GREGANS CASTLE has been revealed as the best hotel in Ireland according to the 2019 edition of the Good Hotel Guide.
The independent guide lists 860 carefully-selected hotels throughout the UK and Ireland.
Gregans Castle situated near Ballyvaughan in County Clare beat off competition from several other luxury hotels to land the Irish hotel of the year award.
The guide's judges praised the venue's "elegant, antique-filled interior" which "gleams with modern art and fresh flowers."
They also praised the hotel's eye-catching views, excellent food and the fact that Gregans Castle welcomes guests with pets.
The country house, which is run by Simon Haden and Freddie McMurray, was one of 10 10 César award winners selected from the 860-strong hotel list.
Named after the famous Swiss hotelier César Ritz, the 10 were singled out for demonstrating "excellence in their field" and each received an award.
"This year's 2019 César winners have demonstrated excellence at every turn, providing guests with delicious food and warm hospitality," Good Hotel Guide co-editors Adam Raphael and Ian Belcher said
"They have also succeeded in getting the all-important basics right, from a comfortable mattress or very good ambient lighting to that vital but often overlooked welcoming atmosphere and smooth service."
The full list of winners reads as follows:
Newcomer of the year: Pentonbridge Inn, Penton, Cumbria
Luxury hotel of the year: Kinloch Lodge, Sleat, Isle of Skye
Seaside hotel of the year: The Nare, Veryan-in-Roseland, Cornwall
Country hotel of the year: Tudor Farmhouse, Clearwell, Gloucestershire
B&B of the year: Stoberry House, Wells, Somerset
Romantic hotel of the year: The Salutation, Sandwich, Kent
Inn of the year: The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire
Irish hotel of the year: Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Ireland
Scottish hotel of the year: Knockendarroch Hotel, Pitlochry, Scotland
Welsh restaurant-with-rooms of the year: Restaurant James Sommerin, Penarth, Wales
Anyone looking to spend a night at Gregans Castle might want to start saving now though, with rooms starting at €379 a night.
They could find themselves rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous though with previous guests including Sharon Stone, Steven Spielberg and Ewan McGregor.
