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A number of Irish hotels have hit the market.

Properties

As listed by daft.ie, a property with with planning permission for a 10 bedroom guesthouse/short term residential use and a café at number 18 Capel Street in Dublin is being sold via Stokes Property.

Corrib Wave Guest House & Angling Centre of Portacarron, Oughterard, Co. Galway, is being sold via DNG Martin O’Connor.

Arranmore Hotel of Arranmore, Co. Donegal, is being sold via REA McElhinney for €550,000.

Valmers 10 Bed Guesthouse & Restaurant of Clonaslee, Co. Laois, is being sold via DNG Kelly Duncan for €240,000.

The Abbey Manor Hotel of Main Street, Dromahair, Co. Leitrim, is being sold via Gordon Hughes Estate Agents.

Malin Head View B&B of Malin, Co. Donegal is being sold via DNG Boyce Gallagher for €560,000.

The Fanad Lodge guesthouse, bar and restaurant of Fanad, Co. Donegal, is being sold via Property Partners Paul Reynolds & Co.

Culleen Lodge guesthouse and restaurant of Kilmaley, Ennis, Co. Clare, is being sold via DNG O’Sullivan Hurley Property & Financial Services.

Ballykisteen Lodge B&B of Limerick Junction, Monard, Co. Tipperary, is being sold via GVM Auctioneers for €575,000.

The Glens Hotel of 6 Coast Road, Cushendall, Co. Antrim, is being sold via IAM Sold Property Auctions.

Fairhill House Hotel of Main Street, Clonbur, Co. Galway, is being sold via Remax Professional Partners.

Red Cliff Lodge self-catering accommodation of Spanish Point, Co. Clare, is being sold via Pat Considine Auctioneering Ltd for €1.25 million.

Carey’s Viking House Hotel of Kincasslagh, Co. Donegal is being sold via IAM Sold Property Auctions for €450,000.

The Pilgrims Rest Hotel of Mount Melleray, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, is being sold by Denise Radley Auctioneer & Valuer for €750,000.

Ross Lake House Hotel of Rosscahill, Oughterard, Co. Galway, is being sold via BV Commercial for €1.4 million.

The Golf Hotel of Main Street, Ballybunion, Co. Kerry, is being sold via BidX1 for €650,000.

Portsalon House guesthouse of Portsalon, Co. Donegal, is being sold via DNG Boyce Gallagher for €395,000.

Additional Property

• Additionally, the Paramount Hotel of Parliament Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, is being sold via CBRE.

 

Original article by Dave Simpson on hospitalityireland.com

According to The Business Post, Irish aparthotel operator Staycity Group has opened new properties in Germany and France, its first new locations since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The group, whose investors include property magnate Stephen Vernon, outlined plans to add ten more locations in Europe during 2021 and 2022.

New Locations

Locations opened this month by Staycity include a 299-room hotel and short stay apartment property in Heidelberg near the railway station in the German city.

Speaking to The Business Post, Tom Walsh, co-founder and chief executive, said “Heidelberg is one of the best-performing hotel markets in Germany and equally popular with business and leisure travellers.”

Elsewhere, the group opened a 125-unit aparthotel in Bordeaux near the city’s riverfront area.

The company currently operates a portfolio of about 3,000 apartments in 12 European cities, including Berlin, London, Paris, Marseille, and Venice.

It aims to increase that figure to 5,000 apartments by the end of this year, with plans to eventually reach 15,000 apartments.

May Bank Holiday

In Britain, where it has 11 locations, occupancy reached 85 per cent over the May bank holiday.

“This compares favourably to the same weekend in 2019 when occupancies were 91 per cent,” said Paula Mullaney, senior commercial director of Staycity.

Established in 2004 by chief executive Tom Walsh and his brother Ger, Staycity’s turnover grew 14 percent to €78 million in 2019.Before the pandemic, it was targeting revenues in 2020 of €100 million.In November last year, the group announced a €70 million debt and equity refinancing through the state backed Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (Isif) and British bank OakNorth, enabling it to emerge from the pandemic fully capitalised.Green Reit co-founder Stephen Vernon’s philanthropy vehicle the John Pollard Foundation acquired a 5 per cent shareholding in the company in 2019, worth around €6 million, and joined its board.Last year, he was among the existing shareholders who committed €7 million in fresh equity to the group.

Original article by Dave Simpson on hospitalityireland.com

Dublin one-Michelin-star restaurant Chapter One has been renamed Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen.

As reported by The Business Post, Swedish-born, Finnish-raised chef Mickael Viljanen, who previously worked as the head chef of The Greenhouse restaurant on Dublin’s Dawson Street, has taken over Chapter One’s kitchen following Ross Lewis’s departure from food preparation duties.

Lewis has co-owned Chapter One for 29 years, first in partnership with the now-retired Martin Corbett, and subsequently in joint ownership with his wife.

Viljanen and Lewis reportedly will serve as co-owners, and Lewis will remain in place as a director and shareholder with an active role in the business.

Lewis Statements

The Business Post quotes Lewis as saying, “I will be staying to work with Mickael for the next couple of years so that our customer experience is as seamless and hopefully more enjoyable than ever”.

Lewis reportedly said that departing from food preparation duties at Chapter One will allow him to focus his attention on his Italian restaurant, Osteria Lucio on Clanwilliam Terrace, which he said he is planned to upgrade in the coming year.

The Business Post quotes Lewis as saying, “Mickael and I have spent an extraordinary amount of time together discussing in granular detail every aspect of what Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen will be like, from the customer and staff perspective to the business itself.

“I am more than confident that Mickael will make a great success of the new venture. The restaurant could not be in better hands.”

Viljanen Statements

The Business Post quotes Viljanen as saying, “After much consideration, I have decided to do what I have been dreaming of for a long time and work for myself.

“I am happy to be investing in Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, and there is great comfort in the fact that Ross will stay on as a partner to help ensure the new establishment runs perfectly.”

Viljanen reportedly also said that he and Lewis are planning to refurbish Chapter One and reduce covers “to focus on the food and service in exceptional detail”.

Original article by Dave Simpson on hospitalityireland.com

Newly-published accounts for European arm of the company that owns Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel, US property investment group Kennedy Wilson, have revealed that the value of The Shelbourne has decreased.

According to The Irish Independent, the accounts reveal that The Shelbourne was valued at £176.4 million at the end of 2020. At the end of 2019, the hotel was reportedly valued at £186.3 million.

The valuation placed on The Shelbourne at the end of last year reportedly assumes a normal operating environment and occupancy of 89%.

Revenue And Sales

Accounts for Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate reportedly reveal that The Shelbourne generated revenue of £10.7 million in 2020.

According to The Irish Independent, accounts for a separate company, KW Shelbourne Ops, revealed that The Shelbourne generated revenue of €42 million in 2019 and experienced a post-tax loss of €632,000 that year.

The Shelbourne reportedly generated revenue of €44 million in 2018 and made a €4 million profit that year.

The 2020 revenue figure would have accounted for just a small part of the year because hotels were closed for much of last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cost of The Shelbourne’s sales last year reportedly was £16.8 million and it made a loss of £10 million last year.

According to The Irish Independent, Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate’s accounts note, “The board is pleased with the performance of the group during the year, despite the challenges arising from the COVID-19 global pandemic.”

Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate Information

Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate has assets in Ireland, the UK, Italy and Spain.

It reportedly said that gross revenues decreased to £208 million from £132 million last year, mainly due to the sale of a number of hotel and commercial assets.

Original article by Dave Simpson on hospitalityireland.com

Up to €75 million is planned to be invested in a planned redevelopment of Westport House and Estate and the adjacent Hotel Westport.

According to The Irish Times, the Hughes family behind the Portwest clothing group is planning to invest as much as €75 million the hotel and house and estate, which will be integrated as one project.

Plan Details

It reportedly is hoped that the overall development will make the estate one of the west of Ireland’s largest tourist attractions, and attract 300,000 visitors per year within the next four years.

The Hughes family acquired Westport House in 2017 after it was put up for sale by Nama for €10 million, and it reportedly secured €20.2 million in state funding this week towards a €36.1 million public-private partnership (PPP) project to build several new attractions on the estate, including a Wild Realms grand horticultural project in association with landscape designer Mary Reynolds and a Wild Heart exhibition focussed on historical figure Grace O’Malley.

The PPP reportedly will also involve a revamp of Westport House, the remaining €15.9 million reportedly will be invested by the Hughes family themselves.

The Hughes family reportedly will be informed next week if they have been granted planning permission for the first phase of a massive upgrade of Hotel Westport, which would cost almost €20 million and would involve demolishing much of the hotel’s public areas, adding a new ballroom, restaurants, and bars to the hotel, and refurbishing its 129 rooms and its leisure centre.

The overall development for the estate reportedly also includes an additional €5 million that being spent on building improvements for Westport House at present, and there reportedly will also be investment in a new adventure facility on the estate, as well as, in time, a new self-catering tourism facility.

The PPP, which will be overseen on the state’s behalf by Fáilte Ireland, reportedly is planned to completed by 2024 or 2025, and the hotel revamp is also planned to complete by then.

Chief Executive To Oversee The Development Masterplan

The Hughes family reportedly have recruited Barry O’Connor, who previously revamped Dublin’s Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, was resort general manager at Co. Meath’s Killeen Castle and managed the hotel at Co. Clare’s Doonbeg golf resort, as chief executive to oversee the development masterplan.

O’Connor Statements

The Irish Times quotes O’Connor as saying, “The country needs to build tourism attractions of scale. Ireland currently has an edge in tourism over countries such as Croatia and Denmark, but it needs to invest to keep that edge.

“But the government can’t do it on its own. We need to attract private investment into large-scale tourism attractions and the PPP model helps to make that happen.”

According to The Irish Times, O’Connor also said that he hopes that the Westport development will help to “pull more visitors up” to the area from Galway.

Original article by Dave Simpson on hospitalityireland.com

The Conrad Dublin Hotel has appointed a new general manager.

Conrad Dublin Statement

Conrad Dublin stated, “A seasoned hotelier with a hospitality career spanning more than 20 years, [new general manager Andrew] Moore brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new role. Andrew is a graduate of GMIT, Galway with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Hotel & Catering Management.

“After completing his college training, Andrew began his hotel career at Conrad Dublin. Over the years, Andrew has climbed the managerial ladder with Hilton, a multi-award-winning hotelier working with some of the most recognised names in the industry in key destinations such as London, Belfast before venturing further afield working at the prestigious Hilton Beijing and the brand’s flagship Conrad Seoul as hotel manager.”

Managing Director UK And Ireland For Hilton Statement

Managing director UK and Ireland for Hilton Steve Cassidy stated, “We are thrilled to be welcoming Andrew back to Ireland as general manager of the iconic Conrad Dublin. He brings rich experience from across the globe and most recently at our fabulous Conrad Seoul. With his drive and passion for hospitality, we are excited about the future of the hotel and the amazing team under his leadership.”

Additional Conrad Dublin Statements

Conrad Dublin continued, “Born in the USA, Moore grew up in the industry having spent most of his childhood in hotels across the states and Middle East prior to returning to his Foxford, Co. Mayo roots. Andrew is a second-generation hotelier, so hospitality runs through his veins.

“Andrew is delighted to be back at Conrad Dublin and has always had a grá for both the property and its location. With significant investment plans, Andrew is eager to make his mark at the hotel, enhancing the luxury experience for guests, supporting the talented hotel team and ensuring the hotel offers a uniquely luxurious Dublin city destination.”

Conrad Dublin added, “With any new job, Andrew’s work life is hectic, but he manages to balance it albeit with a toddler to entertain. A cycling enthusiast, Andrew managed to cycle the length of Korea before departing (a mere 630km in three days!), and when things settle down workwise, he’d like to find some spare time to indulge his passion for travel.”

Moore Statement

Moore stated, “Our new owners have committed to a multimillion reinvestment programme and Conrad Dublin is set to undergo a major transformation and expansion, and I cannot wait to oversee this project. It’s great to be back in Dublin and I’m very excited for our future plans and developments.”

Original article by Dave Simpson on hospitalityireland.com

New accounts for Bewley’s Café Ltd have revealed that the Bewley’s café on Dublin’s Grafton Street experienced an 85% decrease in pre-tax losses in 2019.

According to The Irish Times, the new accounts reveal that Bewley’s Grafton Street café’s pre-tax losses decreased by 85% to €462,000 in 2019 from €3.15 million in 2018.

Additional Figures

Additionally, revenue reportedly decreased by 4% to €4.82 million; the rental charge for the café in 2019 remained the same as the charge in 2018 at €1.46 million; 131 people were employed at the Bewley’s café on Grafton Street in 2019 and staff costs amounted to €2.8 million; and the company experienced a post-tax loss of €223,000 after receiving a €239,000 corporation tax credit.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact

Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a note attached to the accounts reportedly stated that the company’s net debt had increased by €1.4 million in December 2020 over 12 months to €14.6 million.

Glass Panels Ownership

The accounts reportedly also reveal that the firm transferred the ownership of glass panels by artists Harry Clarke, Pauline Bewick and Jim Fitzpatrick to the company’s parent, Bewley’s Ltd, in December of 2020.

The Irish Times quotes a note with the account as stating “that the landlord of the Grafton Street premises, RGRE Grafton Ltd, has claimed ownership of certain of these artworks and has initiated legal proceedings against the company, which proceedings are being vigorously defended”.

It was reported earlier this year that Ronan Group Real Estate (RGRE) Grafton Ltd claimed that Bewley’s wanted taxpayers to foot its rent requirements for its café on Dublin’s Grafton Street by suggesting that it will donate the venue’s Harry Clarke stained glass windows to the Irish people, and the former company took legal action against Bewley’s over a dispute about the ownership of the windows.

According to The Irish Times, the case is due back in court next month after having been admitted to the fast-track Commercial Court list.

Closure

It was announced in May of 2020 that the Bewley’s café on Dublin’s Grafton Street would close permanently before the decision was subsequently reversed and Bewley’s announced that it would begin a phased reopening of the venue.

Bewley’s Ltd Figures

Bewley’s Café Ltd is a subsidiary of Bewley’s Ltd, separate accounts for which have revealed that it recorded pre-tax profits of €879,000 for 2019, and its revenues decreased by 2.6% to €143.68 million that year, as reported by The Irish Times.

Original article on hospitalityireland.com

Accounts lodged by the Louis Fitzgerald pub and hotel group’s holding company, Burtse Ltd, have revealed that the group’s pre-tax profits decreased by 58% to €5.84 million during the 12 month period that ended on June 30, 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As reported by The Irish Times, the accounts reveal that revenues decreased by 26% to €53 million during the 12 month period.

Additional Figures

Additionally, the group reportedly experienced operating profits of €7.17 million during the 12 month period; pay to the group’s directors, husband and wife Louis and Helen Fitzgerald, decreased to €408,345; the number of people employed by the group decreased from 892 to 825; staff costs including directors’ pay decreased from €18.2 million to €14.7 million; the business had €47.76 million in shareholder funds including €14.1 million in accumulated profits; Burtse’s cash funds decreased from €29.94 million to €5.6 million and total bank loans at the end of June of 2020 had decreased from €49.7 million to €43.5 million; and Burtse recorded a post-tax profit of €4.86 million after paying out €984,922 in corporation tax.

The €5.84 million pre-tax profits figure takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €3.4 million, and the group paid out interest payments of €1.33 million to give the pre-tax profits of €5.84 million.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact

According to The Irish Times, the accounts state that the current situation is dynamic “and there are continuous uncertainties surrounding the duration of the [COVID-19] pandemic”.

The accounts also reportedly noted that the group “is in a strong financial position to withstand potential future challenges in this context”, and said that the company is continuing to avail of various government support schemes that have been put in place to support hospitality businesses during the pandemic.

Louis Fitzgerald Group Portfolio

The Louis Fitzgerald Group’s pub and hotel portfolio includes The Stag’s Head, Kehoes and Bruxelles of Dublin city, and the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel of Dublin 22.

Original article on hospitalityireland.com

Cork’s Vienna Woods country house hotel is planning a €6 million expansion.

According to The Irish Examiner, the Vienna Woods country house hotel has submitted a planning application to Cork City Council for the creation of 42 new bedrooms, and Michael Magner, who is a co-owner of the hotel along with his father-in-law, Brian Scully, is also planning to add a spa that includes an infinity pool, a steam room, a sauna, seven treatment rooms and seaweed baths, a 25-seat cinema, a virtual golf facility, and a cardio workout/gym area to the property.

The hotel is reportedly planning to add two single storey extensions to its sides to create a new lobby and a new pre-reception space, the latter of which is planned to be located between the existing bar and ballroom, as well as an extension to the dining room.

According to The Irish Examiner, Magner said that the hotel is also planning to construct a three story extension over the ground floor ballroom to accommodate the planned new bedrooms and the planned spa, and this extension is planned to include a terrace on its third floor and balconies off of the spa area.

The Irish Examiner quotes Magner as saying that the planned expansion is “dependent on planning, and, most importantly, when recovery returns”.

Magner reportedly said that, when completed and operational, the hotel’s expanded facilities will create new 50 new jobs and generate €1.8 million for the local economy in wages and salaries, “not including the extra spend from visitors to the area and increased purchases from suppliers”.

According to The Irish Examiner, Magner said that while the hotel has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought its business to a halt, its owners have “used this time to concentrate on preparing a planning application that was sensitive to the existing hotel…and to plan for the future”.

The Irish Examiner also quotes Magner as saying, “Pre-pandemic, the demand for hotel rooms was a clear indicator that Cork was on the world map as a destination for the international visitor.”

Magner reportedly said that expansion works will take place off-season, cause minimum disruption to guests and be mostly to the rear of the hotel.

The three storey extension over the ballroom will reportedly be straightforward because the expansion will not involve digging foundations, and the expansion works reportedly will not interfere with the hotel’s original house building, which is a listed building that dates back to 1756.

The architectural company that has been enlisted for the expansion is Richard Rainey Architects, which is based in Kinsale.

The Vienna Woods country house hotel previously underwent a €5 million upgrade and currently has 45 bedrooms.

Camden Quay Hotel Plans Delayed
In other Cork hotel news, plans to construct a new hotel on Cork city’s Camden Quay have reportedly been delayed.

It was reported earlier this year that Carra Shore Hotel (Camden Place) Limited had lodged an application for planning permission to develop a hotel on a site on Camden Quay, that the proposed hotel would include 194 bedrooms, 41 of which would be long-stay suites, as well as a ground floor restaurant/café, a rooftop restaurant and a gym, and that the process of developing the proposed hotel would involve the construction of a rear annex, the height of which would range from two to six storeys.

However, according to The Irish Examiner, city planners have requested additional information about the proposed hotel development, and, while they said that the principle of constructing a hotel on the site in question is acceptable, they believe that the proposed layout of the bedrooms is “problematic” and “uncomfortable”.

Questions have reportedly also been raised about the use of the some of the proposed hotel’s rooms as long-stay suites, such as how long such stays would be, and further questions have reportedly been raised about the environmental impact of the plans for the proposed hotel, and aspects such as parking and drainage.

According to The Irish Examiner, the developer has up to six months to respond to the request for additional information.

Original article on hospitalityireland.com

Holiday company TUI Group has said that it has agreed to sell its 49% stake in Spain’s RIU Hotels SA to co-owner RIU Group in a deal that gives the joint venture an enterprise value of €1.5 billion.

TUI said that the expected net cash consideration for the sale stands at €540 million, and added that including an earn-out-element – payable once RIU Hotels SA delivers its budgets for 2022 and 2023 – it will grow to €670 million.

The transaction, which TUI said will generate a considerable book gain, is expected to be completed in late summer 2021. Proceeds will be used to cut debt which increased significantly during the Corona pandemic.

50/50 Hotel Joint Venture
TUI said a separate and long-standing 50/50 hotel joint venture with RIU – including 100 hotels and resorts around the world – will be unaffected by the deal.

Original article on hospitalityireland.com