The Grand Central Hotel has been named the Best 5-Star Hotel in Ireland and the Europa Hotel has picked up a Merit Award at the CIE Tours International 31st Annual Awards of Excellence which took place in Dublin.

The two Hastings Hotels’ properties were the only hotels in Northern Ireland to be recognised at the prestigious event.

Organised by CIE Tours, the largest operator of guided tours to Ireland in the North American market, which brought over 25,000 to the island of Ireland last year, the awards recognise Ireland’s hospitality ambassadors – the people and businesses who put Irish tourism on the global stage through the warmth of welcome and quality of service provided to international visitors.

Each category is based on post-stay feedback received from nearly 20,000 customers surveyed by CIE Tours throughout 2022 and the winners have all delivered an exceptional quality experience and welcome to visitors, achieving a customer satisfaction rating of over 92%.

James McGinn, Managing Director of Hastings Hotels said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Grand Central has been named the Best 5-Star Hotel in Ireland and the Europa Hotel has received a Merit Award at the CIE Tours International 31st Annual Awards. Our guests are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on providing a first-class service and an enjoyable stay each and every time, so the fact that these prestigious accolades have been won based on the feedback from our guests makes both wins extra special. I would like to thank our employees as they are the reason for our continued success and their hard-work and dedication are recognised through these awards.”

Elizabeth Crabill, Chief Executive of CIE Tours said: “The Irish holiday experience is unique and its popularity is very evident in the strong rebound we witnessed once international travel trade reopened following the pandemic. I want to acknowledge the resilience of our tourism partners who, having had a very difficult few years, enthusiastically welcomed back our visitors once restrictions were lifted. Your professionalism is reflected in the feedback from our visitors and in these awards.”