Travel

Why Ashford Castle was named by Bloomberg in top five hotels in the world

Writer Nikki Ekstein has singled out the County Mayo castle as a top global holiday destination

This 350-acre, 13th century Irish castle, owned for generations by the Guinness family, has not only a sense of place but a sense of time, writes Ekstein

If we thought 2023 would be a year of normal travel after a prolonged period of disruption and uncertainty, boy, were we wrong. Still, amid all of this year’s natural disasters, social unrest and geopolitical conflicts, hotels reclaimed their ability to serve as beacons of pure comfort: They largely overcame the labor and supply chain crises and returned to full-service operations.

They again became capable of making us feel pampered and truly cared for during ...