CIE Tours presented its annual awards of excellence to the hoteliers and tourism experiences which achieved approval ratings of over 92% from the 25,000 tourists who travelled to Ireland with the company in 2023. CIE Tours, which this year celebrates 92 years in business, is the largest operator of guided tours to Ireland in the North American market.

The Awards, based on post-stay feedback, recognise Ireland’s hospitality ambassadors, the people and businesses throughout the country who put Irish tourism on the global stage through the warmth of welcome and quality of service provided to our international visitors.

Stephen Cotter, Interim Managing Director, CIE Tours said: “Our more than 90 years of coach tours in Ireland gives us unrivalled expertise as evidenced by our overall customer satisfaction rating of more than 95%. 2023 exceeded our expectations with 36,000 people travelling with us to Ireland, England, Scotland plus our new destinations of Iceland and Italy added in 2019.”

Award Winners 2024

Fourteen overall award winners were announced, who each achieved the highest customer rating in their category:

• Best 5 star hotel - Dromoland Castle
• Best 4 star hotel - Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa
• Best 3 star hotel - The Wyatt Hotel
• Best Hotel Accommodation - Kilronan Castle Estate and Spa
• Best Hotel Dinner - Cabra Castle
• Best Hotel Service & Hospitality - The Dunraven Adare
• Best Event Dinner / Entertainment - The Crosskeys Inn
• Special Dinner Feature - Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa
• Best Tour Feature - Marine Bar Waterford
• Best Walking Tour - Historic Stroll Kinsale Walking Tours
• Best Visit - Slieve League Cliffs Centre
• Best Lunch - Taylors Three Rock
• Best Sheep Dog Trial - Atlantic Sheepdogs
• National Heritage Award - Dublin Bus Dublin Hop On Hop Off Tour

Padraig McGillicuddy, Managing Director at Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa welcomed their award, stating, “We are honoured to be recognised as this year’s CIE 4-star Hotel of the Year. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, who go above and beyond to ensure that every guest has a memorable stay with us. We are grateful to CIE Tours for this recognition and look forward to continuing to exceed the expectations of our guests.”

Merit Awards were also presented to 54 hotels and tourist attractions who achieved a customer rating of 92% or higher. View the full list here.

Visit CIE Tours’s website