Born on the cusp of the pandemic, Cliste now operates 14 venues with plans to grow revenues to €150m

Founders Séan O’Driscoll and Paul Fitzgerald on growing their Cork company wit no plans to slow down

Paul Fitzgerald, CEO and Séan O’Driscoll, Director of Hotels of Cliste Hospitality. They have €112m turnover under management. Picture Chani Anderson

Family-run businesses are the foundation of Ireland’s regional hospitality industry. Rural hotels operate a large revenue mix, unlike big city venues focused on simple room revenue maximisation.

Town hotels, often the only of its kind for miles, are more than just simple accommodations. They’re community staples; venues for weddings, business forums, sporting occasions, graduations and more, passed down through families for generations.