Dalata Hotel Group has signalled its aspirations to build its European hotel presence further, with a refresh of its hotel brands, Maldron and Clayton, along with an update of its core Dalata brand.
A GBP3m investment will include new, refreshed signage as well as a clarification of messaging around the group’s accommodation offer. It also marks the group’s next phase of development, which has already seen the hotel operator grow consistently from its launch in 2007 in Ireland.
Reflecting the growth story
Along the way, Dalata has continued to grow, developing its own portfolio of hotels as well as leasing key properties from institutional landlords. The business listed on the Dublin stock market in 2014, giving it further impetus to grow. Today, it is Ireland’s largest hotel operator, has built a strong presence in the UK market, and is expanding across mainland Europe with hotels in key gateway cities.
As of May 2024, Dalata has no less than 53 three and four star hotels, totalling 11,412 rooms, across Ireland, the UK, Netherlands and Germany. Out of those properties, it owns 32 hotels, holds a further 18 under property leases, and operates three more under management contracts.
The rest of 2024 will see Dalata add four new hotels to its UK presence. In Manchester, it will open a new Maldron hotel in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, launching a four star property with over 180 rooms. Around the same time, a new Maldron hotel will also open in Liverpool, where a 260 room hotel being developed jointly by Elliot Group and Valorem will open adjacent to the Liverpool One shopping and leisure destination.
In London, the Maldron Shoreditch, in the east of the UK capital, will open adding 157 rooms to the group’s capacity in the city. Dalata acquired the site for this development itself, starting construction work in 2021. And the fourth opening for the group will be in Brighton, where a new Maldron is being developed on a key site just off the seafront, allowing guests an easy walk to all the attractions of the destination, being close to the conference centre, to Brighton pier and the railway station.
Pipeline plans for 2026
Looking further ahead, there are plans to develop a new Maldron hotel in Croke Park, Dublin, adjacent to the city’s famous stadium. With around 200 bedrooms, the hotel will also feature a business centre, bar and restaurant. Dalata has signed a 35 year lease for the hotel, which has already received planning approval and should open in 2026. The same year, the group is expecting to launch a hotel in Edinburgh. It bought a site in the city in autumn 2023, for GBP12.5m, which came with an existing planning approval for a hotel development. Subject to agreeing minor changes to the plans, construction of the 167 room hotel should start in the coming months.
Dalata is also looking to add rooms to some of its already busy hotels. At Manchester airport, the group plans to expand its Clayton hotel, adding a further 216 bedrooms to the property. And the Clayton in Cardiff Lane, Dublin is also expected to grow, with the city’s planners approving a 117 bedroom extension to meet growing demand for accommodation in the Irish capital.
