Clandeboye Lodge Celebrates Triple Business Awards Recognition for Its People-First Approach
Clandeboye Lodge, the independent 4-star hotel in Bangor, is celebrating 3 major business awards accolades, recognising its commitment to employee development and long-term careers in hospitality.
The hotel was awarded Customer Service Excellence at the 2026 Bangor Business Awards, adding to its recognition as Hospitality Employer of the Year 2026 by Skilled NI and Highly Commended for Future of Work Business of the Year at the 2026 NI Chamber Awards. Together, these achievements reflect its people-first approach to recruitment, training and employee development.
Investing in people, delivering exceptional experiences
With 119 employees welcoming more than 100,000 guests annually, Clandeboye Lodge has built a strong culture of developing talent and creating lasting careers in hospitality. This people-first approach forms part of a wider commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable growth, reflected in the hotel's EFQM accreditation.
6 of its 9 Senior Managers and all 6 Assistant Managers have progressed internally, while the management team has an average length of service of more than 15 years, 7 months.
Among the hotel's success stories is its Events Sales Manager, who began her career as a Housekeeping Assistant, and its Operations Manager, who joined straight from school and has dedicated 28 years to the business.
This depth of experience is particularly valuable across the hotel's diverse hospitality offering, from leisure stays and dining to weddings, corporate meetings and events, where personal service, attention to detail and consistent delivery are essential. Clandeboye Lodge's own guest feedback reflects its commitment to service, with ratings of 4.7/5 on Tripadvisor and 9.2/10 on Booking.com.
The Customer Service Excellence win provides further recognition of the team behind these guest experiences, highlighting the importance of consistently high standards of hospitality.
The importance of this approach is reinforced by Tourism NI's July 2026 research, which identified staff and location as the strongest drivers of accommodation satisfaction, with guests highlighting friendly, welcoming employees. Based on online reviews gathered from 175 sources, the research recorded an 89.4% Global Review Score for Northern Ireland accommodation between January and May 2026.
The same commitment to experienced, knowledgeable staff extends to the hotel's corporate events offering. With 4 versatile event suites, high-spec AV facilities and ultrafast broadband, Clandeboye Lodge hosts everything from business meetings to residential conferences and gala dinners, supported by an established, in-house team from planning through to delivery.
Ian Smith, General Manager at Clandeboye Lodge said:
“Our success is built on a shared sense of purpose, high standards and the collective efforts of everyone across the business. We believe that a strong organisation is one where people feel empowered to contribute, take ownership and play a meaningful role in shaping its future.”
“These accolades are a significant achievement for the entire team and an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come. As we look ahead, our focus is on building upon this success, embracing new opportunities and ensuring Clandeboye Lodge continues to thrive in an evolving hospitality industry.”
Together, these achievements reflect Clandeboye Lodge's commitment to building a sustainable, successful hospitality business, with its people at the heart of its continued growth.