Hannah Martin
Winning a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating is a milestone moment for any hotel, but retaining it can be the challenge, according to Niall Rochford, Managing Director at Ashford Castle, which has retained its Forbes ranking for a fifth consecutive year.
The annual Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards (FTG ) rates the world’s most luxurious properties and is the world’s only independent rating system. Ashford Castle was Ireland’s first hotel to achieve a Five-Star ranking in the annual honours list (2020 ), the top rating possible and the ultimate gold standard in hospitality.
The Spa at Ashford Castle was also the first and remains the only hotel spa in Ireland to receive a Five-Star ranking, so there was a double celebration at the hotel today when it was announced that The Spa had retained the highest ranking possible from FTG’s 2024 awards.
Forbes describes the team at Ashford Castle as exceptional and the service as warm and welcoming as the hotel’s crackling open fires with no request too large and no detail too small. Forbes notes the individually designed rooms and suites as exuding regal grandeur with grounds that are nothing short of epic. Of The Spa, Forbes describes the stone palace as a modern oasis designed to pamper you like royalty. With the white coral chandeliers of the serene indoor pool area, no luxe detail has been overlooked.
When Forbes Travel Guide’s expert inspectors visit a property, they anonymously test it against up to 900 rigorous standards. While both service and facilities are inspected, Forbes’ Star Rating system places an emphasis on service, for which the staff at Ashford Castle are widely recognised. Reviewers have noted how invested every member of staff is in the castle, highlighting the level of care they offer each guest. Forbes’ praise for staff included a special mention for Restaurant and Wine Programme Manager, Robert Bowe’s engaging conversation with guests.
“There’s a nervous excitement that permeates the castle in the weeks leading into the annual Forbes Travel Guide rating announcement. While we know we have a magnificent property and a wonderful team of people who are passionate about providing superior standards of service to our guests, each year we raise the bar that little bit higher for ourselves. We strive to inspire and support one another and to be exemplars for the tourism industry, flying the flag for five-star hospitality in Ireland. So today I, along with our owners at Red Carnation, want to congratulate the team at Ashford Castle on this award, for this is an acknowledgement of their wonderful efforts,” Niall Rochford said.
