Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

Monday 25 November 2013

IN 1965, just around the time the Aghadoe Heights Hotel was being built overlooking the Lakes of Killarney, American novelist Arthur Hailey wrote the best selling blockbuster Hotel.
It was all about a mythical independent New Orleans hotel, the St Gregory, and its management's struggle to regain profitability and avoid being taken over by the equally mythical O'Keeffe chain. Hotel was subsequently turned into a TV series and it chronicled weekly the stresses of meeting the mortgage, the exotic and difficult guests and the dramas, trials and tribulations of the staff.

I guess Hailey would have had a field day – and plenty to write about – if he'd been around in the past few years in the Irish hotel industry.

Aghadoe Heights went on to become a five-star establishment in the hospitality world; one of Ireland's most popular destination hotels, which sees guests returning time and time again to be totally pampered.

There is no doubt but that while it is a luxuriously chic and contemporary venue in a wonderful location, like any good novel, it is the people who make Aghadoe what it is today.

Glamorous Limerick woman Marie Chawke is general manager of Aghadoe. She and her husband Pat, a Wexford man, came to Aghadoe as joint general managers shortly after they married in 2000. They quickly imprinted their indelible stamp of top-class hospitality and service in every area of the hotel.

Since then, they have been providing a high-end Irish experience to visitors from all over the world.

"The magic of Aghadoe is in its characters, ordinary mums and dads, sons and daughters, who become 'service superheroes'," Marie says. "The Aghadoe story is really one of collaboration by a group of staff with a combined service of over 500 years.

Nora O'Mahony joined the accounts department in 1966, shortly before England beat West Germany in the World Cup final, whilst Breda Lucey, whom guests know as the 'Breakfast Superhero', has been here for over 35 years."

"The real heroes of the hotel are the heads of department and frontline staff," adds Pat. He left in 2008 to set up a hotel management company but still retains his interest in Aghadoe by providing management services to the hotel's owners and, of course, through his wife, Marie.

"Marie is the emotional capital of the hotel,"says Pat. "She is always looking for ways to connect with the guest and tip their experience from good to great."

They both emphasise that they are blessed because so many of their employees have a real in-depth knowledge of the Aghadoe culture and a commitment to deliver on their promise to their customers: "Like any family, we support and challenge each other in equal measure."

However, like everything else in Ireland recently, it has not all been plain sailing. The last five years have been challenging for the hotel sector and Marie says the shrill winds of recession have been felt in Aghadoe.

"The years 2008 to 2009 were particularly difficult. Our business just fell off a cliff, but we were carrying levels of cost from a boom-time economy. All around us, businesses were closing and every day there was a tsunami of bad news," says Marie.

"If we hadn't acted decisively and collectively, the business may not have survived. We got together as a group, reviewed our situation and the general economic forecasts and put together a survival plan.

"Our shareholders made a significant commitment and every member of the team agreed to substantially altered terms and conditions.

"Our suppliers too helped us to cut our costs where possible. These actions, coupled with an incredible team effort stabilised the business. Our goal was not the oft-repeated mantra of 'do more for less' but to be 'better than before'."

Marie says that whilst their international markets have recovered well this year, helped by 'The Gathering', the domestic economy is still in a difficult place which has an impact on their Irish customers.

"The retention of the 9 per cent VAT rate was critical to hotels outside of Dublin and hopefully more positive economic indicators will raise confidence and generate growth in domestic leisure, which would lead to a real recovery in 2014."

Over the years I have met many of the great team at Aghadoe. Jason Higgins is a man with great presence and charm and has been operations manager for 12 years, whilst the ever-helpful David O'Brien is the senior assistant manager. Tina Cronin and Mickey Cronin have been bar supervisors for a dozen years whilst Kevin O'Shea and Brendan Harnett have been head concierge and concierge for 21 and 12 years respectively. Mary O'Connor has been accommodation manager for another dozen years, while Rita Bonn has been senior spa therapist for nine years.

The dining experience is a major part of any good hotel and Aghadoe is no different. The food here is superb, whether you opt for casual food, sharing plates, or afternoon tea, in the Heights Lounge, or dinner in the Lake Room restaurant.

Restaurant manager Padraig Casey, known as PC, has also been delighting diners for 10 years with Kerry humour and dining advice.

Amid all this longevity of service, the team has been joined this year by Sebastian Schulze as head chef, who is aided by sous chef Eric Nugent who has been there for five years. German- born Schulze has worked in places as far apart as Bellevue Palace at Bern in Switzerland, the Marriott Beach Hotel in the Cayman Islands, and more recently, in the fabulous Lodge at Doonbeg and the River Lee Hotel in Cork.

The dinner menu is stylish, loaded with top-notch goodies, executed in a contemporary style with eclectic twists.

On our recent visit, seared Beara scallops were with carrot and vanilla puree, baby spinach, pork belly and a coral veloute; Kenmare Bay oysters were presented three ways – au natural, Kilpatrick and Rockefeller; yellow fin tuna carpaccio had tartare and seaweed relish with an Asian dressing, whilst sublime seared foie gras on brioche crostini was drizzled with the unusual combination of Barolo jus and scattered raspberries.

Mains featured hazelnut crusted loin of venison with celeriac, baby pear, braised red cabbage and a red wine jus, whilst Skeaghanore duck breast was there too with a rich melange of white cabbage, prunes, plum chutney and orange jus. Halibut, Dingle Bay crab, lobster, Ring of Kerry lamb and roast pheasant – the best of local, seasonal produce.

Go and meet the cast and crew at Aghadoe – they are what good Irish hospitality is all about.

www.aghadoeheights.com

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And so to chit chat. Restaurant openings continue apace. Stephen Caviston is to open a Seafood Bar and Restaurant in the ever popular Goggin's Pub in Monkstown. This is very much on my patch and it has been great to see the whole of Monkstown village revitalised with shops and restaurants.

In Dalkey, Rachel Clancy of the uber cool Magpie Inn has taken over the former Nosh premises on Coliemore Road and will open Tuckbox, a stylish hipster casual dining venue, in early December. Now, that will be interesting.

Lastly, well-known interior designer Jane Beer is holding a half-price sale event at Millrace Hotel, Bunclody, Co Wexford, November 29, 9am-7pm. Look out for fabulously soft throws, cushions, innovative centrepieces and wreaths, felt robins and candleholders.

Sunday Independent