Park Hotel sold by Brennan brothers to California-based Irish businessman Bryan Meehan

The Park Hotel in Kenmare, Co Kerry, has been sold by hoteliers Francis and John Brennan and investor Fergal Naughton to Irish businessman Bryan Meehan, who is based in California.

The 46-bedroom luxury hotel was put on the market in May of this year along with its sister property in Kenmare, The Lansdowne, with a combined price tag of €20.5 million. Negotiations on the sale of The Lansdowne to another buyer are at an advanced stage.

Meehan, who is originally from Dublin, is the former chief executive and chair of Blue Bottle Coffee, the California-based ethical coffee company, a majority stake in which was sold to Nestlé in 2017 for more than €400 million. He also cofounded the Nude Skincare brand with Ali Hewson, wife of U2 musician Bono. The company was subsequently acquired by LVMH in 2007. Meehan also opened seven Fresh & Wild organic food markets in London before selling the company to Whole Foods Market in 2004.

[ Who is the new owner of the Park Hotel in Kenmare, and what are his plans for it? ]

In 2022, Meehan acquired Dromgarriff Rainforest, a 96-acre estate with five luxury houses available to rent, on the edge of the Glengarriff Nature Reserve. In his LinkedIn profile, Meehan is described as being the full-time “steward” of Dromgarriff, an ancient Irish oak wood forest.

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The Brennan brothers have been associated with the Park, which dates from 1897, for almost 40 years. Francis Brennan bought the property out of liquidation in 1986, having leased it for the previous two years, and John Brennan is currently the managing director. In 2018, Fergal Naughton, executive chairman of the Glen Dimplex Group, became an investor, acquiring a 30 per cent stake.

In 2021, the five-star hotel was relaunched after an extensive €1 million redesign and refurbishment of the ground floor public areas, a project overseen by Kenmare-born internationally acclaimed designer Bryan O’Sullivan, who is known for his work on the Berkeley and Claridge’s hotels in London.

The hotel’s staff members are to remain in place, and Bryan Meehan and his wife Tara, who have three daughters, are expected to have an active interest in the running of the business.

“We are honoured that John and Francis are trusting us to take care of the team and guests at Park Hotel Kenmare,” Meehan said.

[ Selling the Park Hotel Kenmare: ‘It was always for sale, if somebody wrote a cheque’ ]

“We are blessed that the team are so happy to stay and continue the tradition of comfort, hospitality and fun which are the hallmarks of the hotel.

“We are looking forward to building on the team`s great work, particularly in the area of sustainability and attracting more people from around the world to holiday in this magical part of Ireland.”

Meehan described the staff at the Park as the “most incredible group of people I have come across in hospitality” and said that he and his wife Tara had a long term vision for the hotel. “This is a keeper,” he said.

Speaking about the new owner, John Brennan said he was excited by Meehan’s vision for the Park.

“We are thrilled that the tradition of a warm Irish welcome will continue with Bryan and Tara,” the Brennan brothers said.

More to come: Who is the new owner of the Park Hotel in Kenmare and what are his plans for it?