Kildare hotel awarded gold prize for the Best Guest Experience Hotel in Ireland

The Killashee Hotel outside Naas in County Kildare has won gold as the Best Guest Experience Hotel in Ireland at the Gold Medal Awards which took place on January 28 at a gala awards ceremony hosted by Anton Savage at The Galmont Hotel & Spa in Galway.

Now in their 35th year, the Gold Medal Hotel Awards sponsored by Virgin Media Business are recognised as the leading independent awards programme for the Irish hospitality industry. Presented by Hotel & Catering Review and judged by industry experts, the Gold Medal Awards recognise outstanding achievements and reward excellence in hospitality and catering operations across the island of Ireland.

An important factor in the Gold Medal 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, culinary and catering sectors.

At Killashee which is part of FBD Hotels & Resorts, the guest experience is at the core of what the hotel offers. The team at Killashee are committed to making the guest experience as magical as possible - whether that’s recommending local attractions to visit or the latest cocktail that they might love. The team has created itineraries for guests to experience all of Kildare and what the local area has to offer including visits to many national landmarks.

Every guest is important, whether it is for leisure, business, corporate or weddings, Killashee ensures the highest standard of facilities complemented by excellent customer care. This ranges from families with children for whom the hotel designs customised experiences including exploring the nature trails on the estate with QR codes to themed stays. For weddings and corporate guests, the team of experienced event coordinators will ensure the event will be fresh, clever and imaginative. They will create a bespoke event for each individual group ranging from 10-600 people working with the available facilities with a choice of activities from BBQ to team building activities including access to a full-size all-weather football pitch.

As well as the main hotel with its two contemporary restaurants, Killashee has the newly refurbished Manor House, The Spa and a Leisure Centre with its stand-alone coffee shop Wild Cherry. Conveniently located to numerous top golf courses such as Craddockstown, Naas Golf Club, Palmerstown House, The K Club and world-renowned horse-racing courses with Punchestown and The Curragh. Other popular visitor attractions include Kildare Village Designer Shopping Outlet, Newbridge Silverware & Museum of Style Icons, Irish National Stud Visitors Attraction including the Japanese Gardens & Irish Racehorse Experience, Russborough House and Mondello International Motor Racing Circuit.