Ashford Castle has retained its Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ranking – the top rating possible and the ultimate gold standard in global hospitality – for a sixth consecutive year.
The annual Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards (FTG) rate 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), which measures true luxury ‘not in thread counts or square feet, but in moments of genuine connection.”
It was a landmark moment for Irish tourism when, in 2023, The Spa at Ashford Castle received the first Five-Star FTG ranking for a hotel spa in Ireland. And the magnificent spa, which Forbes describes as a modern oasis designed to pamper you like royalty where no luxe detail has been overlooked, remains the only Forbes Five-Star hotel spa in Ireland, retaining the prestigious FTG honour for a third consecutive year. Ashford Castle recently welcomed world-leading skincare brand Augustinus Bader to The Spa, becoming the first and only spa in Ireland to offer Augustinus Bader spa treatments to guests.
The FTG inspectors said of Ashford Castle: Managed by a team of exceptional staff, the former home of the Guinness family expertly blends luxurious pampering with traditional Irish hospitality. Whether it’s kitting you out with a wax jacket and boots for a hawk walk, arranging a wine-tasting experience in the cellar or giving a bespoke treatment in The Spa, no request is too large, no detail is too small and discretion is always paramount.
“Behind every award is a team of passionate people, and I know that winning an FTG Five-Star Award is personal to each and every member of the Ashford Castle family,” said Niall Rochford, Managing Director of Ashford Castle.
“This recognition reflects the dedication, hard work, and care every individual puts into creating unforgettable experiences for our guests, every day. Together with our owners at Red Carnation, I would like to thank the team for all their hard work and for the joy they bring to the thousands of guests who stay with us each year.”
Standards
FTG’s ratings are objective, independent and data driven. Incognito inspectors pose as everyday guests – checking in at hotels, taking in spa treatments and dining at fine restaurants. They test hundreds of exacting standards that emphasise exceptional service, which accounts for 70% of a property’s rating. The quality and condition of the facilities account for the remaining 30%.
Beyond these metrics, inspectors assess the intangibles behind a truly remarkable guest experience and whether all of the elements added up to a stay that was unforgettable.
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.
Ashford Castle is part of an elite group of luxury hotels in Ireland and around the world that have earned a much-coveted Five-Star Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) ranking. The hotel is set in a spectacular 350-acre estate in Cong, Co. Mayo and is part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. www.ashfordcastle.com
