Use of Irish hotels by escorts down since boom, says Dalata boss

The use of Irish hotels by escorts has been driven down from its heights during the Celtic Tiger by a combination of enhanced security technology and staff training, according to the chief executive of Ireland’s largest hotel chain.

Pat McCann, head of Irish hotel firm Dalata, said the issue of escorts offering their services in hotel rooms was more prevalent during the economic boom, and added that investing in staff training was a key countermeasure.

“To be quite honest, back in the Celtic Tiger days, it was much more prevalent,” he said. “Staff are [now] trained to watch out for these things.”

He said upgrades to security systems and key-controlled access to lifts and other areas had improved security.

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Mr McCann was speaking after an article in The Sunday Times revealed how several Dublin hotels moved against a Spanish company which claims to offer "high class" escort services in their venues.

He said he was unaware of any incidents at Dalata hotels, which include the Maldron and Clayton brands. The company also operates the Gibson Hotel in Dublin’s docklands.

The Clarence Hotel, which is owned by members of U2 and property magnate Paddy McKillen told the newspaper it is taking "robust legal action" against the website, which is reportedly run by a Malaga based company called Siemanat SL.

The company, which appears to be a shell entity associated only with the escort site, did not respond to emailed questions from The Irish Times on Sunday.

The Dylan Hotel told The Sunday Times it would be asking for its name to be removed, while the Clontarf Castle Hotel said its solicitors had written a cease and desist letter to the agency.

Despite this, all three hotels were still named on the Target Escorts site on Sunday.

Two of Dublin’s Michelin star restaurants - Chapter One and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud are suggested to users of the site who wish “to try out the exquisite cuisine in the city”.

However, clients of Target Escorts will be disappointed if they follow the company’s advice to dine in Thornton’s, which closed in 2016.

The website describes the “typical Irishman” as “a rather sharp, beer loving and thoroughly honest man - that much we can only confirm at our premium escrt agency in Dublin”. It boasts of the capital as the birthplace of “world-famous hedonist Oscar Wilde”.

“Although O. Wilde rather preferred to fish on the other side, he would have loved the graciousness of our companions of elite escort service Dublin,” according to the website.