A LITTLE over two years after opening the doors of their exclusive Residence private members club on Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green, the Stokes twins, Simon and Christian, have left the building for the final time.
In a recent note to members announcing management changes at Residence, new owner Olivia Gaynor Long recorded her “gratitude to both Simon and Christian Stokes, who are no longer part of the Residence team going forward”.
“We wish them every success in the future,” the businesswoman added.
Ms Gaynor Long took control of Residence in July, taking the company out of receivership.
At the time of the deal it was announced that the Stokes brothers would remain with Residence as employees.
The intention was to leverage their relationships with existing members and utilise their skills in a front-of-house capacity at the club. However, a decision was taken recently for the two sides to part company.
On July 22nd, around the time Ms Gaynor Long took over the business, the brothers circulated an e-mail about membership with the contact details of members included in the communication. This was a source of embarrassment for the club and its new owners.
Ms Gaynor Long has moved to bolster the management team at Residence.
Seamus Dooley, a former general manager of the Chateau Marmont Club in Los Angeles, will take over as general manager.
Marie Chawke, who was general manager at the five-star Aghadoe Heights hotel in Co Kerry, will be executive director of business development. Both will join the club at the end of this month.
Ms Gaynor Long has already appointed Derek Phillips as chief financial officer.
In her note to members yesterday, Ms Gaynor Long said the new owners were “planning significant upcoming investment” in the “members’ experience” to enhance the service and “exclusivity for you”.
Residence opened in the summer of 2008 to much hype following a €3 million investment in the prime St Stephen’s Green property, which is owned by property developer Johnny Ronan.
However, the Stokes brothers lost control of the business after Missford Ltd, the holding company for Residence, ran up debts of about €4 million.
Members’ fees at Residence have since been slashed to €850 a year to generate new business.
The Stokes brothers also ran Bang Cafe on Merrion Row, but this business went into liquidation. It has since reopened under new ownership.
No comment was available from them yesterday.
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