ParkHouseProfile
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February 21 2013 BUSINESS PROFILE 47 Enjoy a truly Galway experience at the Park House Hotel BY MARTINA NEE Nostalgia, traditional hospitality, and the assurance of top quality wholesome cuisine - these are just some of the wonderful qualities that keep customers coming back week after week, year after year, to the Park House Hotel, a luxury four star hotel at the heart of Galway city. With its central location and reputation with customers near and far the Park House Hotel is truly a Galway brand to be proud off. There may have been many changes in Forster Street over the years but one thing that has remained is the high standard of accommodation, friendly and experienced service, and of course delicious Irish cuisine at the Park House Hotel. There is a lot of history in the building itself which dates back 160 years and first served as a farmers’ co- operative and granary. Corn was not the only thing that locals flocked to the building for, as the first floor was also used as a dance hall on Sunday nights as well as being the meeting place of Inghinidhe na nÉireann (Daughters of Ireland) - the Irish women’s political and social organisation founded by Maud Gonne in April 1900. The building continued to play a part in Galway in the following years, being used for many purposes as the changing times demanded. Then in 1988 the building, which was known at the time as Powell’s Hardware Store was purchased by Eamonn Doyle and Kitty Carr and together they set about transforming it into the hotel and restaurant business that it is today. Eamonn and Kitty first began the business in the form of the Eyre House Restaurant which opened at 10 Eyre Square in 1975. The Park House Restaurant was then opened in 1986 next door to the current hotel building on Forster Street. Then the two restaurants were amalagamated into the one building, developing into the Park House Hotel by 1996 with 57 bedrooms. With care taken to retain the original stone appearance on the street front the hotel has undergone extensive refurbishment with the result that the hotel now boasts 84 bedrooms in total, employs 120 staff, and is a number one hotel on travel review website Tripadvisor. Many of the staff have been with the business for a long time, including John Connaughton who has been restaurant manager since 1977, Eileen MacMahon has also been providing great quality service since 1977, Bob O’Keefe - head chef since 1986, Martin Keane - second head chef since 1993, and PJ Forde - sous chef since 1990. While we sit having coffee in the resplendent and relaxing lobby, hotel director Anne Marie Dowd explains: “The hotel is unique in that it’s a Galway home grown business. The people that used to go to Eyre House for Communions and birthdays are now bringing their children for those events. We have the same guests coming back year after year. It is the service that makes Park House Hotel special, because of the fact that people know what they are getting when they come here. We’re very consistent and the quality is always good. The restaurant serve traditional Irish cuisine. Customers know there is something to suit everybody. Our customers still want the old reliables. If you asked most people what their favourite meal is, it is not going to be foie gras, it is something like fillet steak with red wine. Customers want to know they get something good for their money. “Between 600 and 700 people rated this hotel as excellent on Tripadvisor. We get a lot of feedback online. Most of the comments are about the staff being so friendly, helpful, and warm. That is something that we can’t control. A lot of people go online these days to read reviews, we are sold through those channels. The positive feedback is genuine and it really helps our business. When visitors come to stay they get good service from staff who are welcoming and are excellent in giving information on Galway. We pride ourselves on the Irish hospitality, that our staff are mannered, speak to people, and do as much as they can for them.” The Park House Hotel staff have always prided themselves on providing consistently high quality customer care and service. Whether you have travelled from near or far, it is the wish of Park House that customers will have many wonderful memories, offering them a ‘home away from home’ during their stay, where the personal touch is not lost, and a place to which they will return. And return they do, particularly for events such as the Galway Races when the Park House Hotel welcomes many high profile names and trainers through its doors, making it the ideal place for racing enthusiasts, not only because of the atmosphere but also due to the hotel’s deep connection with one big star of the sport, Go Native. Referring to a section of the hotel lobby which is dedicated to the great achievements of Go Native, Ms Dowd reflects on what he meant to everyone: “Go Native’s connections with the Park House Hotel brought great excitement and anticipation before big races. Tactics, jockey choice, odds, and the competition would be thrashed out by customers and staff, everyone having an opinion but all united in hoping he would be first past the post. Go Native achieved great success in his career, winning on nine occasions including three grade one races in the UK - the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. He was favourite to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2010 but was injured during the race. He returned from injury in October 2012 after a lay-off of 939 days and looked to be back to his best with great plans for the 2013 season. Sadly he was injured while training in November 2012 and had to be put down. The shock and hurt of Go Native’s passing was felt by all at the Park House but the great fondness for him and the memories of his great success will remain.” This united connection to Go Native and to Galway as a whole is part of what makes the Park House Hotel so unique. It is not part of a chain so customers really do get the ‘Galway experience’, getting the chance to mingle with local customers and be in such an excellent city centre location. While the decor of the hotel is warm and comfortable the rooms themselves are even more impressive, with more than enough space - there is the option of the superior room, the de luxe room, as well as the much larger junior suites. There is also complimentary WiFi available throughout the hotel, all rooms are individually air conditioned, and the standard of housekeeping is consistently high. Adding another element to what makes Park House Hotel that little bit different is the artwork, by Derrick Biddulph, which is displayed throughout the restaurant. Commissioned by Eamonn Doyle in 1979 these oil paintings are a window into the past, showing various scenes of Galway including Shop Street, Kirwan’s Lane, The Claddagh, The Small Crane, Spanish Arch, and Connemara landscapes. In many ways, the Park House Hotel truly is a Galway business continuing to provide its customers, old and new, with top quality food and service. For more information and to make reservations phone 091 564924, email [email protected], or log onto www.parkhousehotel.ie Head chef Bob O'Keeffe with assistants Isavella Kowalik and Sacha Tiernan at Park House Restaurant and Hotel, Forster Street. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy Park House restaurant manager John Connaughton with his team (l-r) Marie Hayes, Deirdre Swail, Caroline Rutledge, Jacinta Fleming, Sulwia Baltaza and Cathy Barrett at Park House Restaurant and Hotel, Forster Street. Photo:- Mike Shaughnessy in association with the www.advertiser .ie Park House Restaurant and Hotel, Forster Street. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy
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Transcript of ParkHouseProfile
February 21 2013 BUSINESS PROFILE 47
Enjoy a truly Galway experience at the Park House Hotel
BY MARTINA NEE
Nostalgia, traditional hospitality, andthe assurance of top quality wholesomecuisine - these are just some of thewonderful qualities that keepcustomers coming back week afterweek, year after year, to the Park HouseHotel, a luxury four star hotel at theheart of Galway city.
With its central location andreputation with customers near and farthe Park House Hotel is truly a Galwaybrand to be proud off. There may havebeen many changes in Forster Streetover the years but one thing that hasremained is the high standard ofaccommodation, friendly andexperienced service, and of coursedelicious Irish cuisine at the ParkHouse Hotel.
There is a lot of history in thebuilding itself which dates back 160years and first served as a farmers’ co-operative and granary. Corn was not theonly thing that locals flocked to thebuilding for, as the first floor was alsoused as a dance hall on Sunday nightsas well as being the meeting place ofInghinidhe na nÉireann (Daughters ofIreland) - the Irish women’s politicaland social organisation founded byMaud Gonne in April 1900. The buildingcontinued to play a part in Galway inthe following years, being used formany purposes as the changing timesdemanded. Then in 1988 the building,which was known at the time asPowell’s Hardware Store was purchasedby Eamonn Doyle and Kitty Carr andtogether they set about transforming itinto the hotel and restaurant businessthat it is today.
Eamonn and Kitty first began thebusiness in the form of the Eyre HouseRestaurant which opened at 10 EyreSquare in 1975. The Park HouseRestaurant was then opened in 1986next door to the current hotel buildingon Forster Street. Then the tworestaurants were amalagamated intothe one building, developing into thePark House Hotel by 1996 with 57bedrooms. With care taken to retain theoriginal stone appearance on the streetfront the hotel has undergone extensiverefurbishment with the result that thehotel now boasts 84 bedrooms in total,employs 120 staff, and is a number onehotel on travel review websiteTripadvisor. Many of the staff have beenwith the business for a long time,including John Connaughton who has
been restaurant manager since 1977,Eileen MacMahon has also beenproviding great quality service since1977, Bob O’Keefe - head chef since 1986,Martin Keane - second head chef since1993, and PJ Forde - sous chef since 1990.
While we sit having coffee in theresplendent and relaxing lobby, hoteldirector Anne Marie Dowd explains:“The hotel is unique in that it’s aGalway home grown business. Thepeople that used to go to Eyre House forCommunions and birthdays are nowbringing their children for those events.We have the same guests coming backyear after year. It is the service thatmakes Park House Hotel special,because of the fact that people knowwhat they are getting when they comehere. We’re very consistent and thequality is always good. The restaurantserve traditional Irish cuisine.Customers know there is something tosuit everybody. Our customers stillwant the old reliables. If you asked mostpeople what their favourite meal is, it isnot going to be foie gras, it is somethinglike fillet steak with red wine.Customers want to know they getsomething good for their money.
“Between 600 and 700 people ratedthis hotel as excellent on Tripadvisor.We get a lot of feedback online. Most ofthe comments are about the staff beingso friendly, helpful, and warm. That issomething that we can’t control. A lot ofpeople go online these days to readreviews, we are sold through thosechannels. The positive feedback isgenuine and it really helps ourbusiness. When visitors come to staythey get good service from staff who arewelcoming and are excellent in givinginformation on Galway. We prideourselves on the Irish hospitality, thatour staff are mannered, speak to people,and do as much as they can for them.”
The Park House Hotel staff havealways prided themselves on providingconsistently high quality customer careand service. Whether you havetravelled from near or far, it is the wishof Park House that customers will havemany wonderful memories, offeringthem a ‘home away from home’ duringtheir stay, where the personal touch isnot lost, and a place to which they willreturn. And return they do, particularlyfor events such as the Galway Raceswhen the Park House Hotel welcomesmany high profile names and trainersthrough its doors, making it the idealplace for racing enthusiasts, not onlybecause of the atmosphere but also due
to the hotel’s deep connection with onebig star of the sport, Go Native.
Referring to a section of the hotellobby which is dedicated to the greatachievements of Go Native, Ms Dowdreflects on what he meant to everyone:“Go Native’s connections with the ParkHouse Hotel brought great excitementand anticipation before big races.Tactics, jockey choice, odds, and thecompetition would be thrashed out bycustomers and staff, everyone havingan opinion but all united in hoping hewould be first past the post. Go Nativeachieved great success in his career,winning on nine occasions includingthree grade one races in the UK - theSupreme Novices Hurdle atCheltenham, the Fighting Fifth Hurdleat Newcastle, and the Christmas Hurdleat Kempton. He was favourite to win theChampion Hurdle at Cheltenham in2010 but was injured during the race. Hereturned from injury in October 2012after a lay-off of 939 days and looked tobe back to his best with great plans forthe 2013 season. Sadly he was injuredwhile training in November 2012 and
had to be put down. The shock and hurtof Go Native’s passing was felt by all atthe Park House but the great fondnessfor him and the memories of his greatsuccess will remain.”
This united connection to Go Nativeand to Galway as a whole is part of whatmakes the Park House Hotel so unique.It is not part of a chain so customers
really do get the ‘Galway experience’,getting the chance to mingle with localcustomers and be in such an excellentcity centre location. While the decor ofthe hotel is warm and comfortable therooms themselves are even moreimpressive, with more than enoughspace - there is the option of thesuperior room, the de luxe room, as wellas the much larger junior suites. Thereis also complimentary WiFi availablethroughout the hotel, all rooms areindividually air conditioned, and thestandard of housekeeping isconsistently high.
Adding another element to whatmakes Park House Hotel that little bitdifferent is the artwork, by DerrickBiddulph, which is displayedthroughout the restaurant.Commissioned by Eamonn Doyle in1979 these oil paintings are a windowinto the past, showing various scenes ofGalway including Shop Street, Kirwan’sLane, The Claddagh, The Small Crane,Spanish Arch, and Connemaralandscapes. In many ways, the ParkHouse Hotel truly is a Galway businesscontinuing to provide its customers, oldand new, with top quality food andservice.
For more information and to makereservations phone 091 564924, [email protected], orlog onto www.parkhousehotel.ie
Head chef Bob O'Keeffe with assistants Isavella Kowalik and Sacha Tiernan atPark House Restaurant and Hotel, Forster Street. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy
Park House restaurant manager John Connaughton with his team (l-r) MarieHayes, Deirdre Swail, Caroline Rutledge, Jacinta Fleming, Sulwia Baltaza andCathy Barrett at Park House Restaurant and Hotel, Forster Street. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy
in association with the
www.advertiser.ie
Park House Restaurant and Hotel, Forster Street. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy
