Galgorm wins at NI Chamber Awards

AA Hotel & Hospitality Services is proud to announce the launch of its new initiative, hotel spa awards that recognise and celebrate the standards of 174 hotel spa facilities across the UK.

Following a careful selection process, the AA inspectors have identified the best spas across the country. Hotels with an AA Best UK Spas stand out as exceptional and exemplary spas delivering outstanding wellness experiences while those with an AA Recommended Spa award demonstrate a quality spa provision with high standards of customer care and cleanliness. By spotlighting exceptional spa offerings across the UK, the AA’s spa awards provide consumers with a definitive guide to the highest quality and rejuvenating hotel retreats the country has to offer.

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, said: "We are thrilled to unveil this scheme, which not only celebrates the best spas in the UK but also benchmarks the industry. Joining the spa award is an opportunity for hotels to showcase their excellent spa facilities and attract guests seeking the utmost in relaxation and luxury."

The full curated collection of the finest spas including all AA Best UK Spas and AA Recommended Spa awards can be viewed on the AA’s travel website at ratedtrips.com/best-uk-spas. There’s so many to enjoy over the festive period and New Year and well into 2024.

What makes a spa best or recommended?

The AA’s aim is to showcase member establishments that have noteworthy spas worth visiting and are a key part of the hotel experience. These awards are supported by the annual inspections and experience of the UK hospitality landscape. Inspectors’ quality assess elements such as: reception, changing rooms, wet areas, gyms and treatment rooms, where quality and condition of these areas is the key driver.

Spas come in all different shapes, sizes and styles however all featured spas will have the following standards:

· Dedicated reception and staff 

· Several treatment rooms and a broad range of spa treatments 

· Its size should be appropriate to the hotel

· Dedicated changing rooms

· Towel and robe provision

· Variety of areas which may include but not all: pools, hot tubs, hydrotherapy pools, thermal suites, relaxation lounges, outdoor space, food and beverage, gym, studios and wellness activities

· Sustainability policies advertised and demonstrated 

· Accessibility guide published for spa areas 

· Effort made to include accessible needs in spa facilities/design/layout.

AA Recommended Spa Award in addition looks for:

· High quality spa provision

· High Standards of guest care

· High standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

AA Best UK Spa Award also looks for:

· Exceptional and luxurious facilities

· Signature features

· An exemplary spa experience

· A high-quality food and beverage offering

· A distinct retail offering

· Quality consultancy offering for all aspects · Wellness facilities and activities · Outstanding customer service · Dedicated relaxation space/room.

Galgorm has been recognised with an impressive six awards at 2023 World Luxury Awards, including Global Award Winner for Best Luxury Spa Resort and named Best Destination Spa 2024 in the recent Conde Nast Johansens Awards. 

 Galgorm Resort has been recognised by two global platforms, winning an unprecedented six awards at the prestigious 2023 World Luxury Awards hosted in Athens, and securing the Best Destination Spa 2024 title at the recent Conde Nast Johansens Awards in London. 

Galgorm’s internationally renowned retreat, has been widely commended for its sustained commitment to excellence and its outstanding achievement within the wider international luxury spa and wellness industry, adding a string of new awards to its growing collection.

Located in the heart of Northern Ireland and set within 450 acres of gardens and woodlands, Galgorm has carved out a reputation as one of the world’s premier, luxury destinations. Following investments worth more than £60 million since 2010, Galgorm is also investing a further £30 million to further expand and enhance its resort and spa facilities by 2027, embedding its position as a world-class international tourism destination of choice for travellers from across the globe. 

Tara Moore, Head of Spa Operations for Galgorm said: “We are thrilled to have enjoyed such incredible success on a global stage as part of the World Luxury Awards and the Conde Nast Johansens Awards in recognition of our significant investment, our focus on delivering an unrivalled customer experience, not least all the hard work and dedication of our talented team at Galgorm.”

“To receive recognition on this scale against such strong international competition not only reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in every area but also to enriching the tourism industry of Northern Ireland.”

Named Global Award Winner for Best Luxury Spa Resort, the resort’s famous Thermal Spa Village also took home the top awards for Best Luxury Resort and Best Luxury Spa Resort in Northern Europe; Best Luxury Riverside Resort across the continent; Best Luxury Resort Spa and Best Luxury Golf Resort Spa in the UK; and the Best Destination Spa 2024 at the Conde Nast Johansens Awards. 

Committed to working towards a sustainable future, protecting the environment and reducing its carbon footprint through its Green Policy 10-Point Plan,  Galgorm recently became the first hotel in Northern Ireland to achieve gold in two top sustainability accolades from Green Tourism, in recognition of its “exceptional commitment to sustainable practices”, while earlier this year, the Galgorm Collection became the first hospitality group on the island of Ireland to achieve official ‘Great Place to Work’ certification, based on exceptional employee experience.

NI’s award-winning collection of luxury hotels and restaurants becomes the first hospitality group on the island of Ireland to achieve official certification based on exceptional employee experience.

Major Northern Ireland employer Galgorm Collection has become the first hospitality group on the island of Ireland to achieve official Great Place To Work certification across its entire portfolio of award-winning luxury hotels and restaurants.

The prestigious endorsement by Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture and wellbeing, was awarded following an extensive independent employee survey which engaged Galgorm Collection’s workforce of around 1,000 team members.

Employees voted across all six properties - including the globally renowned Galgorm, AA Hotel of the Year The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Templepatrick, Ireland’s Blue Book recommended property The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn, and its collection of restaurants Fratelli and Parisien in Belfast city centre - and concluded that their workplace is a great place to work.

The only hotel group on the island of Ireland to achieve the exceptional standard, the distinguished certification rewards outstanding employers who demonstrate a high-trust, ‘people-first’ workplace and cultivate a culture which embodies values such as credibility, fairness, respect, camaraderie, honesty and pride.

Laura Millar, HR Associate Director at Galgorm Collection said:

“What makes this accreditation so important to us is that it’s based on authentic employee feedback which is rigorously analysed using data-driven methodology and can be confident that staff feel trusted, valued and supported in their roles and enjoy the many benefits of working with the region’s premier hospitality group.

Our success has always depended on our great people. From chefs to bar tenders, spa therapists and managers, to facilities staff, housekeepers, drivers and night porters, our people are what makes us famous for our warm welcome and unforgettable hospitality experience. Through our dedicated People Strategy, we work hard to ensure we offer the most competitive benefits and lead in the development of skills, training and career development opportunities.”

Based solely on rigorous and validated employee feedback gathered by Great Place to Work – the global authority on workplace culture – the accreditation signifies that employees have a consistently positive experience in the workplace.

“At the heart of every organisation are its people, and looking after their wellbeing should be a priority for every employer,” Great Place to Work managing director Benedict Gautrey said. “We know when employees feel genuinely contented and at ease within their roles, they are much more engaged and productive, which leads to better results for everyone.”

A major local employer, Galgorm Collection has dramatically scaled up its hospitality footprint and workforce over the last decade following a £90 million investment into the ongoing expansion and refurbishment of its flagship property Galgorm, with its latest investment project aiming to add new accommodation types and spa facilities by 2027.

Since 2020, Galgorm Collection has acquired and opened two major new hotels, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Templepatrick and The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn, growing its workforce by 30%.

“Galgorm Collection’s award-winning customer excellence and reputation for first-class hospitality is down to the dedication, skills and professionalism of our team and that’s why we continually invest in our workplace culture, training and development and in enhancing career prospects for everyone to make this a great place to work. We’re thrilled that our team voted with their feet to endorse what we do, and we are grateful for the superb work they deliver for our customers and the group every day,” Galgorm Collection managing director Colin Johnston said.

As an officially certified Great Place to Work, Galgorm Collection will automatically be entered into the prestigious Best Workplaces ™ list which recognises organisations which demonstrate an effective management culture that focuses on the individual, their strengths and potential. All of this promotes innovation in the company and their associated economic success.

With sustainability at the heart of its business, Galgorm Collection last year announced a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030, with a bid to become the first premier hospitality group on the island of Ireland to go fully green.

A year earlier, Galgorm Collection has also committed to the rollout of an enhanced benefits package for all eligible team members, including a £1 million investment into premium private health care cover over the next five years as part of its ongoing commitment to investing in its people.

In March 2021, Galgorm Collection announced 180 new roles across its range of hotels and restaurants to meet anticipated post-pandemic demand and announced its investment of more than £5m in annual wages in creating the new roles. For more information on current roles available across Galgorm Collection, and to apply, visit

galgorm.com/work-with-us.html

Northern Ireland’s newest luxury hotel The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, part of Galgorm Collection, was named Hotel of the Year Northern Ireland 2022 at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards this week.

Coming back after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the glittering awards ceremony at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London was hosted by Gabby Logan, celebrating the UK’s top hotels, restaurants, and pubs and the people behind them. 

One of the industry’s most prestigious and highly anticipated events, the AA Hospitality Awards span 15 categories, honouring the best hotels, restaurants, and spas across the UK, and celebrating individuals with awards such as the Lifetime Achievement Award, Chefs’ Chef Award and more.

Opened in June 2020, the Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, a 33-bedroom boutique hotel and spa located in Templepatrick, has been dramatically transformed to include a £2 million Relaxation Burrow spa area which completed construction last year.   

Perched by the edge of a stunning lake, the spa area offers total tranquillity, boasts unique attractions including Swedish sauna, an aromatherapy steam room, halotherapy salt chamber and Roman inspired bath and hot tubs, and has recently unveiled a range of bespoke spa treatments ranging from an IMAGE Skincare personalized facial, or a herbal green tea massage, to a full body ritual inclusive of skin exfoliation, scalp relaxation and leg energizer.

The Rabbit is also the first hotel in the island of Ireland to offer a heated lakeside beach complete with a Lake Bar, sunken lounge and plush cabanas for a laid back, luxurious experience. A Day Spa package with full spa access, lunch, and 60-minute spa treatment is launching on 1st October.

In addition to the accommodation, spa and bar and restaurant offering, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat also boasts a unique banqueting suite and wedding venue - The Loft - offering unabridged luxury in a magical setting, with high vaulted ceilings, chandeliers adorned with foliage, marble dining tables, dramatic fireplaces and a stunning romantic lake view from the spacious outdoor terrace.

Lynsey Gordon, General Manager at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat said:

“We are proud and honoured to be recognised by the AA at these most prestigious awards.  This is a fantastic endorsement of all the hard work that has gone into the extensive redevelopment at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat.  

This award reinforces our unwavering commitment to delivering an outstanding experience and recognises our team's talents, dedication and efforts. We are incredibly grateful to all our guests for their support and we look forward to creating many more memory-making moments at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat.”  

Galgorm is renowned for creating world-class hospitality experiences throughout their award-winning properties in Northern Ireland. Galgorm has received numerous awards and accolades for their stellar service and offering, including receiving the Four AA Red Star Award for excellence in quality and hospitality last year, as well as previously holding the coveted title of Global Luxury Spa Hotel of the Year. 

Since opening, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat has been included in numerous prestigious listings including the Irish Independent’s #Indo50 Top 50 Hotels to visit on the island of Ireland.

For more information, please visit 

https://www.rabbithotel.com/

For further information about the AA Hospitality Awards 2022, please visit: 

https://aahospitalityawards.com