Knockranny House Hotel wins AA Hotel of the Year

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, presented the husband and wife team, Geraldine and Adrian Noonan, proprietors and managers of Westport’s Knockranny House Hotel and Spa with the ultimate accolade of ‘AA Ireland Hotel of the Year 2012/2013.’ The award is the most prestigious of its kind in the Irish Hospitality Industry and enormous consideration goes into the selection of the most fitting recipient each year.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said: “Congratulations to hoteliers Adrian and Geraldine Noonan of Knockranny House Hotel, and also to their fellow award winners here today. They are all excellent ambassadors for the Irish hospitality sector, and clearly go the extra mile to provide a first-class experience to their guests. Next year’s Gathering Ireland will provide a unique opportunity to put Ireland on the world stage as a top-notch holiday destination. That’s why today’s award winners are so important, by doing their bit to drive Irish standards even higher.”

The AA has been inspecting and grading hotels in Ireland for more than a century and is delighted to celebrate the achievements of Knockranny Hotel and their staff. Excellence in service and hospitality as well as a clear demonstration of continuous improvement are key in attaining the coveted title of AA Hotel of the Year and AA Hotel Inspectors reveal that Knockranny House Hotel has been in very close contention over recent years.

Evolving the hotel

Since opening fifteen years ago, the Noonan’s have shown an enduring commitment to enhancing and evolving their hotel. Among their undertakings have been the addition of 40 luxury bedrooms in 2006 which brought their total to 97. Among their bedrooms are 13 sumptuous suites which include a magnificent Presidential Suite, Penthouse Suite, and a number of beautiful Master and Courtyard Suites.

Other key developments at Knockranny House Hotel over the last decade have included an extension of their celebrated La Fougére restaurant and impressive Nephin Conference Suite. They also launched their award-winning spa, Spa Salveo which includes numerous thermal suites, treatment rooms and pool to great success in 2005.

Award winning cuisine

Another important event in Knockranny House Hotel’s journey to becoming AA Hotel of the Year was the appointment of vastly experienced Executive Head Chef, Seamus Commons three years ago. Having spent years in some of the country’s finest kitchens, Mayo native Seamus has earned a host of awards for the hotel including 2 AA Rosettes for culinary excellence. Commons also goes to great lengths to develop his team having mentored two of the most recent winners of the Eurotorques Best Young Chefs in Ireland.

In addition to excellent cuisine, the overall quality of visitor experience delivered throughout at Knockranny House Hotel helped them to achieve the highest merit score in the country according to AA Hotel Inspectors. The service, accommodation, amenities, and setting all scored very highly contributing to Knockranny House Hotel earning the top accolade of AA Hotel of the Year.

Proprietor and General Manager Adrian Noonan on their award:

“The people who work with us every day are the real recipients of this award. Their hard work, dedication and genuine warmth are the reasons our guests return time and time again. Thank you AA Ireland for recognizing them”.

In addition to attracting guests for its award-winning cuisine and spa facilities Knockranny House Hotel is also one of the most popular wedding and conference venues in Connaught.

“It’s a huge and very challenging feat to be named AA Hotel of the Year and only a hotel which exemplifies the very best that Ireland has to offer can be deemed worthy. Our every congratulations go to the Noonan family and their loyal and passionate team on their achievement. They have been a very close contender for the award for a number of years now and enormous credit goes to them all for their drive and determination in making Knockranny House Hotel the excellent destination it is today.” Brendan Nevin, CEO, AA Ireland.