Hotels' silver lining could have a cloud

TOUGH SUMMER:"PANIC BREAKS" taken by families before schools reopen are the last chance for Ireland's beleaguered hotels to secure vital revenue before winter, hoteliers said this week – but it all depends on the weather.

More than 200 hoteliers attended a crisis meeting of the Irish Hotels Federation in Dublin on Wednesday to discuss the future of the industry after what some described as the worst summer for business in living memory.

Joe Dolan, who owns the Bush Hotel in Carrick-on- Shannon, Co Leitrim, said last-minute getaways could provide hoteliers with a much-needed boost after a summer plagued by wet weather, an 18 per cent decline in overseas visitors and “unsustainable” below-cost selling.

“What you get at this time of year is what we call panic breaks. People realise that their children are back at school in two weeks, so they book something for late August. But if it rains the phone doesn’t ring,” he said.

“The weather hasn’t helped. Of all years, this year we needed a good summer.”

Stephen McNally, deputy chief executive of the Maldron Hotels group, which owns or manages 16 hotels with a total of 2,200 bedrooms, said high business costs meant rates could go no lower.

“We’re touching pretty much rock bottom on that at the moment. There’s only so far you can go on rates,” he said.

** What are the best and worst rates that you’ve found at Irish hotels? E-mail go@irishtimes.com