Royal and Presidential Visits Boost Popularity of Luxury Purveyors

Royal and Presidential Visits Boost Popularity of Luxury Purveyors
Today the The Merrion hotel in Dublin will be looking at a similar dividend from one high-profile guest and is expecting to boom back to profitability after it joined the stellar ranks of the Goring with a surprise stay by Barack Obama.

It transpired yesterday that Obama eschewed the expected presidential accommodation in Phoenix Park when he arrived in Ireland on Monday and chose to stay privately at this five-star hotel.

And as far as general manager Peter MacCann is concerned it doesn't matter that the ash cloud meant he had to curtail his stay and his staff didn't even get to turn down the covers.

"We felt a bit deflated when it became apparent he was not going to stay. Cynics might say that he didn't actually stay here, but the fact is the president and the first lady choose to stay here and that will send an important message to the American and to the British market," said MacCann.

Unbeknownst to any media in Dublin, the Obamas snuck into the hotel at around noon on Monday, had a light lunch and then departed to the US embassy. They returned later that night before heading to Stansted airport to beat a possible lock down of air space because of the Icelandic volcano.

"The last thing he said to me was 'make sure you tell people I was here'," said MacCann. Those are the words of a man who understands how gutted the hotel staff would have been, but also the value of a presidential association with their business.

"They were absolutely delightful, the most gracious pleasant people you could meet. They were relaxed and there was a calmness about them," he said.

The president arrived around midday and headed to the 204sq m penthouse suite at Mornington House, one of the four Georgian town houses knocked together to make this city centre hotel. "A light healthy lunch" was prepared under supervision from White House catering advisers who vetted everything served.

For MacCann it was a triumph - the stay was one of the best kept secrets in Ireland. The hotel is already on the map because its many high-profile guests including the head of the International Monetary Fund's Irish mission, Ajai Chopra, and its position opposite government buildings which mean photographers are never far away.

"They erected a canopy on the street outside the hotel so when he arrived by car, they could drive in and disembark under cover. That was being erected on Sunday and I was amazed no passers by worked out what was happening, I suppose they must have thought it was a wedding or something," said MacCann.

All 142 rooms were taken by the president and his entourage - all of Air Force One's passengers plus 40 more secret service personnel who followed the president to the UK the following day.

It all started the week after St Patrick's Day when the embassy called to discuss the possibility of the stay. Various layers of security arrived over the months and weeks to assess the hotel.

All the functions of the White House travel with the President with special communication facilities, catering supervisers, medical staff and even a replica of the Washington press room, erected in one of the suites in case Obama had to address the American people in the event of an emergency.

"They replicated it entirely, it was just like you see on TV with the podium and the backdrop. If you saw it you would not have known it was Dublin."

The local telephone company, Eircom, was hired to install high speed ISDN lines in advance and dozens of extra telephone lines were installed.

"Different layers of security visited and as it got closer the more senior these were," explained MacCann who had to keep the identity of his guest secret from all but six or seven of his staff.

"It was incredibly exciting and historic and there was a huge buzz here," he added. Although staff were barred from photographing him, Obama insisted on getting a picture taken with them and practised the few words of Irish he needed for his speech later that day on the receptionist.

The hotel's part-owner, Martin Naughton, one of Ireland's most successful businessmen, will know the value of the visit to his bottom line.

"We've had four bad years in a row and all things being equal we're hoping to be back in profit this year," said MacCann.

Two years ago the hotel, the choice of foreign celebrities and dignataries for so many years, dived into the red with a loss of €500,000. It would have commanded rates of between €350 and €400 at its peak but now you can book a room for as little as €199 on occasion.

"We cut our cloth to suit the times," said MacCann and last year the loss was brought back to €20,000.

"We effectively broke even last year and all things being equal this year we will be looking at a profit."

All things being equal?

Source:
The five-star boost Obama gave one Irish business by Lisa O'Carroll, guardian.co.uk