Irish 3-star trumps big names with web accolade

TRIPADVISOR RATINGS:A THREE-STAR HOTEL near Killarney, in Co Kerry, has come fourth in the world for service in the latest TripAdvisor survey of hotels.

Killeen House, in Aghadoe, is described as “an impossibly friendly place” in the website’s Travellers’ Choice 2010, published this week from reviews by ordinary travellers.

The Dylan Hotel, in Ballsbridge in Dublin, is also one of the top hotels in Europe, according to the website’s list. The five-star hotel off Baggot Street, which is rated 23rd in its Top 25 Hotels in Europe, is described as “perfect”.

Brooks Hotel, on Drury Street in Dublin 2, is also rated 23rd, this time in TripAdvisor’s ranking of the “top 25 European destinations chosen by Europeans”. The four-star hotel is described as “a superb hotel in a superb location”.

The Hampton Hotel (formerly Sachs Hotel), in Donnybrook in Dublin, is rated the seventh-trendiest hotel in Europe.

In the list of bed and breakfasts, however, nine of the 10 top guest houses are British, and Ireland, which prides itself on the quality of its BBs, doesn’t figure at all.

The number-one slot in that category goes to a guest house in Tuscany, in Italy. Casa Portagioia, near Siena, is described by enthusiastic visitors as “having perfect hosts, fabulous rooms, and delicious food” and as “Heaven on earth in the truest sense of the word”. It has five rooms, two apartments, a pool and views of Tuscan countryside.

Romantics planning a St Valentine’s Day holiday may want to note that Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa, in French Polynesia, is rated the world’s top hotel for romance.

If you’re looking for a bargain, the Arcadia Residence, in Prague, is rated number one in the world for its apartments, which start at about €80 for two per night.