Great National Hotels merges with British rival

Irish-headquartered hospitality group Great National Hotels and Resorts has merged with a British rival to create what it claims is one of the largest independent hotel chains in Europe.

Financial details of the deal with the Hotel Partnership, whose brands include Classic British Hotels, have not been disclosed. However, Great National co-founder and chief executive David Byrne said the combined entity would have 135 hotels and more than 8,150 bedrooms in total.

Following the merger, the Hotel Partnership will continue to run independently but the two organisations will look to achieve savings and create efficiencies by combining their technology, marketing and distribution services.

Independently owned

Founded in 2010, Great National represents 65 three-star and four-star hotels and resorts with a combined 4,500 rooms throughout Ireland and Britain. The group does not operate the hotels, which remain independently owned and managed but it handles reservations for the majority of its hotels through its Ennis call centre. It also provides other services including revenue management and marketing.

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The company's backers include Rachel Howes, a former managing director of online platform Booking. com, and founder of property management website HomeRez.com.

Great National has recently developed a room revenue management software solution called Revanista which it intends to introduce across the combined entity.

The Hotels Partnership, which was founded in 2001, has 71 mainly 4-star properties on its books. It plans to move into the five-star space following the tie-up with Great National.