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O’Callaghan Hotel Group has announced its rebrand to the O’Callaghan Collection. The company’s four-star Dublin hotels – The Alex, The Davenport and The Green (formerly The Stephen’s Green) - have been transformed completely at a cost of over €30 million to reposition them amongst the capital’s finest hotels. The announcement of the company’s rebranding comes with the news that it will begin an extensive renovation programme at  the three-star Mont Clare Hotel towards the end of 2018  to bring it to a standard that will complement the style of its sister hotels.

 

The Heritage Hotel in Killenard, Co Laois is back on the market, four years after it was acquired by two US-based investor.

John Hughes of CBRE is guiding more than €9 million for the five-star hotel, which was sold in the summer of 2014 for well in excess of its €5.5 million asking price.

Properties such as the Killenard are exempt from capital gains tax if resold within four years of the original purchase.

The Heritage and adjoining 18-hole golf course were sold by two receivers to separate investors when the property market crashed.

The hotel continues to attract a substantial number of golfers because of the broad appeal of the Seve Ballesteros-designed course.

 

According to new data released by travel research firm STR, a "lack of meaningful supply growth" is helping to fuel strong growth of room rates in the Irish hotel sector.

 During the first quarter of 2018, STR found that the average daily room rate in Ireland rose 6.2% to €113.76, compared to the first three months of 2017. Furthermore, revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 9.7% to €76.79 and the occupancy rate among Irish hotels increased 3.4% to 67.6%.

 STR commented, "STR analysts note that performance is strong across the country, not just in the always popular Dublin, where RevPAR increased 7.8%."

 

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin and Government Chief Whip and Minister for the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Joe McHugh officially opened a new visitor reception centre at Fanad Lighthouse in Donegal.

 

 Overlooking Malin Head, Fanad Lighthouse offers visitors breath-taking views and a truly memorable experience. Identified as a Signature Discovery Point along the Wild Atlantic Way, the refurbished lighthouse opened to the public in 2015. Alongside funding from the Special EU Programmes Body, Irish Lights, Donegal County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta, Fáilte Ireland invested €470k in the development of a new visitor centre and car park. The new reception centre is also home to a permanent exhibition to highlight the stories of Fanad Head.

Speaking today ahead of the opening, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin said: