The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Castlewood House strikes gold at Keeling’s awards
SINCE opening for business in 2005, Dingle’s hugely popular Castlewood House has welcomed almost as many awards as guests – and last week, it scooped yet another prestigious prize.
Brian and Helen Heaton’s guesthouse on the edge of Dingle town has just been named as the gold medallist in the ‘Irish Country House and Guesthouse Experience’ category at the ‘Keelings Hotel and Catering Review Awards’ – and while Helen is used to winning trophies, she still described the victory as ‘humbling’.
“We were one of ten finalists, and we travelled to the Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny last week for the finals ceremony,” Helen told The Kerryman.
“We were up against some beautiful guesthouses, most of which have been operating a lot longer than ours, and when we saw the competition, we didn’t think we were going to win! That’s why an award like this means so much.”
The Heatons have worked hard to reach this point, and they’ve been regularly acknowledged for their efforts; Castlewood House has been named as Ireland’s best small hotel for three years in succession, Ireland’s best hotel in 2012, and, most notably, the world’s best ‘bargain hotel’ in 2014.
But amidst her delight, Helen is quick to acknowledge that the team at the guesthouse remains their greatest asset.
“We have fantastic staff, and some of them have been working for us from our very first day,” she said.
“Awards are nice, but we wouldn’t be winning them without their effort – it really is as simple as that!”