HOTEL WOODSTOCK, Ennis has won Best Employer: Wild Atlantic Way category at the Fáilte Ireland Employer Excellence awards.
Securing the acclaimed Best Employer: Wild Atlantic Way award, Hotel Woodstock has demonstrated that sustainable success in the modern tourism and hospitality sector is driven by a supportive, positive workplace culture built from the ground up.
This year’s winner impressed the judges with a disciplined approach to benchmarking, demonstrating clear and measurable progress across key engagement metrics. What stood out most to judges was the visible commitment from senior leadership and their “sleeves-up” approach that signals authenticity and shared ownership.
Their culture is brought to life through regular team social events and employee awards, often delivered with humour, fostering connection and enjoyment across the workforce. Teamwork and collaboration are not left to chance but are actively encouraged and recognised as central to the hotel’s success.
Discussing the impact of the Employer Excellence Programme, Woodstock Director Sean Lally said:
“We are absolutely head over heels to win. This is our third year participating in the programme, and we have watched our overall employee score climb steadily year-on-year. It is a huge credit to our team back at the hotel, who work night and day for us”.
“Our philosophy is centred on a Japanese concept called Kaizen, which is all about making small, incremental improvements every single week that ultimately have a significant positive impact on both our team’s environment and our repeat business”, he continued.
Elaine Lally, Sean’s wife and business partner, agreed that building a resilient team requires leadership to step onto the floor alongside staff, adding:
“We consider our team to be the Woodstock family, and we lead by example. Our motto is that what you put into people is exactly what you get out of them, so we don’t ask our team to do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves. We love fostering a fun, inclusive atmosphere because hospitality is hard work, but if your staff are turning up to work with a smile on their faces, the customer notices that immediately. Happy staff means happy customers”.
Highlighting why the hospitality sector remains an unparalleled environment for personal and professional growth, Sean Lally concluded:
“Hospitality is the ultimate training ground for life because, no matter what industry you end up in, you have to know how to work with people. We take local young people who might be a bit shy initially, and we watch them develop confidence as they grow from transition year students into college graduates. It brings us immense pride to see them thrive. The industry offers so many fast-track career opportunities to move up the ladder quickly if you have the right attitude and work hard”.
