Castlemartyr Hotel to re-open under Dromoland management

THE five-star Castlemartyr Hotel, which was formally operated by Capella, is to re-open under the management of Dromoland, creating 100 jobs.

The €70 million Cork hotel, which closed its doors in November last year, is expected to offer rooms for introductory rates of €199 for an overnight stay for a family of four.

When the hotel first opened 18 months ago the cheapest room was €540 per night.

The hotel will initially offer just 50 of its 103 rooms when it reopens on April 3.

It is looking to recruit up to 60 staff at an open day today and numbers are expected to grow to 100 by the end of the year.

Managing director of Dromoland Castle Mark Nolan said the world is a nervous place at the moment but the hotel will build on its reputation to grow the business.

He said it will announce some very competitive deals in the coming days and will target families and businesses. The hotel will offer conference facilities, something the previous operators did not focus on.

Mr Nolan said: “This leading hotel is set in beautiful countryside and plays a key role in the surrounding community.

“We would hope that despite the challenges facing the tourism and hotel sector in Ireland, under the management of Dromoland, the great team at Castlemartyr will continue to attract many guests from at home and abroad.”

Andrew Phelan, previously of Mount Juliet, has been appointed general manager.

The Castlemartyr Capella, which was developed by the Cork-based construction group, John F Supple was officially opened in February last year by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Barry Supple of John F Supple said: “Dromoland Castle’s reputation speaks for itself, we are thrilled to see Castlemartyr re-opened to allow guests to enjoy the wonderful facilities.”

The recruitment day begins at 10am today.