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Travelzoo for Galway Festival

Gabe Saglie and his film crew with Travelzoo, the global online media company with 28 million members in North America, Europe, Asia

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Pacific and the largest publisher of travel, entertainment and local deals, will be in the City of the Tribes this weekend, to film the Galway International Arts Festival.

Pictured are Ruth Moran, Tourism Ireland, Gabe Saglie, Travelzoo, Geraldine Lardner, Fáilte Ireland and John Crumlish, Galway International Arts Festival.

Fáilte Ireland, in partnership with Tourism Ireland and Galway International Arts Festival have facilitated this visit and are working with Travelzoo to provide assistance on the ground during filming of the Festival including an interview with local chef Jp McMahon. The broadcast will go live from the People’s Demolition in Eyre Square on Sunday 22 July.

Record rates at Dublin hotels

Dublin hotels achieved the highest average day rates ever, in Q1 of 2018, according to travel research company STR.

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The figures come as EasyHotel announced it is to develop a purpose-built hotel in the capital after spending €9 million on a city centre site.

Reviewing the performance of European hotels, STR found that the average daily room rate (ADR) of Dublin’s hotels increased 9.5 per cent on the same period last year to €155.75, far outpacing the European average rate of €115.54.

McKillen in Clerys talks

Paddy McKillen Jnr of the Press Up group is reported to be in negotiations to buy the Clerys building onn O'Connell St Dublin for around

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€60m.

Earlier this year, the businessman was one of up to 30 parties who expressed an interest in operating the hotel which was proposed by Natrium as part of the department store site's redevelopment.

Natrium secured planning permission from Dublin City Council in December 2016 for a major mixed-use development comprising offices, retail units, leisure facilities and a boutique hotel.

McKillen's father, Paddy McKillen Sr, came close to acquiring Clerys in his own right in 2013, when it was owned by the US-headquartered restructuring specialists Gordon Brothers Group.

Ballyroe joins Great National

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The family owned Ballyroe Heights Hotel in Tralee has joined the Great National Hotels and Resorts Group.

Set in six and a half acres of sloping gardens with spectacular views of the Sliabh Mish Mountains and Tralee Bay, the 3-star Ballyroe Heights Hotel is a popular destination hotel for weddings being located 10 minutes drive from Tralee Town Centre at the gateway to the Dingle Peninsula. The hotel which has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment programme is owned by the Collins Family and is managed by Jonathan Collins.

Great National was formed in 2010 and is Ireland’s fastest growing hospitality group, providing a range of outsourcing services to independent 4-star and 3-star deluxe properties including marketing, distribution, reservations and yield management. The company is now comprised of 65 hotels and resorts, with 4,500 hotel bedrooms throughout Ireland and the UK.

Rachel's restaurant refurb.

Rachel Allen is to close her first restaurant for a €1m casual dining reinvention. Rachel’s, on Cork’s Washington St, which opened in Ma

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rch 2017, will close on August 8 for the eight-week revamp.

New investors have come on board and Ms Allen will be involved in the new restaurant venue, which is due to reopen in early October.While the main restaurant will close, the building’s Back Garden Bar and on-street terrace will remain open for food and drink.