Gregans Castle Hotel
Certification: Burren Ecotourism Network Emerald Award, Green Hospitality, Sustainable Tourism Network member County: Clare (Ballyvaughan, The Burren) Type: Luxury boutique hotel
Gregans Castle Hotel is a founding member of the Burren Ecotourism Network and received the Emerald Award in April 2024, the highest level the network confers. It also holds Green Hospitality Programme certification and is a member of the Sustainable Tourism Network. The hotel is included in Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s Considerate Collection, which recognises boutique hotels that have made exceptional commitments to environmental responsibility.
This is one of the most independently validated luxury eco stays in Ireland, combining certification from three separate programmes alongside membership of an internationally recognised sustainable luxury hotel group.
The Certifications
Burren Ecotourism Network Emerald Award: The BEN Emerald Award is the highest level of recognition within the Burren Ecotourism Network, awarded to members who demonstrate exceptional achievement in environmental sustainability. The network is independently audited and its members operate in compliance with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark Code of Practice. Gregans is a founding member and received the Emerald Award in April 2024.
Green Hospitality Programme: Ireland’s hospitality sector environmental certification, independently audited against documented energy, water, and waste performance criteria.
Sustainable Tourism Network: STN membership requires demonstrated commitment to the network’s sustainability framework.
Small Luxury Hotels Considerate Collection: Gregans is only the second hotel in Ireland to be included in SLH’s Considerate Collection, which recognises boutique hotels that go beyond standard sustainability commitments.
The Hotel and Setting
Gregans Castle Hotel sits in a valley in the heart of the Burren, just outside Ballyvaughan in north Clare. The Burren is a UNESCO-designated landscape and one of Ireland’s most ecologically significant limestone karst environments, supporting rare flora found nowhere else in northern Europe.
Gregans is a small, owner-managed hotel with individually designed rooms and suites, a kitchen that has received consistent recognition for its use of local and seasonal West of Ireland produce, and extensive grounds within the limestone landscape. It is not a resort or a chain hotel. It is a specific, distinct property with a strong sense of place and a long history of environmental management.
The hotel’s ecological context reinforces its certifications: operating within a UNESCO Geopark landscape, as a founding member of the network built to protect it, is a meaningful credential. Staying at Gregans means being embedded in one of Ireland’s most protected landscapes, in a hotel that has been independently assessed to operate in alignment with its conservation values.
Practical Information
Location: Ballyvaughan, County Clare (The Burren) Distance from Galway City: 30km south Distance from Ennis: 40km north Booking: Book via Booking.com or directly
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Why EcoStay Ireland Lists This Property
Founding member and Emerald Award winner of the Burren Ecotourism Network. Green Hospitality certified. STN member. SLH Considerate Collection. One of only two hotels in Ireland recognised by Small Luxury Hotels for exceptional eco commitment, and the most credentialled luxury option in the Burren landscape.
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