The Connacht Hotel has been recognised for its outstanding commitment to sustainability after achieving the prestigious Gold Award from Green Tourism, the world's leading sustainability certification programme for the tourism and hospitality industry.
The Gold accreditation, awarded following the hotel's 2026 assessment, recognises The Connacht Hotel's ongoing commitment to operating responsibly and embedding sustainable practices throughout every aspect of the business.
As part of a global community of more than 2,600 tourism and hospitality businesses committed to creating a more sustainable future, The Connacht Hotel underwent a comprehensive assessment by Green Tourism's expert team, who are trained to IEMA standards. The hotel was evaluated against 15 sustainability criteria spanning the three key pillars of People, Places and Planet, with the Gold Award acknowledging the significant progress made in reducing environmental impact while creating positive outcomes for guests, employees and the local community.
The award represents an important milestone in the hotel's sustainability journey, reflecting years of dedication, investment and collaboration across the business. It also demonstrates The Connacht Hotel's commitment to continually reviewing its practices, setting ambitious environmental goals and making greener choices every day.
Welcoming the achievement, general manager David O'Connor said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded Gold by Green Tourism.
"We began our sustainability and environmental journey several years ago, and we are extremely proud of everything we have achieved to date.
"Working towards Green Tourism accreditation for The Connacht Hotel was a rewarding experience," Mr O'Connor added. "We found the support provided throughout the process to be exceptionally professional, encouraging and helpful. While the assessment required a significant amount of evidence-based information and documentation, the dedication and commitment of our Green Team over more than a year of hard work has now been rewarded.
"Achieving Gold is a tremendous honour and a milestone of which we are very proud. This award is a testament to the ongoing efforts of our entire team in doing our part to support global environmental health and sustainability.
"We remain committed to setting ambitious goals and continuously improving our environmental practices for the benefit of our people, our customers and the wider community."
The Connacht Hotel has placed sustainability at the heart of its operations, with environmental responsibility becoming an integral part of its day to day decision making. Achieving Green Tourism Gold recognises not only the work completed to date, but also the hotel's long term commitment to continuous improvement and responsible tourism.
As one of Galway's leading hospitality destinations, The Connacht Hotel continues to demonstrate that exceptional guest experiences and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand, setting a benchmark for sustainable hospitality in the west of Ireland.
