Dalata Hotel Group reports ‘strong recovery’ with business levels exceeding 2019

Dalata Hotel Group has reported that business levels have surpassed 2019 levels, with revenue up 9% at £188.98m (€220.2m) for the six month period ended 30 June 2022.

The group currently has 49 hotels in its portfolio, including the Clayton and Maldron brands, making Dalata the biggest hotel operator in Ireland.

It continues to expand internationally, with the company entering a lease for its first hotel in continental Europe during this period.

In the year to date, Dalata has added five hotels to its collection, as well as opening a hotel in August.

In the UK, construction on sites in Brighton, Liverpool, London and Manchester is ongoing and the group is due to open its 50th hotel, Clayton Hotel Glasgow City, in October.

The group's half-year report also revealed that Dalata has committed up to 5% of its rooms in the Republic of Ireland to be used as emergency accommodation for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine until the end of 2022.

Between 2023 and 2025, Dalata plans to open a further 1,125 rooms and is “actively looking at new opportunities across all our regions, including continental Europe”.

Like-for-like revenue per available room (revpar) for July/August is expected to be 21% ahead of 2019 levels in Dublin, 36% in Regional Ireland and 15% in the UK.

Dalata reported a pre-tax profit of £44.6.m (€52m) in the first half of the year, up from £32.4 (€37.8m) in the same period in 2019.

Dermot Crowley, chief executive of Dalata Hotel Group, said: “The first half of 2022 was a period of strong recovery after the lifting of Covid related restrictions at the end of January. The year to date has also been very busy on the development front with the addition of six hotels (1,600 rooms) across four cities.

"This includes our first exciting step into continental Europe as we entered the lease for Hotel Nikko Düsseldorf. Despite a challenging start to the year, we delivered revenues of €220.2 million for the period, exceeding the levels achieved in the first half of 2019.

"I am personally delighted with the progress we have made since the start of 2022. The achievements are the result of the expertise and commitment of the teams that operate throughout Dalata. I want to personally thank the entire team of people within Dalata for delivering six additional hotels and an excellent trading recovery. Despite the macroeconomic challenges, we look forward with optimism and enthusiasm to the months and years ahead.”

It comes after Dalata revealed that 2022 trade to date had already "surpassed expectations" in April.