100 jobs created after hotel reopens

ONE hundred jobs will be created and 60 more sustained this summer following the successful re-opening of the Quality Hotel complex in Killarney.

The hotel ceased trading at the start of the year but re-opened in April when its former general manager Patrick Dillon and former financial controller Paul O’Shea agreed a long lease with the owners Hepton Developments.

The duo have also secured a lease on the leisure centre and 64 two-bed units.

Mr Dillon said many former employees have secured work with the hotel.

The hotel closed on January 16 with the loss of over 50 jobs, including 30 full- time positions, when Carvanna Properties, which had run the former Ryan Hotel for the past five years, was put into liquidation.

The new owners are targeting the domestic family market and said although summer bookings are lower than last year’s figures, they are optimistic that there will be an upsurge in bookings as people are booking later than usual.

“After the government levies on wages, people want to see where they’re at before booking anything,” said Mr Dillon.

“The facilities here are great for families and we are not positioning ourselves in the high end market; we are very much mid-market.”

The hotel is increasing its staff to 160 after initially employing 60 in April.

“We advertised one maintenance job and got 500 applicants for the position,” said Mr Dillon, who is not ruling out taking over further hotels in the future.

“We’ll concentrate on getting this one right but I’d never say never if an opportunity presented itself,” said Mr Dillon.

“When we first took over the Quality, people thought we were crazy but it’s all going very well so far.”