Cliste Hospitality is Launched Today by Paul Fitzgerald and Sean O’Driscoll
Main Photo: The five-star Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, one of the hotels in the newly formed Cliste Hospitality company
Date: June 2021
Location: Ireland, with offices in Cork & Dublin
Name: Cliste Hospitality, born out of iNua Partnership
No. of Keys: 995, across nine hotels
Who They: Ireland’s newest hospitality management and consultancy company, founded by Paul Fitzgerald and Sean O’Driscoll, was formally launched today.
The Irish-owned and operated company will provide a holistic level of services across hospitality from its offices in Dublin and Cork, going beyond direct hotel management, helping to navigate the business recovery cycle that lies ahead for Irish hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars and tourist destinations.
Speaking today, CEO and co-owner Paul Fitzgerald said “Cliste Hospitality has been a couple of years in the making and is the culmination of much hard work between co-owner, Sean O’Driscoll, myself and the broader Cliste senior team. We were determined to build on the success and track record of iNua Partnership as an hospitality asset manager, but to pivot the business post our MBO of iNua Partnership to a talent-rich hospitality management company.”
The roots of Cliste Hospitality go back to 2012 and to iNua Partnership — an investment company and asset manager that was created to identify investment opportunities coming out of the global financial crisis — which was purchased in an MBO by Paul Fitzgerald and Sean O’Driscoll, two of its senior executives, in December 2019.
“We believe our timing is right now,” continued Paul Fitzgerald, CEO of Cliste Hospitality. “We recognise the challenges that the pandemic will bring to hospitality in the recovery phase that lies ahead, but we have the right systems and structure and, most importantly, the last 18 months have been about securing the right talent to deliver on our aim to be Ireland’s leading hotel management operator. Today we have that team in place, one we believe is second to none, and we are well prepared and very much looking forward to playing our part in the speedy recovery of Irish hospitality and tourism.”
The talent at Cliste Hospitality is made up of some the best-known names in the industry. All are hospitality specialists, with impressive track records in driving both room and non-room revenue and profitability. Now, as Cliste Hospitality, the assembled team of 30 plans to quickly grow their remit significantly beyond the scope of the 4 and 5-star hotels currently in the portfolio. Already successfully managing and operating nine hotels in all four provinces under the iNua Collection brand, Cliste can now offer a full suite of consultancy and management services, including management services of hotels and hospitality businesses, project management services and bespoke consultancy.
“Sean and I are very proud today to formally launch Cliste Hospitality,” said CEO Paul Fitzgerald. “Our team has put a lot of work over the last year and a half into preparing for this moment, creating a solid platform that can seamlessly step into any quality hospitality offering, whether that’s a city or destination hotel, a resort, a restaurant or bar group or a tourist destination, to identify and maximise any asset’s business potential. Our team’s track record shows that our guidance, expertise and systems can transform a good operation into a great one, with the right return on investment for owners.”
The firm owns properties including the Muckross Park hotel in Killarney, the Hibernian in Kilkenny, and Radisson Blu hotels in Sligo, Cork, Athlone and Limerick.
It also owns the Tullamore Court in Offaly and the Hillgrove in Monaghan.
THPT Comment: These two very accomplished hoteliers form the Cliste company, and have assembled a formidable team to offer hotel-owners in Ireland a refreshing new management service….we wish them good luck as we come out of the worst two years of the century.
First Seen: Cliste press release
The Hotel Property Team (THPT) is a small group of highly experienced business professionals. Between us, we provide a range of skills and experience which is directly relevant to those involved in the hotel property market.
For more information – Visit www.thpt.co.uk or email [email protected].