Jurys confirm plan to sell Berkeley Court Hotel

Jurys Doyle is set to sell off the five-star Berkeley Court Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin, the company confirmed today.

The hotel group said it had come to a unanimous decision at a board meeting last night to sell the luxurious hotel as part of a strategic review of its Ballsbridge site.

In June Jurys Doyle announced it would be selling around five acres in Ballsbridge including the Jurys Ballsbridge Hotel, the Towers and the Berkeley Court Apartments.

The company also came to a decision to sell the three-star Jurys Montrose Hotel, Stillorgan Road, Dublin 4, at last night’s board meeting.

The hotel group said the decisions were a core element in a realignment of its Irish hotel portfolio which has seen sales, reinvestments, redevelopments and new openings.

“An agreement to dispose of the Ballsbridge site for circa €260m was announced on 28 July at which point the company signalled the possibility of additional asset realisations,” a statement from the company said.

“In the period since, the company has progressed its review of options in respect of the Berkeley Court Hotel, recognising the changed context resulting specifically from the proposed Ballsbridge transaction.

“The outcome of that review was discussed by the board on Tuesday, August 30, which concluded that the company should now actively pursue a disposal of the Berkeley Court Hotel site,” the company said.

The announcement of the sales of the two hotels is the latest phase in the reaignment of its portfolio which will see continued roll out of Jurys Inns in the UK and more hotels on the East Coast of the US.

The changes began in 2002 with the sale of Jurys Skylon Hotel and the Waterford Hotel, which were followed by the sale of the Tara Hotel and the Green Isle Hotel in 2003 and the Limerick Hotel in 2004.

Jurys Cork Hotel has been closed for redevelopment, while there is a reinvestment programme in the Burlington Hotel and new Jurys Inn in Dublin’s Parnell Street.

The news of the latest sales comes just a week before Jurys Doyle opens its new four-star hotel at Croke Park.