Inside the 13th century Irish castle named the world's BEST hotel

Set on 350 acres of stunning land in western Ireland, the five-star Ashford Castle received the top gong at an annual awards event held by Virtuoso, a network of international travel agents.

Ashford, one of Ireland’s oldest castles, boasts elegant designs and recently reopened to the public after undergoing a €67million (£50million) renovation.

Located on the banks of Lough Corrib – Ireland’s second largest lake – in County Mayo, the medieval castle has 82 extravagant guest rooms and is home to Ireland’s first falconry school.

With such extravagance and extraordinary amenities, a night at Ashford Castle doesn’t come cheap.

Standard guest rooms can be rented from €500 (£350) a night at peak season, while the presidential suite is available for a staggering €2,500 (£1,800) a night.

Located in the oldest wind of the castle, the split-level room has an original fireplace, high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling views of Lough Corrib, plus portrait art, chandeliers and a four-poster bed sourced from Christie’s.

Set on a sprawling wooded estate 35 miles northeast of Galway, the hotel – once owned by the Guinness family – has hosted royalty, dignitaries and A-list celebrities over the years.

The original property was founded by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family in 1228 and has a guestbook which reads like a who’s who.

Stars such as John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara have stayed in the castle’s only turret rooms, and other guests include King George V, US President Ronald Reagan (the presidential suite is named after him), Beatles star John Lennon and actor Brad Pitt.

Guests can take part in archery or clay pigeon shooting, go for a round of golf, fish in the lough or ride horses along the water.

Or they can learn to command a Harris hawk around the grounds with a raptor expert by their side, or meet Dingle the resident owl, who is trained to deliver engagement rings or love letters.

This is the latest award for Ashford Castle’s growing trophy case.

Earlier this year it was named the world’s third best hotel by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.

This comes on the heels of a massive refurbishment of all 82 guest rooms, an overhaul of the building’s infrastructure, including stonework, windows and roofs, and modern updates such as a spa, air conditioning and wifi.

The hotel emerged from receivership in 2013 after Red Carnation Hotels paid €20million for the resort and helped secure its future.

Niall Rochford, Ashford Castle’s general manager, said in a statement: ‘On behalf of Ashford Castle and Red Carnation Hotels we are thrilled to have been awarded one of the luxury travel industry’s top awards, Virtuoso Hotel of the Year.

‘It is fantastic recognition of the exciting journey Ashford Castle has been on over the last few years and all the hard work that has gone into the $75million restoration by the Tollman family and all the team at Ashford.

‘The three-year programme, much of which was carried out by local craftspeople, has seen Ashford Castle restored as one of Ireland’s most luxurious hotels as well as one of the best in the world.

‘It is also an endorsement of the training, development and investment in staff which has enabled us to offer even greater attentive and highly personalised service.’

(dailymail.co.uk)