Hotels

IHF Digital Marketing Course

The next IHF Diploma in Digital Marketing begins April 22nd, 2015!

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The IHF Diploma in Digital marketing is designed to give participants a full understanding of digital marketing and ensure that participants leave with tangible and practical insights.

The programme gives participants a foundation in all aspects of digital marketing including Search Engine Marketing (Paid & Organic), Social Media for Business, Conversion & Revenue Generating Online, Writing for the Web & much more.

Dublin Hotel Revenue Soars

Dublin recorded the fastest increase in hotel transactions and revenue per room of seven European cities in 2014, according to a report by Savills. A survey of hotel markets in seven European cities by Savills, ranked Dublin first in terms of growth in the amount of revenue hoteliers raised per available room (RevPAR). RevPAR growth is calculated by multiplying a hotel’s average room rate by its occupancy rate. RevPAR growth of 11.3 per cent was achieved in Dublin hotels in 2014. The next best performing city was Madrid with 10.2 per cent RevPAR growth. This was followed by Amsterdam and Berlin, with the major tourist capitals of London, Rome and Paris showing much lower rates of growth. Savills director of hotels Tom Barrett said Ireland’s hotel market has benefitted significantly from an increasing number of overseas visitors – particularly from the US and UK.

McDonagh Buys Cork Hotel

The founder of fast-food chain Supermac’s has bought the Charleville Park Hotel in North Cork with a view to a €1m upgrade.

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The 'Irish Examiner' reports that Pat McDonagh bought the hotel in a move which, he said, would safeguard more than 100 jobs in the town.

It becomes the third hotel to have been bought by the businessman in recent times, following the purchase of the Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick and the Lough Rea Hotel and Spa in Co Galway.

A spokesperson said the hotel had been in receivership and that the sale took almost a year to complete.

The four-star hotel has 91 rooms and five executive suites, as well as a conference centre and 25m swimming pool.

Dalata reveals Profit, Purchase and Brand

Hotel group Dalata reported a 30.4 per cent boost in revenue in its maiden financial results as a public company to-day.

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The company also annouced its latest acquisition, the Holiday Inn Hotel in Belfast, and plans to rebrand the Moran Bewleys Hotels under the new four-star brand Clayton Hotels.

Revenues at the group, which floated on the Dublin Stock Exchange in March 2014, advanced by 30.4 per cent to €79 million in year to December 31st 2014, while pre-tax profits soared to €4.2m from €0.07m in 2013. Earnings (EBITDA) rose by 54 per cent to €8.2 million, and group revpar increased by 15.7 per cent on a ‘like for like’ basis primarily due to a 13.4 per cent increase in average room rate. Rents at the hotels it leases rose by 17.3 per cent to €16.2 million.Dalata has negotiated a term loan facility of € 282 million to part fund acquisitions and the group had no debt outstanding as of year-end 2014.

O'Callaghan Jumps

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The Mercury Engineering Race Day in aid of Irish Hospice Foundation took place at Leopardstown Racecourse, which also marked the end of the National Hunt Finale.

The wet weather forecast for Saturday didn’t affect the crowds that gathered at Leopardstown racecourse and luck was on their side with the weather staying dry until the bitter end.

Familiar faces such as The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, Mary Harney, The British Ambassador, Dominick Chilcott and Ruby Walsh were among the race crowd.

The O’Callaghan Hotel group sponsored the second last race of the season with Do Be Doin’ to win the Handicap Chase for trainer Martin Hassett.