Irish Hotels Federation

What Irish Hotels Federation does

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is Ireland's premier trade association for the hotel and guesthouse sector, founded in 1937 and headquartered at 13 Northbrook Road, Dublin 6. It represents over 900 member properties that collectively employ more than 69,000 people nationwide, organized through 12 regional branches, a National Council, and an elected leadership currently headed by Matt O'Connor as the 41st President (elected February 2026). The federation's core functions are collective advocacy to government and Oireachtas committees on policy issues such as VAT rates, tourist taxes, and planning levies; structured engagement with European counterparts via HOTREC; and delivery of member services spanning training (IHF Skillnet), employer recognition (Quality Employer Programme), supplier connectivity (Suppliers Hub with 140+ suppliers), a multi-property gift card accepted by over 400 hotels (Go Anywhere), a benevolent fund, sustainability guidance (IHF Green), and workforce promotion (Get a Life in Tourism).

The IHF is not a technology company. Its operational backbone consists of a standard member website (ihf.ie), email communications, member-management systems, and a dedicated media property (Hotel News Ireland). It runs no proprietary software platform; the most technology-enabled services are the Suppliers Hub directory and the Ireland Hotels Gift Card program. AI is treated as a member-education theme rather than a product, with sessions on AI in hospitality at the 2025 Annual Conference and the 2026 People Day themed "Human Workplace in the Age of AI."

The IHF's revenue model is a hybrid of three streams: recurring full-membership subscription dues from hotels and guesthouses; associate-membership subscriptions from suppliers seeking visibility to the 900+ member base; and professional-services revenue from IHF Skillnet training, the annual conference, People Day, and other events. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed and is processed through a contact-based application flow. The organization is governed by its members through an elected President, Vice Presidents, Honorary Treasurer, and Management Committee drawn from member properties, and is not externally owned or listed.

Name

Irish Hotels Federation

Legal name

Irish Hotels Federation

Website

https://ihf.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is Ireland's 1937-founded trade association representing over 900 hotels and guesthouses employing 69,000+ people, delivering advocacy, training (IHF Skillnet), employer recognition, and supplier networking across 12 regional branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IHF generates revenue through annual membership fees from hotels and guesthouses. Members pay to join and maintain membership in exchange for advocacy representation, access to training (IHF Skillnet), networking events, and recognition programs. The organization also offers Associate Membership to suppliers.
2. Training and Events: Revenue is generated through IHF Skillnet training programs, the annual conference, IHF People Day, and other professional development events. These programs deliver bespoke training and networking opportunities for member hotels.
3. Associate Membership (Suppliers): The IHF Suppliers Hub provides supplier directory services to Associate Members, who pay for visibility to the IHF's 900+ member hotels and guesthouses. Suppliers are categorized across diverse categories including Food & Beverage, IT, Sustainability, HR, and more.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Irish Hotels Federation is a membership trade body representing over 900 hotels and guesthouses across Ireland. Its core offerings include industry advocacy and lobbying on tourism policy, VAT rates, and regulatory matters; training and professional development through IHF Skillnet; HR recognition via the Quality Employer Programme; a Suppliers Hub directory connecting members with hospitality suppliers; and the Ireland Hotels Gift Card accepted by over 400 hotels.

Product overview

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is a membership organization representing over 900 hotels and guesthouses nationwide, employing over 69,000 people. The IHF does not offer a unified software product platform but rather provides a suite of membership services, advocacy, and industry programs. Key service offerings include: IHF Skillnet (training and development), Quality Employer Programme (HR and people development), IHF Suppliers Hub (directory of associate members and suppliers), Ireland Hotels Gift Card program (accepted by over 400 hotels), Employee of the Year Awards, Quality Employer Awards, sustainability initiatives (IHF Green), lobbying and policy advocacy, and news/media services through Hotel News Ireland. The organization also facilitates networking through 12 regional branches and provides member benefits including events, conferences, and access to supplier discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IHF Skillnet: Training and development programme for hotels and guesthouses
• Quality Employer Programme
• Get a Life in Tourism
• Go Anywhere Giftcard

Products and services

• IHF Membership (Full Member)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• HOTRECcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026HOTREC is the umbrella association of hotels, restaurants, and cafés in Europe. IHF is a member organization of HOTREC, participating in its General Assemblies and policy development for European hospitality. The 92nd HOTREC General Assembly was held in Cork in April 2026, hosted by IHF, bringing European tourism and hospitality leaders together to discuss sector competitiveness and resilience.
• Musgrave MarketplacemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2025Musgrave Marketplace was named the official foodservice sponsor of the IHF in 2025. The partnership provides IHF members with access to foodservice products and potentially preferential pricing through the sponsorship arrangement. The announcement was made via Hotel News Ireland.
• Fáilte IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Fáilte Ireland is Ireland's national tourism development authority. The IHF works with Fáilte Ireland on workforce development initiatives, including the Employer Excellence Programme. The Quality Employer Programme is aligned with Fáilte Ireland's standards for employer recognition in Irish tourism and hospitality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Federalberghi: Italian hotel federation representing Italian hospitality businesses, with a directly comparable role in lobbying, training, and member services within its country; one of IHF's sister federations within HOTREC.
• Tourism Industry Aotearoa: New Zealand's national tourism industry body representing hotels and broader tourism operators; comparable to IHF in providing unified advocacy, training, and industry coordination for hospitality in a similarly sized market.
• Hotels Association of India: National hotel association representing India's hotel industry through advocacy, training, and member services; structurally analogous to IHF as a country-level federation of hotel operators.
• UK Hospitality: UK trade body representing hotels, restaurants, pubs, and broader hospitality; highly comparable to IHF in lobbying, training, and member services for the hospitality sector, and a fellow HOTREC member.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association: National trade association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry through advocacy, training, and member services; the closest direct analog to IHF in a larger market, with a parallel structure of policy representation and member-benefit programs.
• Australian Hotels Association: Australian national hotel industry association providing advocacy, training, and member services to hotel operators; closely comparable to IHF in mission, federated structure, and reliance on industry representation.

Broad incumbents

• HOTREC: European umbrella association of hotels, restaurants, and cafés; IHF is itself a member of HOTREC, but HOTREC operates as a broader incumbent at the supranational level providing EU-wide policy representation and benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IHFcomms
• Facebookfacebook.com/IrishHotelsFederation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irishhotelsfederation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Irish Hotels Federation