Tag Archives: hotels

The Clare Crusaders’ Clinic has experienced an estimated €100,000 drop in its fundraising income this year due to the lack of suitable accommodation to host major charity events, it emerged this week. Clinic manager, Councillor Ann Norton (Ind) has issued a renewed appeal for donations from companies and groups ahead of their annual Tractor Run, which takes place in Barefield next Sunday. Clare Crusaders is a self-financing service located in Barefield, Ennis. The clinic receives no state funding and must raise more than €250,000 per annum to provide the current level of therapy for children. Acknowledging the provision of hotel accommodation is necessary to house international protection applicants fleeing from war-torn countries, particularly Ukraine, the Independent councillor pointed out one of the unintended consequences is that the charity finds it extremely difficult to obtain function rooms to host fundraising events. In recent years, the clinic has hosted charity boxing tournaments, fashion shows, Christmas Fairs and fun Strictly Come Dancing competitions …

KILKEE’S business community has lost out on an early season financial fillip, as a conference had to be moved out of the resort because there is no hotel open that could cater for the more than 100 delegates. Secretary of Kilkee Tourism, John Williams, has vented his and the community’s anger at losing the conference. He described as “outrageous” the fact that there are three hotels in the resort – The Ocean Cove, Kilkee Bay Hotel and The Marine Hotel – capable of hosting this event and all three are closed to business. Raidió Corca Baiscinn is hosting the CRAOL Féile National Community Radio Awards, funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, on May 26 and 27 and had planned to host the event locally. However, the conference, a national event recognising the talents of broadcasters and producers involved in community radio stations, will now be held in The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon. Raidió Corca Baiscainn staff and tourist interests …

Clare hotels have seen business return to 2007 levels, according to a former president of the Irish Hotels’ Federation and Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan. Figures from the Central Statistics Office, released this week, showed that overseas trips to Ireland increased by 13.5% for the period July to September 2015. According to Mr Vaughan, while this year has been good, 2016 is likely to be even better. “In overall terms, I think in the hotel business, 2015 will go down as the year that tourism returned to normality and that was the picture throughout County Clare. Everyone is satisfied with the year that they had. We have now reached the level of business we did in 2007, which is a clear return to the normal tourism cycle. The main reasons for that is the North American market, which was the stellar performer of 2015. I’m predicting an equally good year for 2016. My bookings are ahead of where they would have …

WITH hotel accommodation booked out in Ennis for the week of next year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the Fleadh committee is urging homeowners to offer rooms for rent. Online attempts to make bookings for hotel rooms or B&Bs in Ennis for August 14 to 21 are proving unsuccessful for music fans, as the town braces itself to welcome hundreds of thousands of people. One initiative the Fleadh committee has put in place to help with providing beds is a register of private accommodation for rent. The initiative is already proving itself popular with homeowners locally who have signed up at www.thefleadhdowninennis.com to offer accommodation.

Out with the old and in with the new. Happy new year! 2015 was welcomed in by hundreds of people at discos, hotel functions and parties all over County Clare.  There was a great party atmosphere everywhere, with both friends and strangers sharing in the excitement of the occasion. Hotels were well booked with people from many locations,  even from  close proximity, who wanted to extend the new year break. There was also the traditional gathering of regulars in their local pubs for the countdown to midnight and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. On a quieter note, many churches had special prayer and reflection services to mark the transition from 2014 to 2015.    

Hotels and guesthouses are expressing confidence for 2014 according to the latest Irish Hotels Federation’s (IHF) quarterly barometer findings. The barometer of IHF members carried out as the summer season starts shows that some 86% of hotel and guesthouses have expressed an optimistic view for future trading conditions in 2014, with some 72% of respondents indicating an increase in advance summer bookings compared to the same period last year (4% reported a decrease and 24% noted no change). Hotel and guesthouse owners have, however,  expressed renewed concern regarding pressures on their cost base, citing excessive Local Authority Rates being a key issue, with some 81% stating it is having a negative impact on their business. Local Authority Rates are the biggest single cost that hoteliers have no control over and the IHF is calling for a 30% reduction on these rates to ensure Irish tourism’s ability to compete effectively for domestic and overseas tourists. These rates are particularly affecting hotels …

THE high cost of doing business in Ireland is the single most pressing issue for Irish hotels and guesthouses according to an industry survey carried out by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF). Federation president, Michael Vaughan has called for immediate and radical Government action to tackle public sector costs, including local authority rates, water charges and energy-related levies. He called for a clearly defined national competitiveness strategy for all business costs under the control of the Government. Speaking on the eve of the IHF’s 76th annual conference, he pointed out that the survey, which was carried out earlier this month, cites excessive local authority rates as the most critical issue facing hoteliers in terms cost competitiveness. The IHF stresses that this is stifling Irish tourism’s ability to compete more effectively for domestic and overseas tourists. “The hotels sector stabilised in 2013 largely as a result of the relentless work of hotels and guesthouses to slash costs where there was any level of …