Developer Seán Dunne is searching for a new manager of his Ballsbridge hotels after parting company with John Brennan, owner of the Park Hotel Kenmare, who reopened the Berkeley Court and Jurys hotels under the d4hotels brand late last year.
The termination of the agreement between Mr Brennan and Mr Dunne's company Mountbrook comes little more than a fortnight before planners in Dublin City Council rule on Mr Dunne's application for a major redevelopment of the site he amassed at a cost of €379 million in 2005. The city council will make its ruling on March 11th.
"The arrangement ceased last Monday," said a spokesman for Mr Dunne. "There has been an exchange of correspondence at this point."
Mr Brennan declined to comment publicly. He was recruited by Mr Dunne last September to reopen the Ballsbridge hotels, which had been closed down. The hotels, which employed some 385 staff before the closure, reopened in October with some 68 staff. The bar operations were franchised to publican Charlie Chawke and restaurateurs FX Buckley are operating the restaurant facilities under a franchise arrangement. Booking is conducted via a website.
It is believed that relations between Mountbrook and Mr Brennan's team deteriorated badly within the last fortnight.
Mr Dunne wants to build a mixed-use development on the site, with residential, retail, commercial, cultural and hotel buildings. His proposal includes an application to build a 37-storey tower block on the site.
He has characterised the proposed development as something akin to a "Knightsbridge" of Dublin.
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