The Westbury Hotel in Dublin has been declared the best hotel in Ireland for 2023 by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller.
It is the fifth time the five-star hotel off Grafton Street has finished on top of the Irish pile and it comes after a “staggering” half-a-million people around the world took part in the magazine’s annual survey.
“From the second you walk into The Westbury and up the grand, bifurcated staircase, it’s hard not to be impressed,” the magazine said of the “classic Dublin meeting place”.
“You’ll feel a strong, welcoming vibe at every turn – the staff here is endearingly helpful,” it added, concluding that “there’s a reason Dubliners love The Westbury – this is unbridled Irish luxury at its finest, and the service is always exemplary”.
The hotel finished ahead of the Merrion Hotel, which is also in Dublin, and the Cashel Palace Hotel in Tipperary, which rounded out the medal positions.
Ballyfin Demesne in Laois ranked fourth place while Carton House in Kildare finished in fifth.
The Morrison on Dublin’s north quays was in sixth after which came the Killarney Park Hotel and Kilkea Castle in Kildare. Galway’s Glenlo Abbey was ranked ninth with Lough Eske Castle in Donegal finishing in 10th place.
There were a dozen hotels ranked highly by the readers of the prestigious travel magazine with the G Hotel and Spa in Galway and the Park Hotel in Kenmare rounding off the list.
“We are incredibly honoured and proud to have been voted number one hotel in Ireland,” said the Westbury’s general manager Vincent O’Gorman.
“Every member of our team endeavours to create meaningful and memorable experiences for each and every guest at The Westbury and this is a wonderful recognition of that dedication.”
Ireland as a country also performed well with readers of the magazine ranking it as the fourth best country in the world to visit behind Japan, Italy and Greece, and ahead of New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Norway and Switzerland.
The Europe Hotel & Resort in Killarney finished in the top 10 in Europe. “We are truly honoured to be recognised by Condé Nast Traveller and its readers,” Michael Brennan, the general manager, said.
“This accolade is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our outstanding team. We will continue to deliver a hospitality experience to impress even the most experienced of travellers.”
There was some bad news for the country as a whole, however, as no Irish hotel made it into the top 50 best hotels in the world. The Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs was ranked as the best hotel in the world followed by the Venetian in Las Vegas and the Willard in Washington DC.
