Situated in the heart of Dublin city, the Ashling Hotel is an international award winning four-star hotel with 226 beautifully appointed bedrooms, two restaurants, and meeting and events facilities that host hundreds of delegates every week. Hotel & Tourism touched base with Ronan Walsh, General Manager at ‘The Ashling’, to discuss the current state of business, recent award successes and hopes for this year.
A family owned hotel with origins dating back to 1870, the Ashling Hotel is located adjacent to Heuston Station, on the LUAS tramline and close to the capital city’s top attractions. The Phoenix Park is on its doorstep, hence the tagline “In the city by the park“.
Bought by the Flannery family from Galway in 1996, the hotel has seen significant upgrades in recent years, making it one of Dublin’s principal 4-star properties. This March, after a major revamp, the hotel unveiled its new-look reception, bistro bar, and brasserie restaurant.
Relaunched with a new seasonal menu, the Iveagh Bar & Bistro is a stylish place to enjoy contemporary brunches, lunches and bar food. Meanwhile, diners continue to flock to Chesterfields Brasserie for the renowned breakfast buffet and, in the evenings, for the new fine-dining experience.
In June 2024, the hotel scored a first when it collaborated with autism charity As I Am to develop a Sensory Bedroom. The room has proved a success with families and people who want a calming environment that’s adapted to sensory needs.
The Ashling has also invested in major upgrades to its meeting and conference facilities. The hotel’s proximity to Heuston Station makes it a popular corporate venue – its 13 Meetings & Events rooms feature hi-speed WiFi, smart TVs and hybrid conferencing facilities. Delegates also get to enjoy the new food offerings.
“A stunning renavation was also completed in 2024 on our restaurant, bar and lobby area by the McKeon Group.
“The Ashling is one of the few independent hotels left in Dublin city centre, which gives us more creative freedom when it comes to enhancing the guest experience. We’ve taken advantage of that to the full with the upgrade of our ground floor. Today, when a guest steps into our lobby, or a diner sits in one of our restaurants, they get a much more modern welcome than before.
“Which is great. But it’s the smiling face that greets them that still makes the difference.
“Our teams are incredibly important to us. For us to succeed, we need our people to consistently deliver exemplary service – every member of staff has to bring their best self to work every day. Through our hiring process and training, we’re fortunate that we’ve got the right people in place, considering we employ upwards of 200 employees in full-time, part-time and temp roles.”
The professionalism of the Ashling’s staff is one of the keys to the customer loyalty they enjoy, and a major reason for their recognition by the judging panels of national awards.
Most recently, the Ashling added three more trophies to their collection, with wins at the Irish Hotel Awards for Ciara Barry, ‘National Marketing Manager of the Year’, Shannon Marry ‘National Guest Relations Manager of the Year’ and Deanna Frak ‘National Human Resources Manager’.
Speaking on the award successes, Ronan said, “each award is a fantastic honour, a tribute to the individual winners for their efforts, and for the hotel as a collective.
“These three women have led by example, shown commitment to both the business and their colleagues,
and inspired us all with their professionalism. The hotel’s team really are a pleasure to work alongside, and the awards reflect that. Appointing a Director of Sales & Marketing, in 2021, has been crucial to telling our story, building trust and encouraging guests to keep returning.”
Looking at the months ahead from an industry point of view, Walsh feels that it is paramount that the VAT rate for the Irish hospitality sector is addressed. With tariffs dominating the news
cycles, hotels need to redouble
efforts to manage costs effectively
and ensure competitiveness and profitability.
“From an industry point of view, I think it’s crucial that the government follow through on their election promises to address the inequitable VAT rate of 13.5%.
“Otherwise, we are competing with European destinations whose VAT rate is substantially lower than Ireland’s at a time when our labour costs are among the highest in Europe.”
“The cap in Dublin Airport is also critical to the success of our industry, in that it dictates how many people can visit the country. The reality is that most incoming tour operators and independent tourists want to land in Dublin rather than our regional airports. So, it’s critical that we allow them to do that.
“The CAP was introduced as part of a planning approval in 2007, but the world has changed since then.”
“Until recently, I was quietly confident that business in 2025 could match and, possibly even build on, 2024. The challenges, however, are changing every time you switch on the news. Right now, the geopolitical situation has many moving parts, most of them outside our control.
“It’s time for cool and calm heads once more as we all navigate our way through this latest hurdle. The hotel sector has shown its resilience already this decade and I’m sure we will do so
again.”
This article was published in Hotel & Tourism Magazine, Summer 2025, Vol 1 No 1
