The Shannon Springs Hotel in Shannon, Co Clare announced that it has been awarded a rank of 4 Stars by Fáilte Ireland and The AA Hospitality Services. This elevation in the hotel’s status from its previous 3 Star ranking is due to the major refurbishment of the hotel, involving an investment of over €1.5 million by its owners/directors, John Gavin and Dermot Kelly, since they acquired the property in December 2015.
Commenting on the news, the co-owners stated: “Over the past 3 and a half years, we have endeavored to deliver a product that would be noted in the industry and in the locality for exceptional standards in every aspect of its offering, from the décor, through to the accommodation, the culinary experience and its friendly and helpful staff.
“When we took over 3.5 years ago there were 17 staff employed. Today, we employ 54, between full and part-time staff. This award is a credit to them for their dedication and for encompassing the vision that we had from the beginning. Earlier this year we achieved the supreme winner for Ireland in our category at The Irish Accommodation Service Awards. We also received the ‘Airport Hotel of the Year’ Award at The Irish Hotel Awards in April. We cannot thank the staff enough for their help and continued support throughout our journey.
“We were delighted to note that the AA and Fáilte Ireland Hospitality Services inspectors commended us on our continued commitment to top-notch customer service, as well as improving the quality of many of the public areas of the property during our refurbishment project.
“They also commended the quality of the dining we offer our guests in the Old Lodge Gastro Pub, stating that we continue to meet the criteria for the AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence through our use of quality artisan producers and attention to detail in cookery. We have retained our AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence for 2019.
“We have had our sights set on attaining a 4 Star ranking from the outset and are so proud of our entire team for journeying with us to attain this achievement and thankful to our very loyal customer base for their continued support. This accreditation opens us so many new opportunities for us”.
Commenting on the new award, Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs, stated: “The Shannon Springs Hotel has been punching about its weight as a 3 Star property following its acquisition by new owners in recent years. The latest refurbishment work allowed us to finally bestow a 4 Star award on a property which has long been within touching distance of this new award.
“The Shannon Springs is also very fortunate to possess a warm, welcoming team who, under the leadership of director John Gavin, are fully committed to ensuring that every guest is made to feel at home and welcome from the moment they arrive to when they check out. Not letting the grass grow under their feet, we’re delighted to hear that the Shannon Springs is planning even more development work in the near future to further improve the comfortable facilities on offer.”
The Shannon Springs Hotel has 54 rooms, which are a mixture of executive, family and standard rooms. The hotel also encompasses the Old Lodge Gastro Pub, the outdoor vintage-themed beer garden and its newest addition, the snug area of the bar.
To mark this special occasion, an open invitation was extended to businesses throughout Shannon and to the hotel’s loyal customers to attend an exciting breakfast bites and prizes event at the hotel. One lucky winner, Therese Ross from Shannon, walked away with a fantastic prize, compliments of the Shannon Springs in association with Limerick Travel. The prize consisted of 4 nights in Las Vegas including flights and accommodation. Entry into the draw was via a specially commissioned poker chip issued in advance of the event.
