Dublin-based hotel management company Choice Hotel Group, a master franschisor for Choice Hotels International, has signed a deal to manage two Galway hotels—the G Hotel & Spa and the Hotel Meyrick. At the same time, the group is finalizing the acquisition of Dublin's Waterside House Hotel in Donabate.
Andy O'Neill, CEO of Choice Hotel Group, told the Irish Times the group plans to completely renovate several of its hotels, spending several million euros on updates. “This will involve significant spend on the G Hotel, the Meyrick, an upgrade at Croydon and we will be re-positioning the Waterside House Hotel as a boutique hotel on the beach in Dublin after a major refurbishment this year,” he said. These upgrades may include a name-change for the Meyrick hotel.
Developer Gerry Barrett originally owned the G Hotel and the Meyrick before the properties began receiving protections from the Irish court in summer 2017 to overcome financial struggles. Choice Hotels took over as the operator during this time. The court protection ended in December last year after the Alanis Capital-backed vehicle Watzfire invested in the hotel.
The Choice Hotels inventory in Galway has grown to 250 guestrooms after the company began operating the G Hotel and Meyrick and acquired the House Hotel in Galway's Latin quarter in 2017. Choice Hotels staff has also grown to more than 400 people in the city.
Choice Hotel Group also operates The Montenotte Hotel in Cork, Ireland and the Croydon Park Hotel in London while it owns Hotel Woodstock in Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland and the Waterside House. The hotel group's portfolio now includes nine properties, and it is seeking more development opportunities in both Ireland and the UK. Its parent company, Choice International, operates a portfolio of 6,500 hotels worldwide under the Quality Inn, Clarion and Comfort Inn brands.