Hoteliers cheer opening of convention centre

BED NIGHTS:HOTELS IN the Dublin docklands say they are already experiencing an upsurge in bookings ahead of next week's opening of the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).

To date, the centre has confirmed dozens of high-end conferences up to 10 years in advance.

The CCD secured another major conference last week when it was announced that it will host the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) annual meeting in 2014.

That event is set to attract more than 2,500 international delegates to Dublin for a four-day conference.

The first conference to be hosted in the CCD will be the European Dialysis Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association International between September 18th and 21st with approximately 2,000 international delegates.

Harry Crosbie, who developed the CCD with Treasury Holdings’ Johnny Ronan and Richard Barrett, said bookings for his 285-bed Gibson Hotel were “amazing” since it opened last month.

He expects hotels in Dublin to continue benefiting because a hotel planned by Treasury Holdings adjacent to the CCD is still only in the planning stages.

Maldron Hotel group marketing and sales manager Karina Dunne said the real benefits of the CCD will only be apparent after it is opened and she praised Fáilte Ireland’s role in bringing agents from all over Europe on a trip to Dublin this month to sell the convention centre to tourism agents.

The Maldron Group opened its hotel in Cardiff Lane five years ago and it is already seeing significant business from the nearby O2 and Grand Canal Theatre.

Patrick Cass, the hotel manager of Jurys Inn, Custom House Quay, said they were receiving corporate bookings as far ahead as 2014 that are directly linked to events being held in the CCD.

“We have recently completed a comprehensive refurbishment of our entire hotel, which included our meeting and conference facilities, and this has also had a very positive impact on our bookings,” he said.