Top 10 Resort Hotels in the U.K. and Ireland

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite resorts in the U.K. and Ireland.

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be.

Visitors head to the great castle hotels of Ireland and Great Britain looking to unwind in the quiet of pastoral surroundings. However, these sprawling properties, many of which are former private residences, offer something more than the opportunity to decompress. The U.K. and Ireland’s grand manor houses deliver a chance to escape into the past, to immerse oneself in the fine craftsmanship and well-honed design of earlier centuries, and to come face-to-face with history.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, readers provide insights on travel experiences around the globe — sharing their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated based on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

These hotels distinguish themselves through their long-standing connection to the land on which they were built. For example, Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, a charming getaway in the Connemara region of Ireland, ranked at No. 7. “The grounds of the hotel are spectacular,” shared one reader, “set in a native oak wood. (Not a lot of these left in Ireland or the world.) The menu features foraged food items, and the local meat and fish complement everything.” Moreover, Dromoland Castle, at No. 8, has land that has been cultivated since the 16th century. “They’ve done an amazing job maintaining the authenticity of the historic castle while blending modern conveniences,” one voter noted. “It oozes charm, class, and heritage and is full of beautiful Irish people delivering awesome service.”

This year’s top accolade goes to Ashford Castle, a historic hotel on the Emerald Isle that ticks all the boxes travelers look for in the best hotels in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

1. Ashford Castle, County Mayo, Ireland

Score: 94.52

More information: ashfordcastle.com

Located near Ireland’s spectacular western coast, this property has been gradually rising to the top of the World’s Best Awards over the past few years. Readers rave about this 13th-century retreat, once the property of the storied Guinness family. “Simply a magical experience for my wife and I,” one voter shared. “The guests are treated like royalty. The property is beautiful and the food — including the tea service — is superb.” Another commended the thoughtful attention given to younger guests: “My kids still talk about this being their favorite experience in Ireland. They loved getting notes, hidden in a nook under the stairs, from ‘the leprechauns.’”