Global Update
Dalata leads IrIsh comeback |
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Founded in 2007 by former Jurys Doyle CEO Pat McCann , Dalata Hotel Group is the largest operator in Ireland , with 38 hotels and some 6,000 rooms at the beginning of the year and more on the way after a “ transformational ” acquisition .
After going public last March in a revitalized Irish economy , Dalata ’ s stated strategy was to acquire assets before prices move too high , growing with a mix of owned , leased and managed assets . To that end , in December it announced its intention to acquire
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rooms ) for a reported € 455 million ( US $ 560 million ), a move that allows the group to scale up its operations significantly and , in particular , expand its position in the key Dublin market .
“ A lot of our management contracts are short -term. This is 2,500 rooms that we own on top of the 800 rooms , so it changes the nature of our portfolio from 12 months ago . It was primarily leased to managed ; now it ’ s almost primary owned and leased ,” explains Dalata Deputy CEO Dermot
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most of the
Moran Bewley ’ s Hotel Group ( nine hotels , 2,506
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Dermot Crowley ’ s biggest challenge is bedding down the Moran Bewley acquisitions and properly launching a new 4-star brand . |
Crowley .
Crowley says Dalata was planning one more
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single hotel acquisition in Ireland either later in January or early February . “ So during the next few months , apart from taking on the Moran Bewley portfolio , we will look at our strategic options and see whether we want to take on more funds ,” he says .
More broadly , Dalata planned to split its portfolio into its Maldron brand and launch a new 4-star brand ( mostly for the Moran Bewley assets ) sometime in February . Maldron will be primarily 3-star and upper-3-star . Both brands will have a degree of individuality to them , partially because Dalata assembled the portfolio from different places and they won ’ t look the same . “ With Maldron , there is already a sense of individuality . Staff is allowed to express themselves in the service they deliver as we try to encourage people to be natural in their environment ,” Crowley adds .
Hyatt CentriC ’ s bIg launch
Rendering of the Hyatt Centric in South Beach ,
Miami Beach .
Hyatt Hotels Corp . doesn ’ t waste time when it launches a new lifestyle brand with 15 deals in hand , including markets like New York , Paris and Miami .
Empathetic , engaging Hyatt Centric marks Hyatt ’ s sixth brand launch since 2006 . “ We believe the brand will be embraced by Modern Explorers and redefine its category ,” says President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian , who introduced the brand in January .
In response to the needs of this target guest , Hyatt Centric will focus on three core elements : an authentic entryway to the destination where guests can rely on an experience inside the hotel ( local artwork , furniture , food and beverage ) that will serve as a launching pad to exploration outside ; a focus on simplicity , thoughtfully crafted by providing a welcoming environment that delivers the essentials in the most streamlined way possible such as knock n ’ drop room service ; and a human touch in a digital world .
18 HOTELS March 2015 www . hotelsmag . com