DIRECTORS of The Maritime Hotel in Bantry have confirmed the November 1 appointment of Cliste Hospitality to manage the hotel.

BY JACKIE KEOGH AND MARTIN STEINMETZ

Cliste Hospitality operates 12 hotels including Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney, The Tullamore Court Hotel and the Radisson Blu Hotels in Little Island Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Athlone.

Cliste Hospitality is led by hotelier Sean O’Driscoll and has its headquarters in Cork. It will work in collaboration with the existing team at the Maritime, led by general manager Scott Hornibrook.

Elsewhere, the Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff has been sold for close to its €4m guide price, marking a new chapter for one of Ireland’s oldest hotels.

The 59-bedroom property was put on the market by CBRE Hotels in July 2024 on behalf of hoteliers Ray Byrne and Eoin Doyle.

The new owner is US hospitality investor Brian Patrick Martin. The Eccles Hotel is his first venture in Ireland.

Meanwhile the sale of the four-star, 16-bedroom Beara Coast Hotel in Castletownbere for a reported €1m is being described as a welcome boost.

The hotel closed six years ago and its sale was confirmed by SherryFitzgerald Country Homes, who told The Southern Star that they believe the buyer will operate it as a hotel.

Cllr Caroline Cronin (FG) said: “It’s great news for the whole of Beara. There has been no hotel in Castletownbere for a long time, so this is a very positive start.”

The Maritime directors thanked the Gleneagle Hotel Group, which managed the hotel for the last 20 years for their contribution to the hotel.

Sean O’Driscoll, CEO of Cliste Hospitality said: “We are delighted to be working with the team at The Maritime. The hotel is fortunate to have a very experienced and long-serving team. It is the warmth, friendliness and great service that guests staying at The Maritime love,” he added.

Sean also noted that the Maritime continues to play a strong role in the community in Bantry and in supporting tourism initiatives throughout West Cork.

General manager, Scott Hornibrook said the team is excited about joining Cliste Hospitality because “they are passionate about hospitality and share our values of delivering a great guest experience.”

Scott said that it will be business as usual in The Maritime with one team supporting the other in the lead-up to a busy Christmas season that will include Phil Coulter in concert on December 18, the annual Bantry Hospice Gala Night on December 19, and Chasing Abbey in concert on December 29.