[ad_1]
More than a quarter of the staff at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin are being temporarily laid off due to lower than normal occupancy levels.
The five-star hotel in St Stephen’s Green currently employs about 435 people, including full-time and part-time workers.
127 of these employees will be temporarily laid off while the remaining staff, at all levels, will work reduced hours as part of the cost reduction plan.
The Shelbourne reopened to the public on June 29 under phase two of the government’s Covid-19 roadmap.
“Despite the significant challenges facing the travel industry this year and the dramatic drop in international travel, we have had a relatively positive summer season, focused almost exclusively on domestic business,” said the hotel’s operator, Marriot International, to RTÉ News in a statement.
“Unfortunately, it has also become clear during this period that we need to adjust the size of our operations to reflect lower occupancy levels compared to those achieved before the pandemic.”
The hotel group said it had evaluated all the options and subsequently made the “difficult decision to downsize the team” through temporary layoffs and cutting hours for other staff at all levels.
“Employees whose roles may be affected have been notified,” he said.
“The well-being of our employees is important to us and we strive to proceed in the most thoughtful and respectful manner possible. We will actively support each of the affected employees through this process.”
Many Irish hotels have been struggling with difficult business conditions for the past few months due to pandemic Covid-19 restrictions.
Some hotels in areas outside of major cities have enjoyed reasonably high occupancy levels during the summer months, as people vacationed at home rather than abroad.
However, hotels in cities, particularly in Dublin city center, have seen much more uneven demand, due to the extremely low number of foreign tourists entering the country.
The Irish Hotels Federation recently said that booking levels for September and October at hotels across the country are much lower, following the end of the holiday season.
The Shelbourne is owned by Kennedy Wilson, who acquired the facility’s secured debt for $ 152 million in 2014 in a complex transaction involving multiple sellers.
In 2019, following the completion of a $ 40 million remodel program, the hotel joined Autograph Collection Hotels by Marriott International.
Earlier this year, Shelbourne received a warning letter from Dublin City Council about the removal of four 153-year-old statues from the front of the building.
[ad_2]