I am delighted to share that nominations for the 2023 IHI Hospitality Management Awards are now open.
Now in its 26th year, the IHI Hospitality Management Awards (HMAs) continues to retain its uniqueness as nominations are made by IHI Members and are solely in recognition of the nominee, their passion, professionalism, ability, energy, dedication and excellence in what they do.
By nominating a deserving member of your team or colleague, you are acknowledging the valuable contribution they make to their team, business, and the broader industry.
Across 14 Award categories, 42 judges independently pre-screen nominations received in the first round. The top 5 scoring nominees within each award category will then go forward through to the second round for an interview conducted in person by a panel of three judges.
When nominating, it is important to:
Give the nomination the time it deserves, don't leave it to the last minute
Ensure you tell us why you feel this individual deserves this recognition
Discuss the nomination with your nominee and explain each stage of the process
The winner of each award category will be announced at the IHI Founders Evening & Hospitality Management Awards on November 23rd at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. Click here to see details about the IHI Hospitality Management Awards.
Just a reminder that as your IH President, I am here to support you and I welcome your views on IHI matters, so please feel free to reach out at president@ihi.ie.
All the best,
Daragh O'Neill IHI PresidentRoisin O'Sullivan
Operations Manage
Great Southern Killarney
Amy Alice Horgan
Sales & Marketing Consultant Director | AA Creative
Fatih Maytalman
Hotel Operations Manager
Castleknock Hotel
Stephan de Vries
Head of Operations
Compass Ireland at Google
Catriona Sheehan
HR Manager
The Kingsley
Adrian O'Connor
General Manager The Devlin
Brid Cloonan
General Manager
The Grafton Hotel
Bryan Davern
Director of Hotels
Press Up Hospitality
Conor O'Leary
General Manager
Glasson Lakehouse
Dave O'Keefe
Head Of Hotel Openings & Projects
GM of The Dean Dublin
Declan Bowe
Cluster General Manager
The Plaza Hotel, Tallaght
Greg Byrne
Head of HR
Press Up Hospitality
James Gleeson
General Manager
Lady Ville House
Ken Moore
General Manager Midleton Park Hotel
Melanie Nocher
Hotel Manager
The Dean Galway
Michael O'Connor
General Manager
The Clarence Hotel
Michael Lally
General Manager
The Butler Arms Hotel
Philip Erskine Business Development Manager
Granville Hotel
Phil Joung
Deputy General Manager
Hilton Dublin Kilmainham
Sabina Todica
Cluster Revenue Manager Plaza Hospitality Limited
Tomasz Kepinski
Hotel Manager Plaza Hotel Tallaght
HRS Hospitality & Retail Systems is a renowned global company that provides leading IT solutions for the Hotel, Restaurant, Café, and retail industries. As Oracle Hospitality's largest partner worldwide, HRS supports over 11,000 customers across 90 countries with innovative systems and solutions, including Property Management, POS, Spa & Guest Activities, Business Analytics, Payment Gateway, Mobile Applications, Channel Managers, Online Distribution Services, Finance, HR Systems, and Passport Scanning & Recognition.
We pride ourselves on understanding our customers' needs and exceeding their expectations to empower them and build successful businesses. Established in 1990, HRS has over three decades of experience delivering superior customer experiences and innovative management solutions to various service industry companies. Our comprehensive portfolio includes pre-project analysis, hardware and software supply, strategic IT consulting, solutions implementation and integration, staff training and consulting, 24/7 technical support, and a wide range of professional customer service.
For more information contact: Robbie Tiernan rtiernan@hrsinternational.com
If you are not already providing your team members with IHI Membership, here is why you should:
C A R E
onfidence in them in their role.
ssurance in their ability to thrive within the organization
ecognition of their experience their and profession.
ndorse their continued professional development.
As IHI members, your team will have access to:
training opportunities
informative breakfast seminars
Networking events
The HNN
In addition, they will also be eligible to nominate two other team members for the IHI Hospitality Management Awards.
*10% Discount applies to group members of 3 or more.
Andrew O'Connor has been appointed Business Development Manager at Guestline, an awardwinning global leader and provider of cloud-based technology solutions for the hospitality industry. With an impressive background in sales and an indepth understanding of the Irish hospitality market, Andrew brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role.
Throughout his career, Andrew has excelled in sales and business development roles within the Irish hospitality industry. He was the first-ever Hospitality Sales Manager for myTaxi (now Free Now) in Ireland, where he successfully expanded the company's market presence in Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Sligo. At SeaChange, Andrew served as Head of Sales, focusing on the Irish hotel market and significantly growing their Irish hotel customer base by approximately 7 times, including the successful introduction of new digital products. Moreover, during his latest tenure at Snapfix, Andrew played a key role in closing 70% of all new hotel business in Ireland, securing important contracts with prominent hotels and groups.
Andrew's initial encounter with Guestline, as an integrating partner during his time at Snapfix, sparked his interest in cloud-based technology:
“I am excited to collaborate with Country Manager Clio O’Gara and the team, building on Clio’s success in the Irish market, to bring Guestline’s proven cloud-based solutions to hoteliers. There has been significant growth of technology in the sector and our mission is to educate and empower Irish hoteliers with the tools to optimise their operations and enhance the guest experience.” Says Andrew.
Andrew graduated from DCU with a Degree in Communications in 2008 and has since distinguished himself with a professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. Throughout his career, Andrew has excelled in selling into the Irish hospitality market, accumulating valuable insights and establishing a strong network within the industry.
www.guestline.com
Many industries, such as retail and hospitality, rely on hourly employees, many of whom have temporary contracts or are part-time workers. They form the backbone of many businesses, often representing a significant portion of the workforce. Their contributions are vital to the smooth functioning and overall success of any organisation. And because your customers' experience depends on your employee experience, their behaviours directly affect your profits
In the wake of the pandemic, those employees who were often taken for granted before suddenly had to show up and get the job done Frontline employees even earned the label "essential" and were just that - assurances of necessary health, safety, and goods and services at a time when meeting basic needs was uncertain. In retrospect, all of us have learned a valuable lesson - we are still reliant on the employees we once took for granted.
So it is crucial to prioritise the engagement of hourly workers. However, some organisations have trouble engaging these types of employees due to the sporadic nature of their shifts Here are a few tips to overcome that challenge
Lack of predictability is unfortunately one of the defining characteristics of being an hourly employee. Not only do their shifts constantly change, but their salaries do too. You could have employees working shifts during your business's busiest hours one week and working the deadest periods the next.
We know suggesting to offer your hourly workers absolute predictability is a lot easier said than done, but you should always make an effort to do so whenever possible Try to ensure their hours are equally distributed throughout the week, and in case of a last-minute change to the roster, make sure to notify your employees as soon as possible
Marina Rivas July 2023A lack of information about their schedule makes it incredibly difficult for hourly workers to plan the rest of their lives Obviously, this leads to a lot of frustration and anger for hourly workers who also have many other responsibilities outside of work when they can't plan around their upcoming shifts
One of the Great Place to Work Certified, Leisure Centre Group Aura Holohan Group operates a 7-day per week business with opening hours in the Leisure Centres varying between 7.00 am to 10.00 pm.
Employee availability and flexibility of rosters are fundamental to the service to their customers. 66% of their workforce are part-time employees who are completing their college degrees or who have family and carer commitments and managers always try to accommodate requests
"The rosters are designed with flexibility in mind for our staff, while still ensuring the needs of the business are met It can be challenging at times, however communication plays a key role when arrangements are agreed and when rosters need to be adjusted Our policy is to flag this as early as possible, to allow employees to make alternative arrangements." Narcisa Popovici, HR Director at Aura Holohan Group
Types of support Aura Holohan Group has in place for part-time employees:
Shorter workdays
Shorter work week
Split shifts
Alternating schedules for certain roles, where the role is shared between two part-time employees or one full-time employee and one part-time employee
Cross training allowing employees to cover different departments based on their availability
“What I love the most is the flexibility as I have two kids and the roster allows me to work around school hours ” Cara Dowling, Membership Advisor, Fitness Instructor and Swim Teacher at Aura Holohan Group
Listen to their needs
Look beyond a college degree
Hourly employees possess a wealth of skills and talents, yet they often feel undervalued within the organisation when it comes to opportunities for advancement and fair compensation. One contributing factor to this discrepancy is the emphasis placed on having a college degree for certain positions and salary levels.
When asked how their organisation could improve as a workplace, hourly workers frequently mentioned that the requirement of a college degree limited their ability to participate fully. Many hourly employees believe that recognising and rewarding their tenure and dedication, rather than solely focusing on a degree, would be a more equitable approach.
“Aura has helped me progress in my fitness and management career while also allowing me to maintain a healthy balance between completing my college degree and work. This is proof that Aura truly cares about its people.” Adam O’Connor, Part time Duty Manager, Leisure Attendant) at Aura Holohan Group.
In order to achieve outstanding results, it is crucial to provide the right tools and equipment to your hourly employees. Just like any other worker, they require the necessary resources to excel in their work. Failing to provide them with the tools they need is equivalent to asking someone to dig an irrigation ditch with a spork. If you currently have outdated equipment, it is important to allocate a budget for upgrades in the upcoming year Neglecting to provide the necessary resources can lead to frustration and ultimately result in a lack of engagement among your employees
While it's true that small businesses may not be able to provide traditional health benefits to their hourly workers, including part-timers, there are still effective ways to promote the development of healthy habits that contribute to overall wellness.
For example, the hotel chain iNua Collection, certified as a Great Place to Work, offers a pension and healthcare to all their team members
Establish a reward program
Make sure that your management encourages your hourly workers to participate in incentives or programme that will help to recognise and encourage the most engaged employees.
Creating a healthy competition environment.
Rewarding peers and managers.
iNua Collection has launched the iNUAwards It is a reward program for their colleagues whereby they can nominate each other to acknowledge all the wonderful things that they do With this, their employees are able to build up their points and redeem them at the end of each year to transfer the points to a cash value
Read more on how to develop a peer to peer recognition programme.
A journalist for the New York Times recently wrote a piece about her irritation with smart technology taking over every inch of her hotel experience.
In the article, she discusses a recent trip away, which was soured by the hinderance of technologytechnology that did the opposite of what it was supposed to do. Instead of making her experience easier, it left her feeling cold.
"These days, it’s all about making do when I’m greeted by the glut of smart technology in hotel rooms Voice-activated lights Chatbot concierges QR codes on television sets Mobile browser or app check-ins Texting the valet for my car Don’t even get me started with motorized drapes attempting to view the ocean in Miami was as difficult as tackling Faulkner. It’s all infuriating. And overwhelming."
She spoke to senior members of the hospitality industry who understandably spoke to her about the positives of adopting smart tech both for hotel staff and guests.
“Smart hotel rooms are about empowerment,” said Robert Firpo-Cappiello, Hospitality Technology’s editor in chief “Contactless interactions were a survival pivot for hotels during the pandemic People are used to them now There is no going back ”
And interestingly, she noted 'young' travellers (under 25) seem to be very much onboard with these developments.
But she does have a point. For years, the phrase 'technology fatigue' has been drifting in and out of our daily vocabulary. With the likes of AI getting so much airtime at the moment, it's clear how fast technology is advancing and this has an impact on every industry. ChatGPT for example, has been causing some to even fear for their jobs (although this fear may be slightly unwarranted for now)
Richard Carter thinks AI - rather than replacing humans - will boost their productivity In his own work he says ChatGPT is useful, but he says he is wary of putting too much trust in it, comparing it to a "very knowledgeable and a very excitable, 12-year-old. If you take the human completely out of the loop, how do you manage accountability for some sort of catastrophic event happening?"
The point of all of this is to approach all smart technology wisely Research and use everything at your disposal - but remember this: all the technology you use should enhance guest experience and make time for your staff to make a guest's stay even more warm, and even more personable. Don't remove the human in your hotel's equation. Smart tech shouldn't replace staff!
Always be aware of the balance between the tech you use and face to face service. Be smart about your smart tech
What are some current hotel technology trends?
According to Hospitality Technology's 2023 Lodging Technology Study, the majority of hotels already offer, or are planning to introduce, mobile booking, mobile check-in and mobile room keys (100% of participants), two-way messaging with guests (95%), contactless payments (88%), check-in and check-out kiosks (62%) and voice-controlled devices (54%).
The study also found that the average IT budget of hotels globally rose to more than 4% of total revenue in 2022 from less than 3% in 2021, and 74% of hoteliers are now willing to consider using alternative investment metrics for technology projects
According to a 2022 study by Oracle and Skift, 73 4% of travelers are interested in hotels using artificial intelligence to analyze their travel data for more targeted and relevant advertisements and offers
Here are some areas of technology you should consider investing in going forward.
Your booking engine
Your booking engine needs to be easy to navigate in a way that will lead users to convert without them needing to put too much thought into the process It’s important that it integrates well with all of your other systems (like your PMS, RMS and Channel Manager) and it should work well with your workflows and marketing processes
Hotel technology providers Net Affinity have a new booking engine on the market. Feature-rich, lightning fast and made for mobile, it’s everything your guest needs from their booking experience.
An impressive booking engine has to be flexible. This is because it should adapt easily to the growth or development of your products/services and should always display whatever it is you have to offer What kind of groups does your hotel provide for? Perhaps you are a hotel venue, perhaps you tend to get a lot of corporate bookings Your booking engine should have a variety of modules.
And you don’t just want it to display the basics – your rates and dates are the bare minimum of what should be shown off. Your booking engine should allow for lots of visual support to these rates and dates. Visuals are what will help get your room over the line and get it sold to your guest. Make sure your booking engine also gives you the option to integrate sales conversion tools as they will help maximize the number of website visitors turning into buyers
It also needs to be mobile-optimised. Mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide. Its presence in revenue reports is only growing all the time as people get more and more comfortable with browsing and actually buying or booking on mobile. According to our mobile stats from Q1 2023, 77% of our clients' website visits were via mobile, and 60% of bookings were made via mobile
Your booking engine might be the heart of your tech stack, but like a human body, you need more than that to properly function. Ideally your booking engine is accompanied by your PMS, RMS and Channel Manager. When you’re going about picking each of these systems, work on the basis of finding the best of each.
manage
aspects of your property A Channel Manager is a system that sends your property availability to multiple channels, and keeps all the information in clear and correct between channels
You should be able to sit down with your PMS provider to discuss and agree on rate strategies and business logics before you set up rate plans and connect to your channel manager. Your booking engine should connect directly to your PMS or your channel manager should be flexible enough to easily adjust rate mapping.
Automation and personalisation are words that have been thrown around for a long time now, but they’re key concepts going forward within the hospitality industry If you can automate as many tasks as possible for your front desk staff, it frees up more room for them to provide a personal and attentive experience with your guests – a win win Your technology should aid you in this In relation to personalisation, people appreciate a personal touch They always have – but now more than ever.
With the right technology in relation to your email marketing efforts for example, you will be able to segment your contacts and nurture relationships in a more personal way, which just gives your guests the impression you’re not only on the ball but you care about their needs too. Email is also a great way to organise your guest data and put it to good use, something that is becoming more difficult since the recent change in relation to cookieless tracking
What does smart tech mean in practise? It could mean giving guests control over certain things by using their mobiles, like check in/check out, the lighting and temperature in their rooms. As well as saving energy costs, it makes things so much easier for everyone.
Utilising mobile as much as you can is also a smart decision given the huge growth we have seen and will continue to see in mobile.
Just remember our earlier warning - be smart about your smart tech!
Google Hotel Ads is a meta-search platform which displays your hotel rates in direct comparison to OTAs, enabling you to showcase your hotel on Google across multiple devices Using Google Hotel Ads will result in an increase in your direct traffic and revenue It will also allow you to own your guest data while sustaining a future relationship with guests – like we mentioned earlier, owning guest data is crucial to building loyalty.
Chatbots are great for convenience – for you and also for your guests. They absolutely have a place as part of your communication strategy - when used correctly. Whether it’s addressing queries immediately from customers in different time zones or answering a regular query you find you receive quite a lot, they can do the groundwork with a customer, but make sure guests are then able to access a staff member at a later stage if necessary, depending on whatever the query was.
In regards to ChatGPT, its benefits include:
Idea generation
Customer service
Data processing
Marketing
A new study suggests the popular chatbot ChatGPT can improve the productivity of workers and reduce skill inequalities.
ChatGPT can help to craft blog posts, social media copy, emails, and video scripts. For hotels, you should also consider using AI-generated replies for online reviews if you are struggling to dedicate time to this - it's so important you respond to all your reviews.
Read more about ChatGPT and how to use it as a hotelier here
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has also announced the launch of Llama 2, in partnership with Microsoft, which is the next generation of its AI large language model and (unlike ChatGPT and Google's Bard) has been released for free, for research and commercial use.
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Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo Unite as a Single Loyalty Program Driving Earn and Spend of OneKeyCash Across All Three Travel Apps
Vrbo First Major Vacation Rental Platform With Loyalty Program
New AI-powered Features Revolutionize How Travelers Plan and Shop a Trip
July 2023, NEW YORK CITY Expedia Group™ continues to innovate and lead the travel industry with the launch of One Key™. This groundbreaking new loyalty program unifies the company’s three flagship travel brands of Expedia®, Hotels com® and Vrbo®, and marks the first time a major online vacation rental platform will have a loyalty program
One Key combines the three industry-leading travel brands into one simple, flexible program, enabling travelers to earn and use rewards across Expedia Group’s vast marketplace of eligible flights, hotels, vacation homes, car rentals, cruises and activities. The ability to earn rewards on a Vrbo vacation rental and use them on a flight on Expedia or a hotel on Hotels.com creates endless travel possibilities for members and is a game changer for travel rewards programs. One Key is now live in the U.S. and will roll out globally, starting in 2024.
The company’s combined loyalty programs have more than 168 million members and have provided more than $10 billion in travel savings to date With the launch of One Key, Expedia Group plans to give millions more travelers access to savings, rewards and perks. The program is designed to benefit every traveler, and One Key members instantly save with access to compelling Member Prices on select flights, hotels, cruises, car rentals and activities. Members can also reach status quickly with One Key, with the ability to qualify for Silver with just one trip.* As travelers progress to higher membership tiers, they unlock deeper discounts and can enjoy great in-stay perks at VIP Access properties ** Gold and Platinum members can also take advantage of Price Drop Protection*** at no extra cost for eligible flight bookings made on the Expedia app Lastly, the One Key program has a single rewards currency called OneKeyCash™, which members earn when they travel and can use on future bookings in addition to all the savings and perks the program offers
“We’ve significantly increased the pace of innovation at Expedia Group over the past few years, allowing us to push the boundaries in tech, loyalty, and service From our industry-leading advancements in AI and machine learning to our flexible new loyalty program, One Key, no company is doing more to put the traveler experience front and center in everything we do,” said Peter Kern, Vice Chairman and CEO, Expedia Group.
“We designed One Key to reward every traveler — the road warriors, the frequent flyers, and the 83% of travelers who only take a few trips a year and never really benefit from other loyalty programs,” said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands “By bringing together our three biggest travel brands into one program, travelers can easily earn rewards across our family of brands So whether you fly, rent a car, stay at a hotel, or relax in a private vacation home, more travelers will have OneKeyCash in their ‘wallets’ to spend on their very next trip It’s about making travel rewards simple for everyone, not just because it’s sunny, a Tuesday, and the planets are miraculously in alignment.”
Leading the way in using advanced technologies to drive big traveler-first transformations and deliver high-value customers to partners, Expedia Group continues to build with AI to take the complexity out of planning and shopping for a trip with some new product features:
Conversational planning built with generative AI: Giving Expedia members a more intuitive way to start planning their next big trip, earlier this year the company launched conversational trip planning powered by ChatGPT in the Expedia iOS app. Early next month, it’ll also be available on the Expedia Android app, and some exciting new features have been added:
Building on more intelligent shopping, activities recommended in the conversation will automatically save to Trip Planner alongside hotels, making it easier for members to stay organized, add more trip items, and start looking into other aspects like availability.
Helping travelers to visualize their trip, later this summer hotels recommended during a conversation will also feature images and more accurate details such as price ranges and reviews from travelers
Enriching the conversational experience, later this summer Expedia members will be able to go back and continue the same conversation at any time, start a new conversation by choosing one of the suggested prompts, and even respond throughout a conversation by simply choosing a suggested response, bringing them one step closer to booking their dream trip.
Smart shopping: This AI-powered technology helps travelers take the stress out of finding their perfect stay with the launch of smart shopping for hotels on the com app This innovative solution helps travelers more easily compare and narrow down their hotel options when shopping in the app through features like:
A new hotel comparison tool that travelers can use to compare prices, ratings, amenities and more, side by side for up to five properties.
AI-powered recommendations that suggest the best room type for travelers based on 40 factors such as who’s traveling, where they’re going, and for how long.
An intuitive new way for travelers to personalize their stay with compelling extras like breakfast, parking and refundability, with a clear understanding of how much more each costs
Air credit redemption: Making it easier for travelers to shop and book a flight using their air credits, travelers can now simply log into their Expedia account to apply their air credit to an eligible flight in just a few clicks.
One Key is now available to Expedia, Hotels com and Vrbo customers in the U S Learn more about One Key and sign up here Travelers can start using conversational trip planning powered by ChatGPT, smart shopping for hotels and Air Credit Redemption now Download the Expedia and Hotels com apps today
Follow www expedia com/newsroom for the latest news from Expedia, Hotels com and Vrbo
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John Core, culinary nutrition lead and group business manager with catering and workplace services provider Sodexo Ireland, has won the inaugural Paula Mee Applied Culinary Nutrition Memorial Award from TU Dublin.
It was established earlier this year by the university’s School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology in memory of Paula, a well-known author and lecturer at the school, who was one of Ireland’s most prominent dieticians and food experts for the past two decades. It is only open to graduates, John Core among them, of the Master of Culinary Arts Applied Nutrition programme delivered on the university’s Tallaght Campus.
Annette Sweeney, senior lecturer in Culinary Arts and the master’s programme lead at TU Dublin, presented the Award to John Core at a recent celebration in Dublin. Annette said:
“The Paula Mee Applied Culinary Nutrition Memorial Award recognises excellence and showcases the application of culinary nutrition by graduates of the MSc in Culinary Arts Applied Nutrition, in their workplace, in their professional activities or research. It honours Paula’s passion for nutrition and the importance she placed on learning and sharing knowledge and in making a difference in the nutritional health of others.”
The ethos and research activity are focused on empowering students and graduates to creatively and confidently apply their learning to innovate food for health and wellness, in line with current food and dietary trends.
Commenting on his win, John Core said “I’m absolutely delighted as it such a huge honour to be the first to win this Award. I was fortunate enough to work with Paula while completing my master’s and to have my name associated with someone of her calibre is very high praise. I want to express my gratitude for the positive impact that she and the master’s programme has had upon my career. It has inspired and empowered me to pioneer new pathways for health through culinary nutrition for Sodexo’s clients and my work colleagues.”
John’s winning entry focused on the application of his learnings from the master’s programme for Sodexo Ireland clients, colleagues and communities. With a growing desire by employers to support employee’s health and wellbeing, John is supporting clients in Ireland, via a mix of workshops, webinars, blogs, and pop-up food concepts, to raise awareness of optimising nutrition in the workplace. For his colleagues, John designed and led Sodexo Ireland’s successful #FullyFuelled challenge, a 4-week programme based on the Mediterranean diet, complete with recipes and a weekly webinar, to encourage healthier eating patterns. John was also involved in the content development of a nutritionally sound series of video recipes for one of Sodexo's charity partners, Focus Ireland, designed to support families exiting homelessness.
The independent judging panel members, Dr Aileen McGloin (Director of Nutrition, Safefood) Nuala Collins (FSAI Reformulation Task force), Sylvia Thompson (The Irish Times), Dr Linda Shiue (USA) and Joshna Maharaj (Toronto), commended all finalists on the valuable contribution they are making to the health of others through their work.
Workplace services provider Sodexo Ireland employs 2,000 people on the island of Ireland. It is part of the global Sodexo Group, a world leader in delivering services that improve the quality of life to clients in business and industry, education, financial, pharma and healthcare. These include food services, infrastructure build, facilities and estate management, optimising the workplace experience, wellness experiences, personal and homecare services.
Coliving has had a rough start in Ireland. In 2018, regulations were introduced that allowed coliving schemes that provided 129 SF of living space per person, and a backlash ensued. As a result, in 2020, new coliving schemes were banned even though several schemes had already been approved for planning Those pre-ban schemes were allowed to progress But coliving offers a real opportunity amid a chronic housing shortage. As the first approved large scale coliving scheme opens its doors in Ireland and the debate around the ban continues, this is an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits that coliving can offer.
When the concept of coliving first arrived, it became an area of political debate primarily because of the size of the unit Objections hit the airwaves because nobody explained what the concept of coliving really is But in Ireland, the housing crisis is a perfect storm of supply and demand Coliving can be part of the solution
Leo Colgan, Co-Founder & Chief Growth OfficerThe concept of coliving is to provide compact studios for residents, while providing a larger proportion of shared amenities than in an apartment block, such as common living areas, kitchens and coworking spaces.
It provides the opportunity to provide homes amid the ongoing housing crisis In Q4 2022, the average rent of €1,733 per month was 13 7% above the same period the previous year In February 2023, there were 1,096 properties available to rent, down more than 20% on the previous year, while there were a record 11,600 homeless people.
At the moment, various living models are expanding as the sector attempts to create much-needed homes. Aparthotels and serviced living offer short-term accommodation, but due to the lack of renting options, many residents live there for much longer than schemes are designed to accommodate people, often months or even a year. This is the gap in the market that coliving could fill.
The tech sector, which brings international workers to Ireland, is a key target audience for coliving Workers for these firms might not need to be in Ireland for long and currently struggle to find a suitable place to live The lack of short- or medium-term options means they end up renting homes in suburban areas homes that could otherwise be rented by families or those living in Ireland permanently.
Essentially, coliving caters for a small percentage of the public who are otherwise forced into taking traditional housing stock off the market. This is the sort of housing stock that needs to be freed up.
Coliving also provides high-quality homes. While renting in a coliving scheme might cost more than renting a room in a house share, it includes everything from Wi-Fi, electricity and heating, to a gym, shared amenities and even a calendar of events
Leo calls it grown-up student accommodation “It’s not cheap, but it really is exceptional For young, single people who might work in a tech company, it provides everything they need ”
The first coliving scheme to open its doors has been developed by Bartra Group under the brand Niche Living, a scheme that gained planning permission before the ban came in.
IMS designed and delivered the building’s connectivity infrastructure, Wi-Fi network and TV, and audiovisual offering and will continue supporting the property on an ongoing basis. The partnership between IMS and Niche Living is more of a collaboration in putting the needs of the residents first Residents can connect their devices to their own network from anywhere in the building, which is a key part of the coliving concept
There are coworking spaces on every floor, which makes connectivity across the building essential A lot of people will be in these spaces, each with their own personal network. They want to have a home-from-home experience.
IMS is currently working on delivering our services in the next two Niche Living coliving schemes under construction in Dublin, which will open their doors in 2024. This article was produced in collaboration between IMS and Studio B Bisnow news staff Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow com was not involved in the production of this content
