The Hurl family accepts the award on behalf of The Crosskeys Inn,
recognized as CIE Tours’ Gold Award for Best Event Dinner / Entertainment.
In total, 100 CIE Tours partners were recognized for a customer satisfaction rating of 92% or more and qualified for a Merit Award with the top score in each category receiving the Gold Award.
MORRISTOWN, NJ – At its 32nd Annual Awards of Excellence, CIE Tours, leading tour operator for vacations to Ireland, recognized the tourism partners, hoteliers, and attractions that were top contributors to the company’s overall guest satisfaction rating of 95% in 2023. This year’s awards were hosted at the Dublin Royal Convention Center on February 6, 2024.
Stephen Cotter, interim managing director of CIE Tours said, “Our more than 90 years of experience gives us unrivalled expertise in coach tourism. Last year exceeded our expectations with 36,000 people traveling with us to Ireland, England, and Scotland, plus our new destinations of Iceland and Italy added in 2019.”
Launched in 1990, the Awards of Excellence recognize those hospitality ambassadors who contribute to creating exceptional experiences for CIE Tours travelers. The awards are based on post-stay feedback from nearly 25,000 guests who traveled with the company in 2023.
2023 Gold Award Winners
- Best 5-star hotel: Dromoland Castle
- Best 4-star hotel: Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa
- Best 3-star hotel: The Wyatt Hotel
- Best Hotel Accommodation: Kilronan Castle Estate and Spa
- Best Hotel Dinner: Cabra Castle
- Best Hotel Service & Hospitality: The Dunraven Adare
- Best Event Dinner / Entertainment: The Crosskeys Inn
- Special Dinner Feature: Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa
- Best Tour Feature: Marine Bar Waterford
- Best Walking Tour: Historic Stroll Kinsale Walking Tours
- Best Visit: Slieve League Cliffs Centre
- Best Lunch: Taylors Three Rock
- Best Sheep Dog Trial: Atlantic Sheepdogs
- National Heritage Award: DoDublin Hop-on Hop-off Tour
For the first time, CIE Tours has expanded the awards program to recognize exceptional customer satisfaction ratings for tourism partners in Italy and Iceland. The company has been pleased to see how many partners met the necessary criteria in the first year of measurement, with 30 hotels and attractions earning Merit status in total across the two destinations. For a full list of winners, visit 2023 Awards of Excellence Winners.
Cotter added, “Bookings for 2024 are ahead of expectations and interest in our destinations is strong. These awards recognize partners across the spectrum from urban to rural tourism, and that geographic range is intentional. A core component of CIE Tours’ sustainability strategy is partnering with a diverse set of businesses to extend economic benefits into local communities, and tonight we had a chance to celebrate their contributions.”
CIE Tours is dedicated to its commitment to sustainability launched last year with the establishment of a Responsible Tourism policy. In 2024, the company is implementing a carbon strategy and will be hiring a dedicated sustainability manager to work with tourism partners to identify projects that will benefit the environment and local communities.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
