DUBLIN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Dalata Hotel Group PLC, the largest hotel operator in Ireland, announced on Wednesday that it has laid off 3,500 employees due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news was announced by the group's CEO Pat McCann at an annual general meeting conducted over a conference call, according to the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE.
McCann told shareholders at the meeting that those who have remained working in the group have seen significant cuts in their salaries.
In a statement issued ahead of Wednesday's meeting, Dalata said that the current crisis has had a very significant impact on its business.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Dalata's revenue per available room fell by nearly 25 percent at its Dublin hotels, 14 percent at its hotels in other parts of Ireland, and nearly 19 percent at its UK hotels, said the statement.
Last week, Dalata reportedly clinched a 65-million-euro (about 70 million U.S. dollars) deal on the sale and leaseback of Clayton Hotel Charlemont in Dublin to Deka Immobilien, a Belgium-based real estate company.
The company said that the deal will strengthen its cash resources and help it survive the current crisis.
Headquartered in Dublin, Dalata operates over 40 hotels both in Ireland and Britain, according to its website. Enditem
