Dublin hotels are “not a rip off”, a hotelier in the capital has insisted. 

Yesterday, Paul Kelly, Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland, told TDs that the organisation would be writing to hotels to warn them against engaging in so-called “price-spiking” - when prices soar around the time of a major event. 

The Irish hotel industry was repeatedly accused this summer of “price-gouging” and even Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said there was “real regret” in Government about the way the sector had behaved. 

Mr Kelly said that if Ireland’s reputation as a great place to holiday is damaged then “it will take many years to recover.”

Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, Micheal Lennon, General Manager of the Westport Woods Hotel, disputed that hotels in the capital are poor value for money. 

“I’m a Dublin hotelier and I would take issue that we’re a rip off,” he told The Hard Shoulder. 

“I’m in Drumcondra and I’ve been there for 20 years and we don’t rip off people. 

“My average room rate in Dublin has only been raised by 15, 20% since 2019 and I tell you my costs are a lot, lot higher than that.” 

Mr Lennon admitted that some hotels had behaved badly at certain points this year but added, “The spikes are not representative of what the normal hotel in Dublin and around the country is doing.” 

He continued that average price rises in Dublin have been lower than in other European capitals. 

“Dublin prices are up about 18% but if you look at other places, Athens, Paris - they’ve all increased 30% [on average] since 2019,” he said. 

“To be fair, we’re very similar to London and Lisbon.”

Main image: A hotel room.