US and British hotels help to keep Jurys profits steady at €22m

A STRONG performance in Britain and America offset a "subdued" environment for four-star hotels in Ireland in the first half of the year, hotel operator Jurys Doyle said yesterday.

The group held pre-tax profits steady at €22 million in the six months to June, while sales increased by 9% to €135m as new hotels got into their stride.

Chief executive Pat McCann said the results were satisfactory and thanked a continuing recovery in London and Washington, coupled with newly-opened Jurys Inns in Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and London's Chelsea, for the increase in revenues.