No Brexit worries as Harcourt hotels reports €60m in revenues

The hotel arm of Pat Doherty's Harcourt Developments group last year recorded revenues of €60m and said that its experience of Brexit to date has been positive.

The Harcourt Collection comprises seven hotels and resorts spread across Ireland, the UK and the Caribbean along with Titanic Belfast and a spokesman said yesterday that it is "very pleased with the performance of the hotels".

The hotels and iconic tourist attraction collection is expanding and September sees the opening of the Titanic Hotel Belfast.

The hotels have 300,000 rooms to sell per year and the hotel side of the Harcourt group account for 25pc of the overall group activities. The spokesman said: "In 2016 the Irish properties performed most strongly and were profitable. Room revenue and average spend increased. UK number also increased in occupancy and rate by 7pc."

The group employs 450 in Ireland, 352 in the UK and 257 in the Caribbean.

On the impact of Brexit on the business, the spokesman said: "Our experience so far is positive. Effective marketing of Ireland by Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI are maintaining healthy numbers and we do not detect a downturn."

He added: "For Harcourt, the group's spread across various jurisdictions helps absorb any fluctuations. Also, our occupancy rates remain high and stable."

The group employs 1,100 staff. This figure has grown by 7pc year-on-year.

The group's hotels are the Aspect Hotel in Dublin; Lough Eske Castle in Donegal; the Royal Oasis in the Bahamas; the Carlisle Bay in Antigua; and hotels in London, Manchester and Jersey.

The hotel group has recruited rugby player Robbie Henshaw as a brand ambassador and chairman, Pat Doherty said: "He epitomises the principles of hard work, determination and exceeding expectations which we have at Harcourt."