Armada, Spanish Point, Co. Clare, has been awarded B Corp certification, becoming the only hotel in Ireland to hold this accolade. B Corp recognises companies that use business as a force for good, meeting high ethical and environmental standards and positively impacting workers, communities, customers, and our planet.

Following a rigorous 2-year assessment process, Armada earned B Corp status for exemplary performance across five categories; environment, community, workers, customers and governance. B Corp recognised Armada’s commitment to prioritising people over profit, empowering local communities, feeding the local economy, assisting conservation efforts and boosting connections between tourists and locals.

When it comes to prioritising its people, the Armada has been a cornerstone of the community in Spanish Point for over 55 years. For example, 80% of the Armada’s 220 employees live within 10km of the hotel - 186 of which work with the hotel throughout the winter, when many coastal hotels would typically close.

The Armada supports employee well-being and inclusivity through policies that actively work towards closing the gender pay gap, addressing menopause-related concerns and supporting employees with physical or intellectual disabilities. These policies are complemented by offering health insurance and conducting employee surveys to foster continuous improvement and maintain a positive workplace culture.

The Armada’s commitment to supporting local spans far beyond its team members. 61% of its suppliers are within an 80km radius of the hotel. Significantly, 73% of revenue spent goes to these local tradespeople, food producers, artisans and other small businesses, including Burren Smoked Salmon, Achill Oysters, local artist Kevin Lowery, whose coastal paintings hang on the walls and Wild Irish Seaweed, so that guests can indulge in luxurious seaweed baths.

The Armada’s environmental efforts span from plastic-free hotel rooms, with refillable glass carafes and compostable coffee pods, and a 100% compostable packaging policy, to supplying its kitchen with produce from the Armada Farm, and regular beach cleans in partnership with Clean Coasts. Armada also collaborates with Coastwatch to support the conservation of an endangered seagrass species, contributing to the long-term sustainability of our coastal environments.

Speaking about achieving B Corp certification, Armada CEO John Burke said: “We see B Corp as just the beginning. Our certification signifies a line in the sand. From this point onwards, we’ll continue to invest in bettering ourselves on every level to meet B Corp’s ever-evolving high standards, protecting what’s on our doorstep, supporting our employees and contributing to our community. We hope our efforts within our hotel and community will inspire others to do the same across Ireland. Together we can each positively impact our own local areas and create collective change within our industry, communities and for our planet.”

Armada launched the news this week with a striking sand art B Corp logo on Spanish Point Beach drawn freehand by Waterford artist Sean Corcoran and captured aerially by photographer and videographer Clem Mcinerney.