Hotels 'running scared', says Campbell

DOWNTURN:GUIDEBOOK publisher Georgina Campbell says some high-end Irish hotels are "running scared" from the economic downturn by offering "ridiculously low" cut-price deals to customers.

The offers are “unsustainable and unrealistic”, says Campbell. “Customers are getting to see only the shell of a five-star hotel. All of the trappings of luxury are in place, yet they don’t get the quality of service or food. It’s an illusion.”

Campbell claims some hotels are getting rid of experienced staff and replacing them with less well-trained personnel.

The chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, John Power, says he does not believe hotels are compromising on service. “I would be very concerned if there was evidence of that.”

Power says it is a good time to be a customer in an Irish hotel, as prices have dropped by about 3 per cent compared with last year, and further reductions could be on the way.

“The reality is that every business is out there in the market making decisions in its own interests. People are entitled to whatever opinion they hold about that strategy, but the public is getting good value.”

Nobody is criticising department stores for introducing pre-Christmas sales, he says.

A spokesman for Fáilte Ireland says 2009 is going to be a difficult year for the hotel sector after six or seven years of growth. “If hotels are properly managed and resourced, and hold on to skilled staff, there is no reason why they cannot trade their way out of recession.”

The number of bargains on offer should encourage people to take breaks in Ireland, the spokesman added.