Marriott International has been chosen from five international hotel groups to manage a new five-star golf resort hotel, under construction at Druids Glen, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. The group, which already operates in 60 countries, has agreed a 20year management contract for the hotel which will open in March, 2002.
Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott, said: "Druids Glen is one of the premier golf destinations in Europe and we are confident that the hotel will appeal to travellers to and within Ireland."
Denis Kane, chief executive of Druids Glen, said the decision to build the hotel was prompted by the fact that many golfers visiting the course are from overseas and would prefer to stay at a resort hotel.
The construction of the hotel is part of the overall plan to turn Druids Glen into a full-service golf resort with homes, hotel, conference facilities, spa, clubhouse and courses, along with practice and teaching areas, on the 400-acre site. Twenty-eight homes are being built on the site, most of which have already been sold.
Work has already begun on a second 18-hole course, designed by Pat Reddy and due to open in 2003. This will be of the same championship standard as the present course, as it will take advantage of mountain and sea views.
Druids Glen opened in the autumn of 1995 and has since hosted the Murphy's Irish Open four times, from 1996 to 1999. It has been described as the Augusta National of Irish Golf. The course is a strong contender to host the biennial Seve Trophy, when Ireland and the UK meet the rest of Europe. If the tender is successful it will be the first major tournament to have full use of the hotel, and will take place in April next year.
The £42 million (€53m) investment in the hotel is being funded by the consortium of seven Irish businessmen who own Druids Glen. Marriott will not have equity in the project, but will be involved in the specifications and fitting out of the hotel. Room rates at the five-star property have yet to be confirmed but will not be less than £150 (€190) per night - a figure described by Denis Kane as "competitive within the market".
The Marriott International brand is recognised worldwide, and with 14 million members in the Marriott Awards loyalty scheme, a massive potential customer base is already in place for Druids Glen.
The hotel will be designed as a series of pavilions and courtyards on varying levels. This approach will lessen the impact upon the environment, and thereby integrate better with the courses and surrounding countryside.
Access to the hotel and homes at Druids Glen will be improved by the slip road being built by Wicklow County Council from the N11 as part of the county's infrastructure development.
