An Innovative Hotelier

riemann · 03-11-2019 10:50pm #1

Can I introduce you to Adrian Shanagher.

Bio from the website of http://firebreak.ie/

Adrian holds a BSc (Management) from Trinity College Dublin. Adrian cut his teeth in Ernst and Young, Dublin, where he spent eight years, becoming a fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants in the process. He then spent two years at Dolmen Corporate Finance and Ion Equity, before taking up the position of Managing Director at Capital Bars, where he spent 9 years. In 2010, Adrian left to pursue his vision for Firebreak, which he continues to lead and build.

It seems Adrian has developed a habit of buying distressed assets (hotels) and turning them around. An admirable habit, although you would have to wonder if he is disclosing his intentions from the outset.

For instance, he purchased The Grand Hotel Wicklow in September 2017

Speaking to WicklowNews.Net, Shanagher said, “The Grand Hotel has been a feature of Wicklow town for well over a century. We are delighted to be at the helm for the next chapter of its life. We intend to revitalise and improve the Hotel in a number of respects over the coming months. We hope to reposition the Hotel as an important amenity and asset of the local community.”

Then in Nov 2018 (14 months later), the hotel closed its doors to the public and essentially became a direct provision centre. Not the next chapter in its life the locals had expected.

The Grand Hotel is no longer open to walk-in business after shutting its bar, residents bar, function room and nightclub last week.

Adrian Shanagher of Firebreak Hospitality, the company which owns the Grand Hotel, said it just wasn't any longer feasible to keep the facilities open when they were receiving such little business.

'From the outset, it was always my intention to leave the bar, residents bar, nightclub and function room open to the public but all our business was cancelled. Wicklow County Council cancelled their Christmas party and we had other cancellations as well. No one was coming in so there was no choice but to shut the facilities to walk-in business,' said Mr Shanagher. 'There was practically no one in the bar during the month of November and we ended up having to close during the daytime. There was no benefit in having the bar open on a Monday night when no one was coming in'.

Staff levels will drop from 45 down to 20, though some members of staff had already left upon the announcement that the hotel would become a direct provision centre for asylum seekers.
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We can see a similar strategy being implemented by numerous individuals all over the country.

I think an article like this one from the Irish Times dated 2014 would make for an interesting read today.

There seems to be quite a little cottage industry being developed around the asylum process.

NIMAN · 03-11-2019 10:52pm

Nice post Adrian.

[Deleted User] · 03-11-2019 10:53pm

how would you stop him, or any hotel owner, from doing this?

mariaalice · 03-11-2019 11:00pm

When there was a finite amount of taxi licenses, investors purchased taxi licensees as an investment.

If there is money to be made from something someone will figure out a way of making money from it.

Very odd post by the way.

Overheal · 04-11-2019 12:02am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

how would you stop him, or any hotel owner, from doing this?

Doing what?

It’s one thing to imply a conspiracy but it requires evidence. All I can see sans that is a lad who made a poorly forecast investment in a failing hotel.

Quantum Erasure · 04-11-2019 12:07am

riemann wrote: »

There seems to be quite a little cottage industry being developed around the asylum process.

careful now,

mvl · 04-11-2019 12:12am

TBH, I would call this thread "Innovative <insert_noun_here>", to expand it to everything else that might be happening across Europe with this ... refugee business.

So other Irish entrepreneurs might want to look at Netherlands refugee startup ecosystem.: "Calling all refugees interested in computer programming! Hack Your Future is the coding school to learn programming" ...

Or the Italian refugees bootcamp from Bergamo - also called The academy for integration. Quote from the article linked, it is for refugees that "had their initial claims for humanitarian protection denied, and although they're waiting to appeal that decision, most realise that they won't qualify as refugees. But in Italy, as in many parts of Europe, there's a "criterium of social integration" – in other words, you're more likely to get residency if you show you can fit in."
- have to give credit to the Italians, they seem to try to get fake refugees to volunteer for community service while waiting for their appeals.

punisher5112 · 04-11-2019 12:12am

Overheal wrote: »

Doing what?

It’s one thing to imply a conspiracy but it requires evidence. All I can see sans that is a lad who made a poorly forecast investment in a failing hotel.

Don't be fooled it was in no way a poor investment.

These business people know well what they are at.

Big money in direct provision and less overheads such as staff and having to stock bars etc....

The bar was actually a very busy spot and they're was even great foot fall at weekends and for food.

Yes of course it would have it's quiet times but that's part of the game.

He has a guaranteed income coming in from the tax payer and laughing all the way to the bank.

Overheal · 04-11-2019 12:13am

mariaalice wrote: »

When there was a finite amount of taxi licenses, investors purchased taxi licensees as an investment.

If there is money to be made from something someone will figure out a way of making money from it.

Very odd post by the way.

Washington State has people on Wall Street buying up all the water rights they can. Definitely a thing.

Beasty · 04-11-2019 12:17am

We have 2 threads already on asylum seekers and direct provision centres. Let's keep the discussions there rather than kicking off what everyone knows will be yet another controversial thread covering the same sort of issues

An Innovative Hotelier

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