Sligo Hotel is Wedding Venue of the Year
Cromleach Lodge Country House Hotel & Ciúnas Spa has just scooped another major award – Wedding Venue of the Year for Connaught.
Each of the top 100 hotels shortlisted for the award went through a meticulous judging process including votes and testimonials from brides, secret shoppers and an expert panel of judges to find the overall winners in each category.
The black tie award ceremony was attended by Apprentice stars Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin and Dragon’s Den entrepreneur, Gavin Duffy, as well as leading wedding professionals from around the country.
Winning awards and setting high standards is not new to Moira & Christy Tighe owners of Cromleach Lodge. Just recently they were the overall national winners of the Fáilte Ireland sponsored Web Check Challenge Award.
Over the years they have won many prestigious accolades including Hotel of the Year & Restaurant of the Year. Moira Tighe Irish Chef of the Year 2000 is a strong proponent of high standards “I believe that now more than ever, consistency and high standards are hugely important especially in the hotel industry. The public are very selective in their choice of hotels & restaurants, quality & value for money are foremost in people’s minds. Choice of wedding venue is no different and this award is very important to us. We’re extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated team here at Cromleach headed up by Deirdre, our wedding coordinator and it’s most gratifying to see so many brides voting for Cromleach and contributing to us wining this prestigious award”.
Deirdre their wedding co-coordinator is a legend, according to feed back from wedding couples. From the initial contact and show around, to check out after each wedding, Deirdre builds a very special relationship with each couple – which apparently continues long after the wedding.
She is always on hand to advise on the various wedding packages and assist in every possible way – “Moira, Christy and all the staff here enjoy making every guest’s visit unique, so your wedding at Cromleach will be a very special occasion not just for you & your guests but for all of us. We don’t just “do” weddings- we all work together to ensure that your wedding is what you’ve dreamed of and looked forward to.”
There are many unique aspects to Cromleach Lodge such as the superb views from the Diarmaid & Grainne Suite & the very personal welcome of the owners, however their attention to detail when it comes to weddings is quite special indeed. The main hotel restaurant is actually closed while the wedding dinner is being served. This is in order to allow the entire kitchen & restaurant teams give their full attention to the wedding party, which Deirdre is very proud to point out – “We don’t employ “function” staff or serve “function” food – you are served the same food by the same personal & friendly staff as in our award winning restaurant every day.”
Of course Cromleach Lodge has for years been renowned for the quality of their food & service. Moira, herself a highly regarded chef – she was Irish Chef of the Year in 2000 – continues to oversee the kitchen and ensure that these incredibly high standards are maintained at all times.
"Everything from the first little amuse-bouché to the last petit four with coffee is a treat – and, as in all aspects of this exceptional place, service is flawless.”
Georgina Campbell’s Ireland Guide 2008
Deirdre’s sensitive individual attention to the needs of each couple starts with her approach to wedding show arounds and wedding fairs – “We’ve never had a wedding fair at Cromleach. The idea of herding couples around in this way is, in my opinion very impersonal & far from romantic. From my experience most couples at this early stage of planning prefer a more private and personal consultation. We offer a show around package which includes early check in to one of our deluxe bedrooms. Unlimited use of Ciúnas Spa thermal areas. A welcome drink & canapés in the De Danann Lounge & full dinner in Moira’s Restaurant. Once they’ve had a nice relaxing evening I then meet the couple for a private consultation next morning. The total cost is €200 per couple but this is refundable if they go on to book their wedding here.