Hotel Awards & News

Being a busy Dublin Airport Hotel and Conference Hotel the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport has this news and competition section where we post any news in relation to our hotel such as awards or any competitions we are currently running.

Hotel News

(9 Jan 2020)

Ireland’s first Electric Bus takes to the road, commissioned by Tifco Hotel group

• The brand new Volvo bus will take passengers from the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Northwood Park, Santry, to Dublin Airport every 30 minutes from 4am to 11.30pm daily

• ESB providing high powered charging solution at hotel site through its Smart Energy Services business.

Ireland’s first fully-electric bus went into operation today, representing another milestone in the country’s transition to a low-carbon future.
The Volvo bus – commissioned by Tifco Hotel Group – will operate an 8km round trip between the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Dublin Airport every 30 minutes from 4am to 11.30pm daily, 7 days a week.

(12 Feb 2019)

Crowne Plaza Hotel orders Ireland’s first Electric Bus with ESB providing the EV charging solution

ESB’s Smart Energy Services to provide high powered charging solution at hotel site

Electric bus will be in operation by the end of the year and will provide an efficient service for passenger transfers at Dublin Airport

12 February 2019

Crowne Plaza Hotel (part of the Tifco Hotel Group), has placed an order for a new single deck, fully electric Volvo Bus with the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solution provided by ESB’s Smart Energy Services. The bus will operate between the Crown Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and Dublin Airport, providing passengers with a reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly transfer service.

Garret O’Neill General Manager for the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport & Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport, said: “As a company we are always looking to the future and adopted facilities and services that will improve our guests’ experiences and benefit our local community and environment. Over the past number of years, we have taken a number of significant measures to reduce the hotels’ carbon footprint. While the purchase of the new Volvo 7900e electric bus is a significant financial investment for the hotel we believe it will deliver long term benefits for both the customer and the local environment.”

Scheduled for delivery at the end of 2019, the bus is a one door 12m Generation 2 7900e with 200kW battery capacity.

Michael Mahon, Head of Smart Energy Services for ESB, said: “ESB is proud to provide the high powered electric vehicle charging solution for the Crowne Plaza’s new electric bus offering. Using our wealth of experience in private and public charging infrastructure since 2010, we’ve led the infrastructure installation, site planning and consultation for this project. The high-powered 150 kW charge point system allows for smooth integration with the bus schedule, so the bus can operate an all-day basis.

Enabling the electrification of transport is a key part of ESB’s Brighter Future strategy and the company is committed to ongoing support and investment in this area. This new initiative also aligns with the National Development Plan 2018-2027 where no diesel buses can be purchased after 2019.We look forward to offering EV charging solutions to other fleet providers as well as our experience as an energy consultancy, energy management services and implementation of energy projects for businesses with large energy consumption needs."

Through ESB's Smart Energy Services partnership with the Crowne Plaza, ESB provided the finance solution required to invest in the charging infrastrcture.

Nick Page, Managing Director for Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, said: “We’re really pleased that the 7900e has been chosen to provide services for these hotels in and around Dublin Airport and that it will be the first electric bus to enter commercial operation anywhere in Ireland. Our vision at Volvo Bus is to develop a range of vehicles, which include hybrids, electric hybrids and full electric to deliver improved air quality in the surroundings in which they operate. We believe that working together they will significantly improve the environment for those who live, work and visit towns and cities."

ENDS

About ESB’s Smart Energy Services

Smart Energy Services is a business line within ESB, offering businesses managed energy services through a partnership approach which leverages cutting-edge technology and funding solutions to reduce energy consumption and costs for the industrial and commercial sectors.

Hotel Awards

Crowne Plaza Hotels-Ireland win "Ireland Business Hotel of the Year" and "Ireland's Guest Experience award" at the 2016 Gold Medal Awards.

Date: 13/10/2016

Brand: Crowne Plaza Hotels-Ireland

The 28th annual Gold Medal Awards, Ireland's leading independent awards for the Irish hospitality industry, took place at the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Co. Kilkenny, on September 27th last.

Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport – Winner of Ireland’s Best Business Hotel 2016.

Winner of the award for "Ireland's Business Hotel" sponsored by Corporate Catering Services was the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport. This award recognises excellence in the provision of amenities and facilities which are required by modern travellers on business, who rely on the property to work on the road. Bedrooms must have excellent desks with first-rate connectivity, seating and lighting. Meeting rooms are essential; business centres or similar facilities are helpful; basic support services for the business traveller (printing, PC / laptop back-up, local information) are integral. Hotels were credited for original thinking that makes the stay more pleasant for a business-person, including support for international, foreign-language speaking guests.

Garret O'Neill General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport said that he was "delighted and honoured that the hotel has been recognised with this award. Business tourism accounts for over 80% of our customer base so it is extremely important that we are constantly focused on delivering a hotel product and service that supports the daily demands of the business traveller allowing them to work seamlessly when away from home or the office". Mr. O’Neill went on to say that "the competition in this category came from other well established hotels in the market, but it is a result of our constant investment and continuous improvement in our product, technology, business facilities and services and the hard work and endeavour by our team to constantly meet and exceed the demands of the modern business traveller, that we have won this award".

Other finalists in this category were: Absolute Hotel Limerick; Clarion Hotel Cork; Clayton Hotel Leopardstown; Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown; Limerick Strand Hotel; The Croke Park Hotel; the Gibson Hotel.

The 2016 Gold Medal award is not the first time the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport has been recognised as being the best Business Hotel in Ireland. In 2010 the hotel was the recipient of the Georgina Campbell Business Hotel of the Year Award, and in 2006 the AA Business Hotel of the Year Award.

Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown – Winner of Ireland Guest Experience.

Winner of the award for "Ireland's Guest Experience" sponsored by Robert Roberts was the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown. This award recognises outstanding venues providing a superior customer experience through the provision of exceptional service. The ambience of the property, the guest service standards, the quality and range of menu offerings and the overall feel of the establishment will all be considered by the expert judging panel when choosing the successful recipient of this envious recognition of achievement.

Magda Dabrowska, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown said that "delivering exceptional service for our guests is part and parcel of the fabric of our hotel. When the hotel first opened in 2008 we set out our vision statement that we will continuously work towards exceeding our customers' expectations. This award recognises our commitment to this vision and the hard work from all the team to deliver exceptional service for our guests". Ms. Dabrowska went on to recognise the importance of listening to the feedback from both customers and staff in an effort to meet and exceed customer expectations... "we are constantly looking to improve the service and quality of the operation. Listening to and taking corrective action on the feedback generated by our team and our customers is a critical part of our ability to meet and exceed customer expectations".

Other finalists in this category were: Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa; Ballyseede Castle; Ballyvolane House; Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa; Killeen House Hotel & Rozzers Restaurant; Mount Falcon Estate; Moy House

In 2012 The Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown won the IHG Hotel of Year award, which recognises outstanding results where the hotel has gone the extra mile to exceed expectations and bring their brand to life when looking after guests, employees and the local community. The hotel was also the recipient of the IHG Torchbearer award which recognises hotels that have achieved the highest levels of excellence through outstanding service.

About Crowne Plaza Hotels-Ireland:

The three Crowne Plaza hotels in Ireland, at Dublin-Airport, Dublin-Blanchardstown and Dundalk are owned and operated, under franchise from Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), by Tifco Hotel Group. The Crowne Plaza brand is a 4 star upscale international hotel brand, designed for today's modern business traveller, in prime business locations.

The Crowne Plaza Dublin-Airport is a 209 bedroom 4 star hotel, with conference and meeting facilities for up to 1000 delegates. The hotel first opened in 2003, in 2006 it was extended to include a dedicated conference and meeting centre and the 114 bedroom Holiday Inn Express (IHG Budget brand) was opened next to the Crowne Plaza. In 2016 the hotel's 209 bedrooms were fully refurbished.

The Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown is a 188 bedroom 4 star hotel. Located at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre the hotel is an ideal base when visiting Dublin for business or pleasure. The hotel also has 14 meeting rooms and a conference centre that will accommodate up to 600 delegates.

The Crowne Plaza Dundalk is located next to the Dundalk Institute of Technology. The 129 bedrooms are set over the 14 storey building with a newly refurbished Roof Top restaurant located on the top floor. For business the hotel has 12 meeting rooms varying in size and a conference centre that can accommodate up to 400 delegates.

Over the past 13 years the Crowne Plaza Hotels in Ireland have consistently being scored as being among the top 10 best Crowne Plaza Hotels in the Europe Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) region by guests of InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG).

For further information on the Crowne Plaza Hotels in Ireland visit www.cpireland.com

About Tifco Hotel Group

Tifco Hotel Group is one of Ireland's leading hotel companies who currently own and manage a portfolio of 5, 4 and 3 star hotels in Ireland and has a proven track record as an award winning, standards focused, hotel operator. Tifco Hotel Group also own the Crowne Plaza Hotels in Dublin-Airport, Blanchardstown and Dundalk and the Holiday Inn Express Dublin-Airport. In the past 12 months Tifco also purchased the Hilton Dublin-Kilmainham and the Parliament Hotel. Some of the other hotels that are managed by Tifco Hotel Group include the 5 Star Heritage Killenard Co. Laois, Clontarf Castle Hotel a unique 4 star Castle Hotel and winner of the Deloitte best managed companies in Ireland, the Athlone Springs Hotel, Hotel Killarney and the Metropole Hotel Cork. Tifco Hotel Group is one of the only hotel companies in Ireland to have received the EFQM Level 5 award.

For further information on Tifco Hotel Group visit www.tifcohotels.ie

Our Other Awards

Winner of EFQM Ireland Excellence Award 2015
The first hotel in Ireland to achieve this level of recognition by the European Foundation for Quality Management”

Winner of “Meetings Centre of Excellence” award at IHG conference awards 2014

Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport has won InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) European “Meetings Centre of Excellence” award at the company’s conference in Athens this week.

The hotel’s General Manager, Pius Furlong accepted the award from Stephen McCall, Chief Operations Officer of IHG and commented,“ To be recognised as having the best conference product and service within Crowne Plaza in Europe is a superb acknowledgement of the joint efforts of all our staff and to the excellent facilities that we offer to the conference market.”

Business Hotel of the Year

Georgina Campbell 2011 Business Hotel of the Year

We are delighted to announce that Georgina Campbell has awarded Crowne Plaza Dublin-Northwood with
Business Hotel of the Year!

Best Eating Establishment in Fingal- Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Quality Excellence Award IHG

Torch Bearer Award for Holiday Inn Express

AA 4 star Award and Rosette for Touzai Restaurant

Optimus Best Practice Level 2 Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport/ Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport.