Jurys Inn Hotel Group Announces €31 million (£25m) Capital Investment Programme in Three Year Programme
Jurys Inn Hotel Group has announced that it will invest €31 million (£25m) in an extensive capital investment programme to be completed by the end of 2014, which will see the Group undertake significant refurbishments and upgrades to a number of its hotel properties in Ireland and the UK. The Group has already invested over €14 (£11) million as part of this programme in 2012.
Jurys properties receiving significant upgrades to their bedrooms and public areas under the three year programme include Dublin Christchurch, Galway, Glasgow, Chelsea, Islington, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Croydon, and Milton Keynes. The company is also investing €2.5 (£2) million between 2012-2013 in technology and software upgrades, which will significantly enhance its reservation platform, management information systems and guest WIFI service.
“We have recently invested significantly in developing our new brand identity, positioning and product offering and this investment programme will help bring some of our older hotel stock in line with our latest properties and ensure that all our facilities are consistently of a high standard and fully meet the needs and expectations of both leisure and business customers,” said John Brennan, CEO of Jurys Inn Hotel Group
This new three year programme follows a programme which between 2009 and 2011 saw the Irish hotel Group open eight new hotels in addition to invest €20 (£16) million in upgrading older properties, bringing the total investment in its older hotels to over €34 (£27) million. This included the major refurbishment and upgrade of two of its landmark Dublin hotels, at Christchurch and Custom House Quay and a complete €1.2 (£1) million refurbishment of Jurys 190 room hotel in Belfast. The Irish Hotel Group now operates 32 hotels – seven in Ireland, 24 in the UK and one in Prague.
Jurys completed a new six week advertising campaign (“Your stay, Your way”) worth €1 million earlier this year, which Brennan maintains has been successful in raising awareness of the well known Irish brand in the UK market.
“We have undertaken a lot of work to position our city centre hotels as real and credible alternatives to four star hotels. This has included launching a new and improved meetings offering – ‘Jurys Meetings’ – in a number of our Irish and UK hotels and a significantly enhanced food and beverage offering which has for example seen us forge new partnerships with leading brands such as Costa Coffee,” said Brennan.
The Group was awarded two major industry accolades this year including the ‘Best Irish Hotel Chain’ at the 2012 Irish Travel Industry Awards and for the second time, the ‘Best small or Independent Hotel Brand’ at the 2012 Business Travel Awards. In October 2011, Jurys Inn was awarded the only gold accreditation for an international hotel group in 2011 from Investors in People (IIP), the leading people management standard.