{"id":4875,"date":"2017-08-18T08:57:49","date_gmt":"2017-08-18T08:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/https:\/\/http:\/\/lcnonline.co.uk\/\/\/?p=4875"},"modified":"2017-08-18T08:57:49","modified_gmt":"2017-08-18T08:57:49","slug":"part-something-bigger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lcnonline.co.uk\/part-something-bigger\/","title":{"rendered":"Part of something bigger"},"content":{"rendered":"
Since its inception, the McKeever Hotel Group\u2019s strategy has always been to invest in smaller, more rural hotels. In July, however, it broke with form and acquired the Dunadry Hotel at Templepatrick. Russell Campbell has been asking Eugene McKeever if his ambitions have now changed\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n The McKeevers aren\u2019t the only family in Northern Ireland to carve their living from a shrewd understanding of hospitality. They are, however, among the most successful and with the purchase recently of the iconic Dunadry Hotel near Templepatrick, they\u2019ve added a valuable layer of complexity and promise to a business model that\u2019s been renowned for its simple effectiveness.<\/p>\n The new addition is undeniably a departure from form for the family. They own four other properties \u2013 The Adair Arms in Ballymena; Dunsilly Hotel at Antrim; Corr\u2019s Corner at Glengormly and Dillon\u2019s Hotel in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal \u2013 all small, family-orientated and previously faltering hotels which have prospered following investment and redirection from their new owners.<\/p>\n Purchased in early July for an undisclosed sum from the Mooney family \u2013 owners of Belfast\u2019s Wellington Park and the Armagh City Hotel \u2013 The Dunadry Hotel is a significant addition to the McKeever\u2019s burgeoning portfolio. And while it now appears a little shabbier than it did during its halcyon days in the 90s and early noughties, it has retained its reputation as a popular wedding and tourist venue.<\/p>\n Speaking to LCN this month, Eugene McKeever revealed that the hotel had not actually been on the market prior to his deal with Felix and John Mooney:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d always thought of this hotel as something of an institution and I thought that if it ever came onto the market, then I would like it,\u201d he explains. \u201cBy chance, I mentioned that to Felix and he said he\u2019d be happy to talk to us about it. We sat down and ended up hammering out a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n Since taking on the property, which also features a spa and leisure facilities, the new owners have put in place refurbishment plans to the order of around \u00a33m. That work will begin later this year when the venue\u2019s 80 bedrooms are set to be revamped. The main function room is to be updated during the early part of next year followed by renewal work in the lobby area and then the bistro.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not at all daunted by the scale of what we have to do here, we knew what we were getting into,\u201d says Eugene. \u201cWe have our own visionary plans for this hotel and we have architects who are now working on the things that we want to put in place.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first two or three years of this are going to be expensive for us, but after this work is done we\u2019ll be in a position to do other things with the place, perhaps put chalets along the riverside or extend the spa and leisure facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eugene McKeever first donned his overalls in the hospitality trade in the kitchens at Corr\u2019s Corner when he was just 12-years-old. \u00a0He worked for John Corr for 19 years, 11 of those as head chef, before buying the Granagh House in his native Randalstown. Eugene returned to Corrs Corner seven years later \u2013 this time, as its owner.<\/p>\n \u201cCorr\u2019s is where all my memories are,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s my baby and it was the money from Corr\u2019s that initially enabled us to develop the group in the way that we\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n Eugene and his wife, Catherine, are still firmly in charge of the family business although these days, they have the assistance of two of their five children: Bridgene is their marketing director and Eddie is director of operations for the group.<\/p>\n The increasing complexity of the business, which now employs more than 300 people, is a far cry from Eugene and Catherine\u2019s first foray into the trade in the mid-80s with the Granagh House. They ran that venue themselves with help from two part-time members of staff.<\/p>\n The Dunadry is very definitely new territory for the family, confirms Eugene:<\/p>\n \u201cI think we are almost into a different sector with this one,\u201d he remarks. \u201cThe other hotels that we have are smaller, community-orientated and they are very corporate in their outlook. This place is based more on the leisure market with the weddings, the spa and the tourist trade. It\u2019s another step up for us, we\u2019re raising the bar again and that heightens the profile of the group.\u201d<\/p>\n