The four-star golf resort and country club in Ballyconnell, once formed the showpiece of former billionaire Seán Quinn’s business empire in the Fermanagh and Cavan border region.

The asking price for the hotel, which sits in a 300-acre country estate, is higher than previously reported but is still expected to trigger a bidding war between Irish and international investors.

Cavan-born businessman and one-time Irish presidential candidate Sean Gallagher is expected to be among the bidders.

However, he maintained he would only progress the offer with Sean Quinn’s blessing.

The Slieve Russell has been under control of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) since 2011.

It has remained profitable and around €7.5m has been invested in upgrading the resort since 2019.

With capacity for up to 1,000 guests, the 224-bedroom hotel remains a popular choice for weddings and events in the border region.

Opened in 1990, the Ballyconnell resort features 50 acres of lakes and is considered one of the island’s best parkland golf courses.

Designed by Patrick Merrigan, its 18-hole championship course is one of just eight PGA national-designated resorts in the world.

Commenting on the Slieve Russell listing, Paul Collins, who heads CBRE’s hotel division said: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire one of Irelands best known and highly profitable resort hotels.

“The scale of ongoing investment in the hotel’s facilities and its growing business will appeal to the national and international investment market.”

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The family-owned company behind Belfast’s Europa and Grand Central hotels posted a £6.9 million profit-before-tax for the year ending October 31 2023.

The accounts for the Hastings Hotels Group include the trading business for its six northern hotels along with its hotel management company, which between them, employed 836 people towards the end of last year.

The group recorded a 17.5% increase in turnover to £50.7m last year, according to documents filed with Companies House.

Alongside its two flagship Belfast city centre hotels, the accounts include the activities of the Culloden Estate and Spa, Ballygally Castle, Stormont Hotel and Everglades Hotel in Derry.

That restructuring saw the establishment of William Hastings Group Ltd, which incorporates the family’s property investment interests.

It also factors in the Hastings family’s 50% stake in the Merrion Hotel in Dublin.

The accounts for William Hastings Group Ltd show that side of the business recorded a pre-tax profit of £3.3m in the year to October 31 2023.

The same accounts indicate the ‘demerger of the Hastings Hotel Group’ involved a cost of around £2.5m.

Based on the accounts filed with Companies House, the Europa remains the most successful business in the Hastings Hotels Group.

Its revenues grew by 27% last year to just under £16m, with the Great Victoria Street hotel posting a pre-tax profit of £2.3m.

With a staff of 272 people, it also remained the largest operation within the group.

The nearby Grand Central Hotel, which had a staff of 191 on its books, posted an operating profit of £1.5m in the year to October 2023.

The Culloden Estate and Spa remains another continuing success story for the hotel group.

Its £10.2m turnover last year produced a pre-tax profit of £1.3m.

The Stormont Hotel (£5.1m turnover), Ballygally Castle (£3.4m turnover) and the Everglades Hotel (£2.8m turnover) all remained profitable in the last financial year.

The group’s hotel business did face a £2.4m tax bill last year, which left it with a total income of £4.8m in the year to October 2023.

According to Companies House, Howard Hastings (61) holds the controlling stake in the family business.

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The group, which owns restaurants including Brewers Fayre and Beefeater, said the job cuts are still subject to consultation and come from its total UK workforce of 37,000 employees.

It said the move was part of a plan to “optimise” its food and drink offering to add more than 3,500 hotel rooms across its estate and increase “operational efficiencies”.

There are currently eight Premier Inn Hotels across Northern Ireland and nine in the Republic.

A ninth 81-bed Premier Inn Hotel is currently being progressed by Co Armagh firm JH Turkington next to Belfast International Airport.

Whitbread said it plans to sell 126 of its less profitable branded restaurants, with 21 sales already having gone through.

It will also convert 112 restaurants into new hotel rooms.

Dominic Paul, Whitbread chief executive, said: “We recognise that our transition will impact some of our team members so we will be providing support throughout this process and we are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of those affected to remain with us.”

The FTSE 100 company announced pre-tax profit of £452m for the year ending February 29, up 21% on the year before.

The company’s total food and beverage sales were up only 7% year on year, driven mainly by breakfasts in the restaurant chain.

Food and beverage sales were down 2% for the seven weeks to April 18, the most recent period on record.

As a result, Whitbread said the cost-cutting programme will save about £150m over the next three years.

Whitbread also said it will offer a £150m stock buy-back to shareholders in the next six months and increase dividend payments by 26% this year.

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Three Northern Ireland hotels have been named as some of the best places to stay in Tripadvisor’s 2024 Travellers’ Choice Hotels Awards.

Derry’s Bishop’s Gate Hotel is a new entry to the Best of the Best category and has been listed as No. 19 in the prestigious Top Hotels in the UK, behind the likes of The Resident in Covent Garden and The Chesterfield in Mayfair.

In 2020, the same hotel appeared in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice awards ranking sixth in the Top 25 Hotels – United Kingdom and Channel Islands’ category.

Nestled within the walled city, reviewers rave about its prime location for exploring local shops, bars, and historical sites on foot.

Northern Ireland also comes out among the top in the Small and Boutique Hotels category in this year’s awards, with The Harrison, Belfast named No.16 in the UK followed by Ardtara Country House, Upperlands, Maghera, at No.19.

In 2022, the bohemian Harrison Chambers of Distinction on the Malone Road took fourth place on The National Geographic’s “ultimate hotel guide to Belfast” which listed ten of the best places to stay in the city.

Analysing 12-months of review data for over 1.6 million hotels listed on the site, winners span nine categories from the definitive Top Hotels through to All-Inclusive, B&Bs and Inns, Family-Friendly, Luxury, Small and Boutique.

This year sees the launch of three new subcategories in the awards; Pet-Friendly, Sustainable and Wellness.

The No. 1 Top Hotel in the World for 2024 is Brazil’s Hotel Colline de France, a boutique hotel renowned for its personalised service and French elegance in the middle of the mountain town of Gramado.

For three consecutive years, the 34-suite Hotel Colline de France has been ranked in the top five, boasting more than 4,000 5-star bubble reviews.

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Discussing the ‘Choice for Children’ initiative Eddie McKeever, President of the NIHF, said: “The family market is vital for hotels, especially for events like birthday parties and special occasions. Children are a key audience, and we are eager to introduce more appealing food options for them. The NIHF is keen to explore the opportunities for offering healthier options for children and to promote fresh, interesting food choices for young people.

“As part of our commitment to changing consumer needs and in response to the FSA’s findings, we are launching an initiative called ‘Choice for Children’.  Hotel restaurants will be given the opportunity to create a dish which will not only appeal to children but also offer an interesting alternative to the current children’s menu staples.

“The new dishes must meet certain healthier criteria. Shortlisted dishes will be promoted via social media and the public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite. We are looking forward to seeing some delicious dishes on the menu.”

The dishes created by restaurants must comply with the following criteria:

• Include at least one portion of vegetables/fruit.
• Should not be deep fried.
• Have no added salt.
• Offer an alternative to chips such as boiled potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles or bread.
• Be appropriately sized for a child.
• Include ingredients that are higher in fibre and contain less salt, sugar and saturated fat.

Jennifer McGonagle, Senior Nutrition Policy Advisor at the FSA, welcomed the industry’s commitment to promoting diverse and nutritious children’s menus. Jennifer added:

“We know from our recent ‘What’s on the Children’s Menu’ research, conducted along with local councils, that 70% of businesses surveyed agreed the hospitality sector has a role in improving children’s diets.  The launch of the ‘Choice for Children’ initiative amongst hotel restaurants demonstrates the commitment to developing diverse nutritious menu options for children, which is extremely encouraging.  We’re really looking forward to seeing the innovative menu options created and how these are received by consumers.”

To find out more please visit nihf.co.uk and submit applications by Friday 10^th May 2024.

To join the conversation and support this initiative, use the hashtag #ChoiceForChildren on social media to raise awareness.

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