Revamped Shelbourne starts looking for staff

One of Dublin's most famous hotels yesterday started looking for new staff in advance of its reopening early next year.

The Shelbourne Hotel, which was founded in 1824 and played host in 1922 to the drafting of the Irish Free State Constitution, was closed in March 2005 for a €40 million-plus renovation.

It is expected to reopen in early February 2007, four months behind schedule, with a five-star rating. It will operate under the Marriott brand as a Renaissance Hotel.

Up to 300 people arrived at the company's Merrion Square offices to be interviewed for positions yesterday.

The company hopes to fill 290 jobs in all areas including culinary, housekeeping, house porter work, concierge, reception, finance, banqueting, marketing and security.

A spokesman said that the 227 former employees of the hotel, who were made redundant when it closed last year, will be interviewed should they apply for work.

"They will be treated the same as everyone else if they apply," he said.

The new Shelbourne will have 265 bedrooms, a restaurant and two bars, the Horseshoe and No 27.

It will also contain the Lords Mayor's Lounge, 11 conference rooms and a ballroom. There will be 19 suites, 11 of which will be named after famous guests associated with the hotel's past.

The lift in the entrance hall has been removed and the original staircase restored. The gym is also being transformed into a health spa and the hotel will contain a business centre and executive lounge.

The trademark window boxes will be kept, as will the long curtains and thick carpets, along with some of the furniture and antiques collected over the past 180 years.

Marriott International has its headquarters in Washington, DC. At the end of 2004 it had 133,000 employees worldwide and reported sales of $10 billion (€7.86 billion).