RTÉ stars return 5-star hotel to profit
The stars of RTÉ’s hit show At Your Service, John and Francis Brennan, operate the Park Hotel in Kenmare, Co Kerry.
New figures from their firm, Beechside Ltd, just returned to the Companies Registration Office, show the hotel recorded a loss of €43,426 after the firm’s accumulated profits decreased from €2.024m to €1.981m in the 12 months to the end of Dec 2011.
However, managing director John Brennan confirmed yesterday that the business returned to profit last year after revenues increased by 21%.
RTÉ confirmed on Monday that Sunday’s episode of At Your Service on RTÉ One had an average of 595,100 viewers which represents a 33% share of the available audience. The average for last year’s series was 559,700 viewers with a 31% share.
Mr Brennan said his own business enjoyed a turnaround year in 2012.
“We were very happy with 2012,” he said. “It was an excellent year. We performed well on all fronts. It was a turnaround year for us and a turning point from a trading point of view.”
Guests can expect to pay €440 per room per night during the busy summer season.
Mr Brennan said a large factor in the hotel’s return to profit was the Notre Dame-Navy American football game in Dublin in September.
“The match brought over 30,000 millionaires to Ireland,” he said. “They started arriving two weeks before the game and remained on two weeks after.
“There was a major spin-off for all five-star hotels along the western seaboard. Forget your Ryder Cups, nothing was as good as that match in terms of providing a major boost to business.”
Mr Brennan said that, for the number of weeks around the match, the Park Hotel’s occupancy rate was 85%.
Beechside’s Dromquinna Manor, which opened in April to stage wedding receptions, also provided a boost to the Park Hotel.
“We are very happy with how it is performing,” said Mr Brennan. “It delivered business for us last year. We had 24 weddings last year and 36 booked for this year.”
Mr Brennan declined to reveal the scale of profits last year, only stating that the profits at the Park Hotel reflect “costs managed and increased revenues”.
Readers of both Condé Nast Traveller and Travel & Leisure magazine voted the Park Hotel as the Best Hotel in Ireland in 2012.
Numbers employed at the hotel total 52, with a further 25 employed at Dromquinna Manor.
Mr Brennan said that the At Your Service show has helped boost the fortunes of the hotel.
“We would get audiences of between 450,000 to 520,000 and that type of exposure can’t fail but to help,” he said. “It provides a boost more with the afternoon tea business than with room bookings, but it is very welcome.”
