An Irish family run bed and breakfast has been named as one of the best holiday guesthouses in the world after receiving top ratings from TripAdvisor travellers.
Down Yonder Bed and Breakfast in Sligo fought off competition from around the globe to make it into the top 10 in the 2015 Travellers’ Choice awards.
But after the good news was broken to thrilled owner Eavan O’Hara by EVOKE.ie, she said the secret to their success was that they had ‘a lovely business’.
‘What, that’s the first I heard! That’s great!’ she replied on learning that they had gone up in the ranking.
Stunned that the B&B she runs with husband Ronnie had been ranked tenth in the world, she said that they built their home with a view to being a B&B more than a decade ago.
But the mother of four revealed that they have only been opened three seasons, and have already got a steady trade based on word of mouth, and their scenic spot in Rosses Point.
‘This is the first I’ve heard now, that’s great,’ she told EVOKE.ie on learning of the award.
The awards were based on millions of reviews left over the past year by holidaymakers on travel website TripAdvisor and took into account quality, service, staff, food and location.
But Eavan insisted that it was a labour of love, and just seeing guests leave happy was enough.
‘It’s just the two of us, and we enjoy what we do. It’s no effort, it just comes naturally.’
She continued: ‘What we have is just a lovely business, and it has all fallen into place.
‘It is only open a third season but we built house as a bed and breakfast when we moved in 10 years ago.
‘We decided to open it two years ago as it was something that we could realise then.’
Guests staying in the B&B’s four en suite rooms have praised the warm welcome extended to them by the O’Hara’s, and special touches such as the cooked breakfasts and freshly-baked scones.
One even said that it was better than their previous lodgings – the very fancy Dromoland Castle, high praise indeed.
Serving up breakfast together and making sure the lawn is mowed, Eavan said she and husband Ronnie make a good team.
‘What we do is something we do from the heart.
‘We are both very sociable people, and the whole thing have been a very good experience.’
Tripadvisor looks at all opinion collected on the site over the past year, which amounts to millions of worldwide comment and ratings, to determine its awards based on the greatest 25 destinations for romance, luxury, bargains, all-inclusive resorts and more.
‘These awards recognise the finest hotels across the globe, according to those that really matter – the guests themselves,’ said James Kay of TripAdvisor.
Located in the village of Rosses Point, Down Yonder offers luxurious accommodation, a wholesome breakfast, a relaxing environment and easy access to everything Sligo has to offer.
Visitors also can tinkle on the ivories of the drawing room piano, or choose to soak in a beautiful freestanding bath in a room that overlooks the stunning views of Benbulben.
The B&B is set on 22 acres of rugged land, overlooking Benbulben and also the 9th hole of Co. Sligo Golf Course.
The idyllic B&B, where rooms at just €50 per person per night, scooped the final place in the World’s Top 10 B&Bs category.
It has received more than 122 excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, with one reviewer describing it as simply as ‘Wow, Wow, Wow.’
Eavan said that the bulk of their guests in the last year have been from the U.S., New Zealand and Australia, and said that TripAdvisor had recently been in touch to tell them that they had an impressive operation.
Here’s the breakfast menu at Down Yonder B&B:
Here’s one of the glowing reviews that helped them get on the prestigious list:
Facing a busy season ahead, Eavan said the Fleadh in the town is great for business, and they will continue to bring out the best in their family run business.
‘We’re very close to one of the best Golf Courses in Ireland and host to the West of Ireland Amateur Golf Championships every Easter at Rosses Point.
‘Funnily enough, we don’t get a lot of golfers, but people come here for the lovely restaurants and it is totally opposite to the surfers paradise at the other side of the county.’
Overall, Ireland did well on the world’s top 25 B&Bs ranked by the 2015 TripAdvisor awards.
Shola Coach House in Potrush, Co Antrim, was also among those singled out as excellent on the list.
The owners Sharon and David were praised in one review for helping one guest surprise his partner in asking her to marry him.
Millgate B&B in North Yorkshire, where rooms start at just £38 per person per night, scooped top place in the World’s Top 10 B&Bs category.
It has received more than 350 excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, with one reviewer describing it as the ‘best B&B we have ever been to’.
The lowest rating the B&B received was by a sole traveller who described it as ‘average’, three said it was ‘very good’, while no one rated it as ‘poor’ or ‘terrible’. The other 355 reviewers all rated the guesthouse as ‘excellent’.
Sue Burrell, who owns Millgate B&B with her husband Andrew, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be named the number one B&B in the world.
‘The fact that this award stems from our guests’ feedback makes it even more special, because the reviews we’ve received on TripAdvisor have really helped our business thrive.’
Scroll down for more information from this year’s top 10 TripAdvisor winners
For those of you looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Gili Lankanfushi Maldives on the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives – where the average nightly rate is £1,144 – claimed the title of world’s Top hotel for 2015.
“Absolute paradise, with ultimate comfort and privacy. The villa attendant is like a ninja. Comes in and out without being seen, yet keeps everything in order,” wrote one person, amid a collection of 837 excellent-rated reviews.
The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace in Budapest and Belmond Palacio Nazarenas in Peru were also triumphant in the top hotels of the world section.
WATCH video of Rosses Point here:
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