Pre-tax profits at the owner of Belfast’s Europa Hotel and co-owner of Dublin’s Merrion Hotel fell 39% last year despite posting a rise in revenues.

DESPITE consumer spending concerns, top-end Irish hotels are still busy with bookings and are defying the recession with innovative offers and ways to cut costs.

IRISH Wi-Fi (wireless broadband) network operator Bitbuzz saw an 18.54% year-on-year increase in turnover during the first half of this year.