “Ireland’s 5 Star Resort” category.
ASHFORD CASTLE
DROMOLAND CASTLE HOTEL
IRELAND’S BREAKFAST EXPERIENCE
CELTIC ROSS HOTEL
CORK
HERBERT PARK HOTEL & PARK RESIDENCE
IRELAND’S BUSINESS & CONFERENCE HOTEL
CLONTARF
IRELAND’S FOUR STAR HOTEL
HODSON
IRELAND’S BEST HOTEL GROUP
HODSON BAY GROUP
LOUIS FITZGERALD HOTELS
COLLECTIVE
LEONARDO HOTELS
FBD HOTELS & RESORTS
TIFCO GROUP
DALATA GROUP
IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL SPA EXPERIENCE
CASHEL PALACE HOTEL CO. TIPPERARY
FOTA ISLAND RESORT
CO. CORK
LYRATH ESTATE CO. KILKENNY
ANANTARA THE MARKER DUBLIN HOTEL CO. DUBLIN
DROMOLAND CASTLE HOTEL
CLARE INTERCONTINENTAL DUBLIN CO. DUBLIN
POWERSCOURT HOTEL RESORT & SPA CO. WICKLOW
SHEEN FALLS LODGE EASANNA WELLNESS & SPA
CO. KERRY
ASHFORD CASTLE CO. MAYO
ESPA AT THE EUROPE HOTEL & RESORT CO. KERRY
LOUGH ESKE CASTLE CO. DONEGAL
CARTON HOUSE, A FAIRMONT MANAGED HOTEL CO. KILDARE
ADARE MANOR
LIMERICK
IRELAND’S COUNTRY HOUSE & GUEST HOUSE EXPERIENCE
FERNHILL
IRELAND’S MENU PROVENANCE AWARD
CELTIC ROSS HOTEL
CO. CORK
INCHYDONEY ISLAND
LODGE & SPA
CO. CORK
PEMBROKE KILKENNY HOTEL
CO. KILKENNY
ASHFORD CASTLE
CO. MAYO
CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
CO. CORK
ECCLES HOTEL & SPA
CO. CORK
KILLARNEY PLAZA HOTEL & SPA
CO KERRY
LOUGH RYNN CASTLE
CO. LEITRIM
THE LAKE HOTEL CO. KERRY
THE ROSS CO. KERRY
BALLYFIN DEMESNE
CO. LAOIS
BALLYMALOE HOUSE HOTEL
CO. CORK
HARBOUR HOTEL
CO. GALWAY
MARLFIELD HOUSE HOTEL CO. WEXFORD
BROOKLODGE & MACREDDIN VILLAGE
CO. WICKLOW
ANANTARA THE MARKER DUBLIN HOTEL
CO. DUBLIN
IRELAND’S THREE STAR HOTEL
O WESTMEATH
HOTEL ISAACS CORK CO. CORK
TEMPLE BAR INN
CO. DUBLIN
CASTLE VARAGH HOTEL
LEONARDO HOTEL GALWAY CO. GALWAY
WOODENBRIDGE HOTEL & LODGE
CLEW BAY HOTEL
SHORELINE
GRAND
IRELAND’S SMALL WEDDING HOTEL100 PEOPLE OR LESS
HYDE HOTEL GALWAY
VIENNA WOODS
Hotel
Virgin Media Business wishes the best of luck to all finalists in the “Ireland’s Family Friendly Hotel” category.
IRELAND’S FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL
DINGLE SKELLIG HOTEL
KERRY
GALWAY BAY HOTEL
Wishing the best of luck to this year’s nominees in the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Awards!
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As the market-leading hospitality recruitment agency, we specialise in finding the top talent for leadership roles. Over the last two decades, we have helped Ireland’s hotels, restaurants, caterers and events companies fill thousands of positions, delivering the perfect candidate for crucial roles in general management, food and beverage, revenue, sales, marketing, and at senior chef levels.
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IRELAND’S FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM/ TEAM MEMBER
KILLARNEY
KILLARNEY
IRELAND’S HOTEL CASUAL DINING EXPERIENCE
IRELAND’S
HAYFIELD MANOR
CO. CORK
THE G HOTEL & SPA
CO. GALWAY
THE WESTBURY
CO. DUBLIN
AGHADOE HEIGHTS HOTEL AND SPA
CO KERRY
RIVA AT THE EUROPE HOTEL & RESORT
CO. KERRY
THE MERRION HOTEL DUBLIN
CO. DUBLIN
TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF LINKS & HOTEL IRELAND
CO. CLARE
CASHEL PALACE HOTEL
CO. TIPPERARY
THE COLLEGE GREEN HOTEL DUBLIN
CO. DUBLIN
DROMOLAND CASTLE HOTEL
CO. CLARE
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IRELAND’S GUEST EXPERIENCE
IRELAND’S FIVE STAR GUEST EXPERIENCE
IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL
IRELAND’S FIVE STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
IRELAND’S FINE DINING HOTEL
RESTAURANT
KILRONAN CASTLE ESTATE & SPA
TANKARDSTOWN HOUSE
MEATH
THE STATION HOUSE HOTEL
LOUGH RYNN CASTLE
MARLFIELD HOUSE HOTEL
THE BLUE HAVEN HOTEL
CO. CORK
THE LAKE HOTEL CO KERRY
WATERFORD CASTLE HOTEL & GOLF RESORT
ARMS BIRR
CARTON HOUSE, A FAIRMONT MANAGED HOTEL CO. KILDARE
LOUGH ESKE CASTLE CO. DONEGAL
SHEEN FALLS LODGE CO. KERRY ADARE MANOR CO. LIMERICK
GLENLO ABBEY HOTEL & ESTATE
GALWAY
POWERSCOURT HOTEL RESORT & SPA CO. WICKLOW
ASHFORD CASTLE
MAYO
LADY HELEN AT MOUNT JULIET ESTATE
KILKENNY
BALLYFIN DEMESNE
LAOIS
IRELAND’S BOUTIQUE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
PEMBROKE KILKENNY HOTEL
KILKENNY STAUNTONS ON THE GREEN
CORK
CORK
CORK
THE VICTORIA, KILLARNEY
HYDE HOTEL GALWAY
LANGTONS HOTEL KILKENNY
KILKENNY
THE BLUE HAVEN HOTEL CO. CORK
THE JAMES HOTEL
KERRY
MARLFIELD HOUSE HOTEL
IRELAND’S BEST FAMILY RUN HOTEL GROUP
CONNACHT HOSPITALITY GROUP
HAYFIELD FAMILY COLLECTION
O’DONOGHUE RING COLLECTION
LANGTONS HOTEL KILKENNY
REDMOND GROUP
FITZGERALD
ROMANTIC CASTLES OF IRELAND THE BLUE HAVEN COLLECTION
THE IVEAGH GARDEN HOTEL
LOUIS
HOTELS NEVILLE HOTELS
THE KILLARNEY PARK & THE ROSS
CORK’S VIENNA WOODS HOTEL
IRELAND’S FAVOURITE PLACE TO STAY
This year we were delighted to bring to the public the People’s Choice Award - Ireland’s Favourite Place to Stay!
All Finalists in the Hotel, country houses and guest houses categories are automatically entered into the ‘Ireland’s Favourite Place to Stay’ category.
This category is then broken down by province and an intense four weeks of voting will end with one property emerging as the winner from each province, and an overall winner taking the trophy home.
The outstanding business, voted by the public, will be revealed at the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Hotel Awards on the 28th of January.
Hotel OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD
The Outstanding Customer Sevice award recognises a property’s focus on overall customer service. All hotels, country houses, guest houses and catering services were automatically added into this category.
The Judges analysed every aspect of the service provided to customers in terms of staff interaction and the services on offer, from check in to check out.
Particular attention was paid to:
• First impressions (standard of cleanliness, signage, access etc)
• Customer Awareness (acknowledgement of customers by staff including welcome, staff availability and presentation)
• Services (range of activities on offer, comfortable environment)
• Overall Experience (the customer experience and lasting impressions)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and honors an individual’s outstanding contribution to the hospitality industry over a significant period of time. The recipients, chosen annually by the Judging Panel, will be held in high regard within the hospitality community and will have significant accomplishments in the hotel industry to their credit
IRELAND’S INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER
In addition to the main category awards, we want to recognise your suppliers! As they are such and essential asset to your organisation, we want to know - who is your “Most Innovative Supplier”?
From food and beverage, glassware and crockery to technology or energy, let us know if your supplier is spectacular.
The overall winner will take home the trophy for Ireland’s Innovative Supplier.
Hotel
Virgin Media Business wishes the best of luck to all finalists in the “Supreme Winner” category.
IRELAND’S SUPREME WINNER
The Supreme Winner Award is the Irish hospitality industry’s highest accolade. The recipient of this award is chosen by the Gold Medal Awards Judging panel following a review of all winning entries in the awards this year.
The Supreme winner Awards acknowledges outstanding service and exceptional achievements within the Irish hospitality industry. The recipient of this award is and establishment that offers first-class hospitality, superlative customer experience, and stands out from the other prestigious awarded winners as a result of their dedication to the highest standards.
Hotel
THANKS TO OUR 2024 VIRGIN MEDIA BUSINESS GOLD MEDAL HOTEL AWARDS JUDGING PANEL
From all of us here at the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Awards, we would like to extend a huge thank you to our judging panel that took time out of their busy schedules to help make these awards possible.
They meticulously reviewed every entry, site inspected every property, and discussed in incredible detail each and every entrant. They undertook the near impossible task of cutting down the list to our current finalists and, indeed, choosing our winners which, as you can imagine, was no easy job and didn’t go without a few heated debates.
Eamon Barrett
• Contributing Editor McKennas Guides 2005 to date.
• National Judge, Restaurant Association of Ireland.
• Owner, Altitude Waterford.
Sue Campbell
• Food Services Consultant
Paula Carroll
• Former Director Marketing / Sales at Ashford Castle
Dr John Carty
• Lecturer and Researcher, Galway International Hotel School, Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
Dr. Donagh Davern FIHI
• Lecturer, Munster Technological University
Noreen Gannon
• Owner of Gallaghers Cork, Co
• Owner Moody Cafe Vin Cork, Co
• Owner Nell’s Wine Bar Cork
Colin Gilligan
• Lecturer in Hospitality, ATU
John Healy
• General Manager at Suesey Street Restaurant and Bar
• Former Host ‘The Restaurant’ TV Show
Shane McLave
• Managing Director, Excel Recruitment
Eugene McSweeney
• Consultant Master Chef
Sybil Mulcahy
• Editor of EVOKE.ie
Maria Murphy
• Lecturer at the Galway International Hotel School, Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
Mary O’Callaghan
• Lecturer on BA Culinary Arts, TU
Lucinda O’Sullivan
• Food & Hospitality Critic Sunday Independent
Gary Quinn
• Writer ‘’Irish Whiskey, Harper Collins’’
Caroline Reidy
• Managing Director, HR Suite
Oliver Sheedy
• Catering and training consultant and national tour guide
Michael Vaughan
• Proprietor Vaughan Lodge Hotel
• Former President of the Irish Hotels Federation
