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Best of the Best 2022 – Part 1

Last week, we talked about the amazing success story this year that was 2 in every 3 GuestJoy customers being awarded Travellers’ Choice from Tripadvisor.

This, on its own, is a remarkable feat! However, there was even more incredible news – 5 of our customers were also awarded Best of the Best.

This is truly next-level – Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award winners are among the top 1% of listings on Tripadvisor.

So we decided to feature and celebrate these properties, beginning with arguably the 2 highest accolades… Let’s begin!

Starting with an amazing outcome for one of our Hungarian customers:

Rated 24 in the Top 25 Hotels in Europe

Hotel Clark Budapest

“Where tradition and modern times unite in an exclusive, personalised, and stylish manner.”

Budapest, Hungary | Website

Rated #1 of 405 hotels in Budapest

Ranking 5.0 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢 based on 1,118 verified reviews

Hotel Clark is perfectly situated in downtown Budapest, looking onto the Chain Bridge; one of the most emblematic historic sights of the city. The hotel is in close proximity to a number of World Heritage Sites sites, including the Buda Castle funicular, located just across the street.

Opening in one of the most enviable locations in Budapest in 2018, Hotel Clark has relied on GuestJoy from the following year to ensure their guests had an experience befitting the hotel’s incredible design.

In addition to a modern guest experience, GuestJoy helped Hotel Clark to cement the number one rating for all hotels in Budapest – an incredible achievement given they opened in 2018 in what is one of the most competitive markets in Europe.

“Guest satisfaction, as well as online reputation behind it, is crucial for us; and GuestJoy is playing an inevitable part in the process” said Ádám Szakáczki, Head of Revenue and Reservations.

What makes this accolade even more impressive, is that it’s the second year in a row that Hotel Clark has achieved Best of the Best!

Being listed in the top 25 Hotels in Europe is an amazing achievement – receiving the honour 2 years running is even more prestigious, when you consider that 16 of this year’s top 25 were not listed last year!

Here is a hotel where you can have the utmost confidence that you have not only made the right choice, but you have truly made the best choice.

Concluded Ádám: “We are looking forward to another year full of successes achieved together with GuestJoy!”.

But what did their guests have to say? Here are just a few of their recent reviews:

“Little hotel with a BIG heart. The friendliness and professionalim of the staff just made our stay perfect, right in the middle of a beautiful city of Budapest. We just want to say a BIG thank you to all the crew (from the houskeepers to the top management). Hope to visit CLARK one day again.”

Beautiful hotel & the staff were excellent, rooms lovely & clean & the location is fantastic. Great views out over the Danube and easy access to all parts of the city. definitely a must for your bucket list

“This hotel was amazing. The staff were unbelievable. It was the best service we have ever had in a Hotel and we travel constantly. The concierge was first class!
The restaurant downstairs and the rooftop bar served beautiful well thought out cocktails and delicious food. And don’t get me started on the lolly jars! 120% recommend!”

“Beautiful hotel, great views, impeccable service and comfy beds.

First time staying at hotel Clark for my boyfriends birthday! I would like to thank the whole front office team for their help with setting up the surprise in the room and for the extra gestures . Special mention to Adam Szakaczki, Aniko, Boroka and Dorottya! They truly have a 5* service and it’s consistent through all the departments, everyone was so warm and nice. Thank you to Mate (the FOM) for an incredible welcome upon arrival, super smooth, kind and friendly, he truly made us feel at home.

Couldn’t recommend this hotel enough and can’t wait to come back! Keep up the amazing work!”

Amazing opinions from extremely satisfied guests – you would expect no less when you’re rated Best of the Best – among the top 25 hotels in Europe! Congratulations again to Hotel Clarke Budapest!


Moving to the very western edge of Europe now on the emerald isle, we find ourself in Ireland:

Rated 17 in the Top 25 Hotels in Ireland

Sligo Park Hotel

Explore Sligo and Stay with the Best at the Sligo Park Hotel and experience all Sligo has to offer

Sligo, Ireland | Website

Rated #1 of 8 hotels in Sligo

Ranking 4.5 🟢🟢🟢🟢◻️ based on 537 verified reviews

A contemporary styled hotel in lush landscaped parkland, one mile from the vibrant town of Sligo. Each bright, modern room is designed with guest comfort in mind. The bar and restaurant serve the best of local ingredients in a relaxed setting popular with locals and guests. There is a superb health and leisure club and it’s also a very popular wedding venue.

Being named on of the 25 best hotels in Ireland is no mean feat.

Anyone who has stayed in Ireland knows that Irish hospitality has a special warmth to it. Often referred to as “handshake hospitality”, staing at a property in Ireland starts with a warm, genuine greeting to a place where they know your name.

And add to that, that the competition is quite tough (which is great for guests!), and you will soon realise the significance of that Best of the Best rating!

Therefore, huge congratulations must go to Sligo Park Hotel. They have been using GuestJoy for 18 months now to enable their guests to simply and easily customise their stay with upgrades and add-ons.

General Manager Gerard Moore thanked his committed staff and a multi-million euro programme of investment, with helping to push the Sligo Park Hotel into the top spots.

“We are especially delighted to feature in this list as the votes come from guests and Tripadvisor has a very rigorous process. That means this is authentic recognition of how we are regarded by guests and that means a lot to us. Our amazing staff have played a huge role.

“We have also benefited from investment in our conferencing facilities and have been fortunate to have hosted many successful events held by leading national bodies and organisations.”

More than €5million has been spent by owners Lee Hotel Group on a complete refit of the Sligo Park’s 136 bedrooms, the bar and restaurant, conference and banqueting, lobby and leisure facilities, as well as the grounds, carpark and entrance.

“In essence, it’s a new Sligo Park Hotel,” says Gerard, adding that he is looking forward to a strong spring-summer season with a mix of both domestic and international visitors.

A ‘Stay With The Best’ campaign is currently leveraging the hotel’s place on the Wild Atlantic Way and capitalising on people’s renewed appreciation of the outdoors following two years of lockdowns and other public health restrictions.

“Sligo has it all, beaches, mountains and lakes, which is why we say, ‘Explore Sligo, Stay With The Best’ – and the best is the Sligo Park Hotel,” adds Gerard.

All this is so fantastic to read, but let’s now hear from the guests themselves:

“Are recent stay in Sligo park hotel has been one of the most memorable hotel stays we have experienced. From receiving a room upgrade upon arrival, to restaurant staff making sure we had a great table for dinner. The staff exceeded our expectations and always had a smile. I can not recommend this hotel highly enough and look forward to our next stay.”

“We booked to stay 2 nights as we were attending a wedding in sligo and the staff could not be more accommodating from the minute we made the booking. All staff were brilliant from front desk to housekeeping. We will definitely be back.”

“Hotel seems to be recently updated – everything was fresh, clean, bright & modern. Bathrooms were modern & spotless. Staff were exceptionally friendly & helpful. Really had a wonderful stay. Would definitely recommend this hotel to others & would happily return.”

“We had our wedding in Sligo Park Hotel in March 2022 and I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. Whether it’s a big occasion like a wedding or just a short stay the Sligo Park is just about the very best hotel I’ve been to in Ireland.

They really go to the Nth degree in helping with all the bits and pieces leading up to the wedding and the staff’s experience is second to none. I’d like to especially thank Orla for all her help and guidance in the lead up to the wedding, she made everything so easy and put us at our ease straight away.

The staff are all amazing, anything you ask is not a problem. They are professional, kind, helpful and you’re always met with a smile. Best staff I’ve seen in a hotel bar none.

Our wedding guests were treated like kings and queens from start to finish. The reception was amazing, The Prosecco and canapés on arrival were brilliant. The function room was stunning and the food was exceptional. The chef Chris has an unbelievable team and the service from the staff was amazing.

The rooms are spotlessly clean, they are cosy and the beds are so spacious and comfortable. The Leisure center is brilliant too.

If you are thinking of booking the Sligo Park hotel for your wedding I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

With ringing endorsements like that, it’s little wonder that Sligo Park Hotel claims a place in the top 25 hotels in Ireland; truly a Best of the Best.


Once again, huge congratulations to our wonderful customers for achieving such a high levels of service, providing such memorable stays for their guests, and truly being among the best of the best.

In part two of this article, we will be looking at 3 more GuestJoy customers who were awarded Best of the Best in the following categories:

  • Most romantic hotels in Europe
  • Most romantic hotels in Canada
  • Top small stays in The Netherlands

Who will they be?! Stay tuned and find out!


Want to know how your property could win these awards?

It’s every hotelier’s dream to be listed as Travellers’ Choice, let along being Best of the Best.

Obviously, first and foremost is to have well-trained staff who are excellent at their jobs! Secondly, to provide your gets with a stand-out experience while at your property, and hopefully they will write a review of their stay on Tripadvisor.

But what contributes to a great guest experience? GuestJoy is a platform for hotels of all types to help make their stay that bit smoother, more memorable, and hassle-free; along with encouraging guest loyalty.

A CRM specifically designed for hotels, every facet of GuestJoy helps your guest have a fantastic time at your property, and helps bring them back for a future stay.

One part of GuestJoy is our Feedback module, which at the right moment, actively encourages guests to review their stay on Tripadvisor, resulting in more reviews on your listing and thus improving your rating and ranking over time.

Talk to us to see how we can transform your guest experience. And who knows? It might just be your property being awarded Travellers’ Choice – or even better, Best of the Best – in future!

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