A Collection of Trophies: The Talbot Collection wins big at annual Irish Hotel Awards, scooping eight prestigious accolades for outstanding performance

Proving they are among the cream of the crop when it comes to Ireland’s competitive hospitality sector, The Talbot Collection were this week proud and elated as they picked up a staggering eight accolades during the annual Irish Hotel Awards. The awards ceremony, a yearly event that showcases the standout hotel venues and teams across the country, took place at the exclusive Galmont Hotel & Spa in Galway, where three of The Talbot Collection’s properties – Oriel House Hotel, Cork; Talbot Hotel Wexford; and Talbot Hotel Stillorgan – were aptly recognised for their outstanding contribution to the industry.

The big winner on the night was the fabulous Oriel House Hotel, located on the outskirts of Cork’s vibrant city centre and at the gateway to the rugged Wild Atlantic West. The reputable venue, which is known for combining old school charm with a contemporary design, was not only named as Ireland’s 4-Star Hotel of the Year 2019, but also went on to scoop the evening’s most highly coveted title as it was announced as the Irish Hotel of the Year 2019. Aside from being singled out as Ireland’s overall 4-Star Hotel of the Year, the hotel also took home the regional award for Munster 4-Star Hotel of the Year. Susan Roche, Deputy Manager of Oriel House Hotel, celebrated both a collaborative and personal victory on the night as she was recognised in front of the 300-strong crowd asDeputy Manager of the Year.

The Talbot Wexford team were also in celebratory form as they walked away from the glamorous event with three accolades, scooping the award for Irish Brand Hotel of the Year and the regional award for Leinster Coastal Escape of the Year, while staff member Paddy O’Gorman was personally commended for his outstanding contribution to the hotel’s aesthetic, winning the award forGroundskeeper of the Year.

A third member of The Talbot Collection, the Talbot Hotel Stillorgan, was also notably mentioned at the event, emerging as Leinster’s 2019 Business & Conference Hotel of the Year. The accolade follows an extensive refurbishment at the hotel, which saw their sizeable Shelbourne Suite transformed into a stylish and contemporary conference space. With graphic prints on the walls, a colour palette complimented with bright pops of turquoise and beautiful bespoke light fittings, the Dublin hotel now boasts business and conference facilities of a five-star standard.

Now in its third year, the Irish Hotel Awards celebrates outstanding excellence in the industry, commending those that frequently raise the bar in terms of service, quality and personal standards. This year’s event was attended by Niall McNelis, the Mayor of the City of Galway, who welcomed attendees to the 2020 Capital of Culture while congratulating all finalists and winners.

Speaking at the awards, Group Sales & Marketing Manager Amy Horgan, said: “It’s a real proud moment for me and for The Talbot Collection team to accept these accolades this evening. We always strive to give our guests the best possible experience when they visit one of our seven properties, so to see this dedication and hard work noted in such a public and prestigious way is truly an honour. Establishing The Talbot Collection as ‘ones to watch’ through involvement in award initiatives such as the Irish Hotel Awards has been a strong focus mine for some time. I believe that esteemed victories – such as those we earned this evening – will serve to cement the Talbot name as one of the key players in the Irish hospitality industry. In the meantime, we’ll be working harder than ever to ensure we beat our own record at next year’s event!”

Commenting on the selection process, Shane Smith, Managing Director of award coordinators NI Media, said: “Each and every one of our members has been individually assessed and our winners here tonight were judged by a panel of industry professionals. One of our researchers recently commented that ‘there is a big difference between a good hotel and a memorable hotel’ and we know from our results our member hotels are doing just that and delivering memorable experiences for their guests. The figures for the early part of the year show a rise of 7 percent in overseas arrivals and this is in no small part due to the efforts of hospitality professionals across the island.”

For more information on The Talbot Collection’s seven properties, visit www.talbotcollection.ie.