Belmore Court & Motel celebrates 20,000 bed-nights and best ever performance!
Northern Ireland’s only motel has achieved a record rate of occupancy – bucking the trend that has seen hotel occupancy rates drop to the lowest rate since 2002 and guesthouse and B & B room sales falling by 20,000 on the 2005 level.
The Belmore Court & Motel however, which splashed out £2.5m in a major investment a year ago, is celebrating the achievement of 20,000 bed-nights. Located in the centre of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, the Belmore Court reached the milestone almost exactly one year to the day after the official opening of a 30 bedroom extension. Owner, Terry McCartney revealed today the Belmore Court & Motel’s performance had exceeded even his own optimistic predictions. “The Motel is celebrating its 21st year and it has been gratifying to see a 205% year on year increase in Irish visitors, no doubt swayed by the recent weakness of sterling against the Euro, and a 133% rise in the numbers of Scottish visitors.
“We have invested heavily in our accommodation and staff training and we believe the market has responded to our unique offering. A major element in the success is the Belmore Court & Motel customer ‘experience’. This has been borne out by several independent surveys and is something of which we are very proud. Part of the supporting evidence lies in the fact we have featured regularly in Trip Advisor’s number one and two slots during 2010. Unlike our competitors in the region we don’t have the luxury of enticing our guests with wonderful dining or an opportunity to while away the evenings in a colourful bar. We know our market and therefore we have worked hard at emphasising our offering which centres on superior accommodation, continental breakfast, excellent staff service and undeniable value for money.”
The Belmore Court & Motel was opened by Terry’s father, Raymond McCartney, who was inspired to build a motel after extensive travels in the USA. Terry McCartney concedes his motel has ‘bucked the trend’ in many ways. “We decided to push ahead with what was a serious investment right in the heart of the recession which, I suppose was a surprise to some. But we have great confidence in our product and our people and we always knew the addition of new bedrooms which boast state-of-the-art flatscreen tvs, iPod docking stations and free wifi would add further to our already compelling offering.
“We have experienced particularly strong interest from corporate customers who want to provide their executives with value for money, good quality accommodation and we are looking optimistically towards the summer season with many people likely to opt for a holiday in the UK or Ireland due to the economic downturn.”
