Empty hotels in Galway

Dr McManus

I would like to start a thread on the empty hotels in Galway.
They seem to be on the increase with the Clayton Hotel having just gone into receivership.
The Waterfront, Burren Mount, and Sacre Coeure, are more I can think of that are no longer in use.

baldshin

What's the purpose of the thread though? ie For ideas on other uses or something?
Corrib Great Southern has been empty for some time too.

Dr McManus

Yes, my suggestion is that these hotels could be put to better use rather than lying empty.
Maybe they could be turned into homeless hostels, or council housing?

baldbear

The Great Southern is an eyesore alright. Is it not going to be used for refugees?

Jaysus I remember years ago playing around the Sacre Coure, mighty craic around WC 1990! They were the days. And going up to the slot machines in Salthill trying to rattle a few pennys out of the machines.:)

Dr McManus

baldshin wrote: »

What's the purpose of the thread though? ie For ideas on other uses or something?
Corrib Great Southern has been empty for some time too.

The Corrib Great Southern would make ideal student accommodation for GMIT.

baldshin

It would be perfect for gmit alright. Wonder who owns it now? Surely wouldn't cost a huge amount to make the necessary changes, things like kitchens, common rooms etc. And they could charge a fortune in rent.

Gerry Barrett owns the Corrib Great Southern. There were rumours last year/a year ago that GMIT were going to purchase the hotel and run it as a teaching hotel i.e. the students would run it and the guests would get reduced rates for staying there. This would then mean that students wouldn't have to look outside the country to do their placement. Unfortunately I don't think the plan went anywhere.

Traochta

http://www.galwaynews.ie/15824-former-galway-hotel-may-be-used-house-students

chuckliddell

The Clayton Hotel is far from empty, its possibly one of the busiest hotels in the city, the reason it went into receivership is because of the owners other company going bust and owing millions. you would be a mad man to close it down

CliffHuxtabel

Dr McManus wrote: »

I would like to start a thread on the empty hotels in Galway.
They seem to be on the increase with the Clayton Hotel having just gone into receivership.
The Waterfront, Burren Mount, and Sacre Coeure, are more I can think of that are no longer in use.

This has the makings of a good coffee table book

Seriously though nothing more Ghost Town-like than those abandoned hotels

soundbyte

The Warwick.

Also, do former hotels count? Lisbrook House off the Headford Road (Ibis) and The Eglinton in Salthill, both used to house asylum seekers.

Hotels, by their very nature, are just not suited to anything other than short-term stays. No facilities for cooking, washing etc.

The Waterfront is an exception in this case, as it was built as an apart-hotel.

dolphin city

how could you turn a hotel into council housing - you would have to knock it to the ground and rebuild and the council is broke - they have no more money for council housing. That Idea would not work at all.

kippy

chuckliddell wrote: »

The Clayton Hotel is far from empty, its possibly one of the busiest hotels in the city, the reason it went into receivership is because of the owners other company going bust and owing millions. you would be a mad man to close it down

Jaysus, I would hardly say it is one of the busiest in the city..........one half of the hotel is closed almost all year round.


I could never fathom why the Clayton was built in the first place. I mean its so awkward to get into town from it, has nothing like a country estate feel (which is usually the only reason one would stay in a premises that far from the city centre)

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Can anyone tell me wtf is the story with Bailey Point? Nice new, modern building just sitting on the sea-side. I thought it was supposed to be a cinema/hotel/apartments? Now I have stopped noticing it, even with its huge size. It just seems like the biggest waste of money in Galway.

Oh Baileys Point was cursed from the very beginning. If I remember correctly it took something like 5 years to finish building it, with the contractors going bust or something?

Xiney

kippy wrote: »

Jaysus, I would hardly say it is one of the busiest in the city..........one half of the hotel is closed almost all year round.


I could never fathom why the Clayton was built in the first place. I mean its so awkward to get into town from it, has nothing like a country estate feel (which is usually the only reason one would stay in a premises that far from the city centre)

It's near the racecourse and the motorway.

Galwayps

I would love to see the Clybaun being partially taken over for a community centre type iniative. The Hotel hotal has gone into receivership/liquidation a number of times now so I am not so sure it will ever be viable.

kippy

Xiney wrote: »

It's near the racecourse and the motorway.

The racecourse is a one week a year event.
I dont get the relevance of being near the start/end of a motorway for hotel business when there are as keenly priced hotels in the city centre with easier access to amenaties.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh Baileys Point was cursed from the very beginning. If I remember correctly it took something like 5 years to finish building it, with the contractors going bust or something?

Yes, but its finished now, surely it wouldn't cost that much more to get it up and running. And I'd say it would be very profitable too.

dolphin city

THFC wrote: »

Can anyone tell me wtf is the story with Bailey Point? Nice new, modern building just sitting on the sea-side. I thought it was supposed to be a cinema/hotel/apartments? Now I have stopped noticing it, even with its huge size. It just seems like the biggest waste of money in Galway.

i think thats an eyesore of a building. there was supposed to be all those things in it, but it all fell apart. I'ts horrible. should never have gotten planning permission.

Dali art

kippy wrote: »

The racecourse is a one week a year event.
I dont get the relevance of being near the start/end of a motorway for hotel business when there are as keenly priced hotels in the city centre with easier access to amenaties.

You go all around the world and you'll see hotels built next to motorways. So i don't think they are all wrong. They are hoping to pick up on the business traveller. I've often stayed in hotels next to motorways for sheer convenience

Xiney

kippy wrote: »

The racecourse is a one week a year event.
I dont get the relevance of being near the start/end of a motorway for hotel business when there are as keenly priced hotels in the city centre with easier access to amenaties.

depending on what someone is in town for, the clayton may be a good choice.

for example, if it's professional travel, most of Galway's industries are located in the east side of the city.

kippy

Xiney wrote: »

depending on what someone is in town for, the clayton may be a good choice.

for example, if it's professional travel, most of Galway's industries are located in the east side of the city.

That's a fair point, as is part of the point about the motorway (and the airport when you think of it like that).

However I go past the hotel daily. One section of the hotel is entirely closed most of the year. The hotel isn't exactly "hopping" most of the week either.

It would be interesting to see the books for the hotel business (I know someone mentioned the issue were with the holding company loosing money and not the hotel itself, however I would be very skeptical about this)

kraggy

Dr McManus wrote: »

I would like to start a thread on the empty hotels in Galway.
They seem to be on the increase with the Clayton Hotel having just gone into receivership.
The Waterfront, Burren Mount, and Sacre Coeure, are more I can think of that are no longer in use.

Be careful with what you say about a business. The way you posted, you implied that the Clayton is closed for business.

It's not. And there are many people working there whose futures are in the balance.

Saying the place is closed may detract business from it.

Mrs OBumble

Xiney wrote: »

depending on what someone is in town for, the clayton may be a good choice.

for example, if it's professional travel, most of Galway's industries are located in the east side of the city.

+1

I was busy recommending it to someone for just that purpose yesterday. AFAIK, it's the only realistic choice for business travellers coming to any of the five industrial estates off Parkmore Rd (which the council have recently officially names, or at least given official street signs to).

soundbyte

THFC wrote: »

Can anyone tell me wtf is the story with Bailey Point? Nice new, modern building just sitting on the sea-side. I thought it was supposed to be a cinema/hotel/apartments? Now I have stopped noticing it, even with its huge size. It just seems like the biggest waste of money in Galway.

The original developer Brian Cunningham is still involved in High and Supreme Court actions against Bernard Duffy as the buyer, KPMG as receivers and First Active as the bank who appointed the receiver.

80% of the apartments are sold, the rest held by Bernard Duffy.

The commercial units cannot be finished out because of the legal actions, although Duffy said about a month or two ago in the City Tribune that there was still interest in running the cinema and pub/restaurant.

Pat Concannon (Mayo Movie World) was interested in the cinema and John Grealish(Cuba) in the bar.

There's a few months work involved in finishing the units out, but how long before they can do that is anyone's guess because of the cases.

inisboffin

Galwayps wrote: »

I would love to see the Clybaun being partially taken over for a community centre type iniative. The Hotel hotal has gone into receivership/liquidation a number of times now so I am not so sure it will ever be viable.

I thought they are doing relatively well? There are lots of conferences, weddings etc held there, with the guests staying too. The bar is busy, and people who use the Gym use the bar facilities too. Maybe busy doesn't mean it's not in trouble, but a lot of people recommend it for guests.

dolphin city

having eaten in the Clybaun on two separate occasions I can understand why they are in trouble. the first time we thought they were just having a bad day. However the second time my OH ordered steak - he was given two massive steaks that would take a week to get through. When he questioned it he was told he may as well have them as nobody else was coming through the doors - and it was either serve them or dump them. After tasting them, we came to the conclusion that they should have been dumped. The bar always seems very cold and impersonal. Its okay for budget accommodatin but wouldn't be recommending it to anyone as a nice place to stay, unless they have drastically changed and overhauled the place recently.

tribesman78

It was on the local news a couple of months ago that Gerry Barret was giving the corrib hotel to the fire brigade for training purposes while it is lying idle.

dolphin city

is that not just a way of burning the place down, without being held accountable??

inisboffin

dolphin city wrote: »

having eaten in the Clybaun on two separate occasions I can understand why they are in trouble. the first time we thought they were just having a bad day. However the second time my OH ordered steak - he was given two massive steaks that would take a week to get through. When he questioned it he was told he may as well have them as nobody else was coming through the doors - and it was either serve them or dump them. After tasting them, we came to the conclusion that they should have been dumped. The bar always seems very cold and impersonal. Its okay for budget accommodatin but wouldn't be recommending it to anyone as a nice place to stay, unless they have drastically changed and overhauled the place recently.

Not sure when the last time is that you were in? I know they did do the bar up a while ago - not sure how long though? It wouldn't be my favourite dining experience, I have had mixed ones there, but some have been fine.
The bar was grand imo, so it may have been done up since you were last there? Hotel-bar ish, but no different to the ones in town. It has been busy the last three times I was there, with I'd say 2/3 eating and 1/3 just drinking. I find it slightly more upscale than budget, but at budget prices - their gym is lovely, with outdoor tub as well.