The BrookLodge & Wells Spa, Macreddin, Co Wicklow

Food tourism and agriculture may be the hot white hopes for recessionary Ireland, but many of our best establishments are identifying other equally attractive niche markets and, along with several other categories in these awards, business tourism is a key one.

Former winners of this award have been hotels offering outstanding facilities for conferences and business guests, along with varying attributes that make the venue especially attractive, including a scenic or especially convenient location, great food and ancillary leisure activities for delegates.

But this year’s winner not only has all of those – a beautiful rural location, excellent business and conference amenities and back up services, loads of down time activities (challenging or relaxing, as required), and a stunning food offering – they also have an extra ace up their sleeves, in the form of a Green-Meet programme.

BrookLodge Hotel is renowned for its innovative and ethically-inspired approach to food and hospitality, and they have rightly identified that ‘hosting an environmentally responsible meeting is an important statement about your company’.

To the hosts this all comes naturally – they have been doing it for years, and full details are given on their website; to most customers it will come as a refreshing new idea, a rewarding way of giving added value to their event, or any business stay.

A great contributor to the business and conference market in Ireland, this an especially worthy winner of the Business Hotel of the Year Award.