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Dalata named company of the year at ‘Irish Times’ business awards

The Republic’s largest hotel group has more than 9,000 rooms across its portfolio

Seamus Hand, KPMG managing partner, presents the Company of the Year award to Dermot Crowley and Stephen McNally, deputy CEOs at Dalata, at The Irish Times Business Awards on Wednesday. Photograph: Kieran Harnett

Wed May 8 2019 - 19:51

Dublin-listed Dalata has been named company of the year at The Irish Times Business Awards 2019 at a ceremony in the Mansion House on Wednesday.

Founded in 2007 and headed by Pat McCann, the Republic’s largest hotel group has put itself in a strong position to benefit from the State’s economic recovery and pick up assets that set it up for growth.

That strategy seems to be working with the company outperforming the Dublin market and building up a presence in Britain. It recently announced a 13 per cent rise in pretax profits to €87.3 million for 2018, added to revenue growth of 11.8 per cent to €393.7 million.

To top that all off, it started paying a dividend to shareholders for the first time last year and this year said about 25 per cent of its profit after tax will go on dividend payments.

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The owner of the Clayton and Maldron hotel brands currently has more than 9,000 rooms across its portfolio in Ireland and Britain, and a pipeline of more than 2,190 rooms which it plans to deliver between now and 2021.

Dalata last week signalled plans to expand into mainland Europe within five years although Mr McCann insisted at the group’s annual general meeting that “it was in no rush” to expand beyond its core markets.

The other nominees for company of the year at the awards were Stripe, Glanbia and Amarin.

Other awards being distributed at the awards ceremony on Wednesday include business person of the year, chief financial officer of the year, deal of the year and distinguished leader in business for 2019.

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