Dooley's Hotel, Waterford

What Dooley's Hotel, Waterford does

Dooley's Hotel is a third-generation family-owned, 112-bedroom three-star hotel operating from Merchant's Quay on the River Suir in Waterford city centre, Ireland. Founded in the 1940s as an eight-bedroom guesthouse by the Darrer family, the hotel has grown across three generations into a full-service property with on-site dining (The New Ship Restaurant and Dry Dock Bar), the Rita Nolan Conference & Banqueting Suite (capacity up to 300 delegates), a civil-ceremony wedding venue, and packages targeted at leisure couples, families, active retirees, corporate/MICE clients, and local diners.

The business operates a conventional hospitality model with no proprietary technology platform. Distribution runs through the hotel's own Tablepath booking engine, telephone reservations, walk-ins, the Net Affinity OTA, and listings on Fáilte Ireland, Visit Waterford, Select Experiences, and the Irish Hotels Federation. Revenue is generated from four streams: accommodation (Twin, Double, Triple, Family rooms with B&B rates), food and beverage (restaurant, bar, room service), conference and banqueting, and seasonal packages (Active Retirement Breaks, Golf Breaks, Garden Breaks, New Year's Eve, Match-Day Combo Basket). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed beyond a few promo items (e.g., New Year's Eve from €249 per person, Combo Basket €15.95, Valentine's cocktail €12).

The hotel participates in regional tourism infrastructure (Ireland's Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland's Climate Action Programme, IHF, Taste Waterford, Purple Flag city) and has accumulated industry recognition including CIE Tours Best 3 Star Hotel, Gold Medal Tourist Hotel of the Year Bronze, IHF Quality Employer Expert Level, and Think Waterford First Gold Accreditation. Operations are supported by 30 employees under continuous family ownership with no disclosed funding, M&A, or leadership turnover.

Name

Dooley's Hotel, Waterford

Legal name

Dooley's Hotel

Website

https://dooleys-hotel.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dooley's Hotel is a third-generation family-owned, 112-bedroom three-star hotel in Waterford city centre, Ireland, offering accommodation, dining, conference/banqueting, and wedding services to leisure travellers, corporate clients, and local diners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Oriented Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAF)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodation
• Conference banqueting
• Wedding venue
• Restaurant dining
• Hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterford

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Accommodation (Rooms): The hotel generates primary revenue from 112 ensuite bedrooms across multiple room types (Twin, Double, Triple, Family Rooms). Room rates vary by season and package; B&B (Bed & Breakfast) rates are available alongside room-only options. The hotel also offers special promotional packages.
2. Food & Beverage: Revenue from The New Ship Restaurant (creative Irish cuisine, full continental buffet breakfast, hot breakfast options, dinner menus) and the Dry Dock Bar (extensive casual dining menu from 9:00am to 21:30pm, cocktails, live music on weekends). Room service available 7:00am–21:00pm. New Year's Eve package priced from €249 per person (3 nights B&B, dinner, glass of sparkling wine).
3. Conference & Banqueting: The Rita Nolan Conference & Banqueting Suite (capacity up to 300 delegates) serves corporate events, incentives, and weddings. The hotel's dedicated events team assists with planning. Catering and function room hire contribute revenue. Smaller meeting rooms are also available.
4. Special Offers & Packages: The hotel sells seasonal packages including Active Retirement Breaks, Golf Breaks, Garden Breaks, Family Fun packages, and New Year's Eve packages. Vouchers are sold via the website (voucher-DOOLEYSHOVS03.html).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dooley's Hotel is a third-generation family-owned 112-bedroom hotel in Waterford city centre. It sells ensuite guest accommodation (Twin, Double, Triple and Family rooms), on-site dining at The New Ship Restaurant and Dry Dock Bar, conference and banqueting services at the Rita Nolan Suite (up to 300 delegates), wedding hosting with civil ceremony venue, room service, and curated seasonal packages (including Active Retirement Breaks, Golf Breaks, Garden Breaks, Family Fun and New Year's Eve packages).

Product overview

Dooley's Hotel is a 112-bedroom, third-generation family-owned hotel in Waterford City Centre offering accommodation, dining, and event services. The product portfolio includes: accommodation (Twin, Double, Triple, Family rooms), dining options (The New Ship Restaurant for full Irish breakfast and creative Irish cuisine; Dry Dock Bar for casual dining and live music), conference and banqueting services (Rita Nolan Suite up to 300 delegates), wedding venues, special packages (Active Retirement Breaks, New Year's packages), and room service. The hotel operates with 112 luxurious ensuite bedrooms and is positioned as a three-star hotel with modern amenities combined with traditional Irish hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The New Ship Restaurant: The hotel's main restaurant serving creative Irish cuisine and desserts.
• Dry Dock Bar
• Rita Nolan Conference & Banqueting Suite
• Bistro Bar & Food Experience

Products and services

• Hotel Accommodation (Rooms) 112 ensuite bedrooms across Twin, Double, Triple and Family configurations, located in Waterford city centre overlooking the River Suir, available with bed-and-breakfast or room-only options.
• The New Ship Restaurant Full-service hotel restaurant serving creative Irish cuisine and desserts, with continental buffet breakfast served 7:00am-10:30am and evening dinner menus featuring locally sourced produce.
• Dry Dock Bar Hotel bar and casual-dining outlet serving food from 9:00am to 21:30pm, with full Irish breakfast from 9:00am-11:30am, cocktails and live music on weekends.
• Rita Nolan Conference & Banqueting Suite On-site conference and banqueting venue with capacity for up to 300 delegates, advanced audiovisual equipment, air conditioning, natural daylight and complimentary use of overhead projector, screen, flipchart, markers, Wi-Fi, DVD, microphone and podium.
• Wedding Hosting Services Wedding and civil ceremony hosting service using the Rita Nolan Suite, including on-site civil ceremony venue, in-house catering, reception hosting and dedicated event coordination.
• Room Service In-room dining service available from 7:00am to 21:00pm upon request for hotel guests, including breakfast, lunch and evening meals.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers purchasable online for use against hotel stays, dining and experiences at Dooley's Hotel.
• Active Retirement Breaks Package Curated multi-day package for active retirement groups covering accommodation, meals, guided local tours and entertainment.

Quantifiable outcome

• The hotel has been operating successfully for over 75 years under continuous family ownership (three generations of the Darrer family)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Visit WaterfordminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDooley's Hotel is featured on the Visit Waterford official tourism website (visitwaterford.com), which promotes Waterford as a destination. The partnership helps drive organic discovery and bookings from tourists researching accommodation in the region.
• Select ExperiencesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe hotel is listed on Select Experiences (selectexperiences.ie), a platform showcasing curated hotels and experiences, supporting discovery and booking by domestic and international tourists.
• Irish Hotels Federation (IHF)minorOthersThe hotel holds membership with the Irish Hotels Federation, which provides industry representation, quality standards, and the IHF Quality Employer Programme. The hotel won the IHF Quality Employer Award at Expert Level.
• Fáilte IrelandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDooley's Hotel participates in Fáilte Ireland's Climate Action Programme and tourism promotion initiatives. The hotel is part of Ireland's Ancient East regional tourism campaign and benefits from Fáilte Ireland's national marketing reach.
• Taste WaterfordminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe hotel is a member of Taste Waterford, a local food and hospitality association. The hotel's menus emphasise locally sourced produce from Waterford and the south east region, and membership supports promotion to food-oriented visitors.
• Waterford Food Bank (Bottle Return Scheme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe hotel participates in Waterford Food Bank's Bottle Return Scheme, which provides recyclable bottles to fund meals for people in need. This partnership is part of the hotel's sustainability and community engagement programme.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Fitzwilton Hotel: 3-star city-centre Waterford hotel offering accommodation, dining, and conference/banquet facilities. Direct competitor in the MICE and leisure segments.
• Granville Hotel Waterford: Independently operated 3-star hotel in Waterford city centre with comparable room count, dining, and event offerings. Direct competitor across all primary customer segments.
• Tower Hotel Waterford: 3-star-plus city-centre hotel in Waterford offering accommodation, dining, and conference facilities. Direct competitor for leisure, corporate, and wedding segments in the same primary catchment.
• Waterford Marina Hotel: 3-star hotel on the Waterford quay offering rooms, dining, and leisure facilities. Direct in-city competitor for both leisure and corporate bookings.

Regional players

• Faithlegg House Hotel: 4-star country house hotel near Waterford with conference, wedding, and leisure offerings. Competes for the same MICE and wedding business in the South East region.
• Ferrycarrig Hotel: 4-star hotel near Wexford with conference, wedding, and dining offerings. Comparable South East Ireland independent operator targeting corporate and leisure segments.
• Lyrath Estate Hotel: Upscale 4-star resort hotel in Kilkenny (South East Ireland) with significant conference and wedding facilities. Comparable MICE and wedding capability, serving overlapping corporate demand.
• Whitford House Hotel: Independent family-run 4-star hotel in Wexford (South East Ireland) offering accommodation, leisure, and conference facilities. Comparable family-owned operator with overlapping leisure and MICE segments.
• Brandon House Hotel: 3-star independent hotel in New Ross, South East Ireland, offering accommodation, dining, and event facilities. Comparable independent regional operator targeting leisure and corporate demand.
• Riverside Park Hotel: Independently operated hotel in the South East of Ireland offering accommodation, dining, and conference facilities. Comparable independent regional competitor for MICE and leisure business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dooley's-hotel-waterford

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dooley's Hotel, Waterford