The general manager of Co. Laois country house hotel Ballyfin Demesne, Peter White, has said that the property’s owners remain committed to the venue following the death of the American businessman who spearheaded its refurbishment, Fred Krehbiel.
As reported by The Business Post, Krehbiel, whose wife, Kay, comes from Co. Kerry, passed away in June at the age of 80.
White reportedly said, “Fred’s passing was a big shock, but the family, and in particular his sons, Jay and Liam, are very committed to Ballyfin.
“They are already talking about five-year plans for its development.”
Overseas Market Vs. Domestic Market
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 70% of Ballyfin’s visitors reportedly came from overseas and 30% reportedly came from Ireland, but White reportedly said that 90% of the venue’s customers now come from the domestic market due to the pandemic.
White reportedly said, “There was a lot of pent-up demand from our existing Irish clients, but we also saw a really big uptick in demand from people in their forties and fifties who hadn’t been here before.
“That has been wonderful for me, because having come from abroad, it has given me a great opportunity to get to know Irish people and the Irish market.”
Autumn, Winter And 2022
White reportedly said that October looks set to be Ballyfin’s busiest month in 2021, and, “We have been very pleasantly surprised by the level of demand for autumn and winter. Traditionally, Ballyfin would have closed for all of January and half of February, but next year we will only close for ten days in January. It will be a great start to 2022 for us.”
Staff Count
The estate, which opened as a hotel in 2011 following a multimillion euro refurbishment, reportedly employs 70 people.
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