Hotels

Marker profits rise

Pretax profits at the five-star Marker hotel at Grand Canal Square in Dublin rose 26 per cent to €5 million ;last year, as revenues increased. The hotelrecoded the higher pretax profits and revenues ahead of the German real estate investment group Deka Immobilien purchasing the hotel for €130 million.

Heritage completes refurb.

The Heritage hotel of Killenard, Co. Laois, has been re-launched following the completion of a €3 million refurbishment and rebrand. heritage1119

FBD Hotels & Resorts acquired The Heritage almost a year ago and subsequently commenced a major refurbishment of the property's ground floor and created a new brand identity that allows the revamped Heritage hotel to fit into the FBD Hotels & Resorts portfolio.

As part of the refurbishment, the venue's ground floor bar, restaurant, afternoon tea space and ballroom were all upgraded.

Fermoy hotel closes

The Grand Hotel Fermoy announced its immediate closure late on Sunday night with a brief statement posted on Facebook.

The hotel said: "It is with heavy hearts and much reluctance that we say goodbye to The Grand Hotel. Over the past 12 years, we have had tremendous support from our amazing and loyal staff, our suppliers and our fabulous customers.

"Thank you for the good times and even during the tough times, we have learned so much. We take great memories of Fermoy with us. It’s not how we hoped things would turn out and, despite our best efforts, we will cease trading on Sunday 10th November."

The hotel was located on Ashe Quay in a building which was constructed in the 1870s.

Hotels sign Sustainability Pact

A total of 22 hotels in Killarney have signed a novel sustainability charter as a core principle of their business with an initial aim of cutting their carbon emissions by 25 per cent. killarneypk1119

The pact, the first of its kind in the hotel industry in Ireland, is aimed at the implementation and operation of a single use plastic free environment in their respective businesses which account for 2,500 of the 3,500 hotel bedrooms in the town.

The collaboration was officially launched by Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, prior to the annual National Tourism Forum Let’s Talk Tourism conference in Killarney at the weekend.

The aim of the group is not only to reduce carbon emissions but to share best

practice when it comes to sustainability. The hotels involved have individually and collectively set about reducing and eliminating single use plastic from their businesses and they anticipate that, going forward, several other hotels will sign up to the pact.

Lough Erne posts loss

Lough Erne resort has recorded pre-tax losses of £685,709 (€795,840) for its most recent financial year. erne1119

New accounts show that Lough Shore Road Ltd, which operates the resort, reduced its losses by more than half, as revenues increased by 7pc to £8.37m from £7.8m. On last year's performance, the report by director Kenneth King states that the results for the period are in line with expectations, and that the trading performance is expected to improve in future periods.

The Co Fermanagh resort recorded an operating loss of £104,987, and interest payments of £580,722 resulted in the pre-tax loss of £685,709.