Jurys Doyle hotel group profits slip slightly

Ireland's largest hotel operator Jurys Doyle said today its annual pre-tax profit fell 0

Ireland's largest hotel operator Jurys Doyle said today its annual pre-tax profit fell 0.8 per cent but said it was "broadly positive" about this year.

Jurys, which owns the Westbury, the Berkley Court and the Burlington as well as its own Jurys Inns, said pre-tax profit for 2004 year was €45.471, including proceeds from hotel disposals.

It recommended a dividend of 24.9 cents per share, up 5 per cent on the year-ago period.

The Irish hotel industry has suffered a slowdown from the boom days of the late 1990s as the weak dollar keeps US tourists at home.