This three-star brand prides itself on central locations and being green, finds Liat Clark.
Who are they?
A three-star city-centre brand with 31 properties in destinations such as Dublin, London and Manchester. Its Superior rooms, launched in June, offer extras such as free high-speed internet and a discount on food and drink.
Where in the UK?
Jurys’ history can be traced back to 1893, when founder William Jury opened a hostel in Dublin. A century later, the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group had 18 properties and decided to launch budget brand Jurys Inn in two Dublin locations. The three-star chain has added to its portfolio nearly every year since and now has 31 hotels across the UK and Ireland, as well as one in Prague, having broken away from the Doyle Group in 2007.
Its Irish representation includes three Dublin branches and one each in Limerick, Belfast, Cork and Galway. In England and Scotland you will be hard pushed not to find one in a major city, with Jurys Inns in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, two in London (in Islington and Imperial Wharf, near the King’s Road) and one at Heathrow.
“The budget hotel sector was experiencing rapid growth [in 2000] and Jurys Inn was part of that,” says Gill Harris, sales and marketing director. “We went through a rapid expansion phase and, even through quite challenging times, there was gradual growth.” Recent additions to the portfolio include Newcastle Gateshead, which was set to launch in late August, and Bradford, open since last year.
The hotels are all based in city centres and are a short walk or taxi ride from central rail stations.
What are the hotels like?
With the exception of the 445-room Birmingham property, all the hotels were newly built by Jurys Inn. Even the Birmingham hotel, which was acquired from the Chamberlain Group in 2001, is only 13 years old. Guestrooms start from 22 sqm and all have large TVs (some are flatscreen), high-speed internet (£10 for 24 hours), tea and coffee-making facilities and ample workspace, while public facilities include a restaurant and bar/coffee shop. Most have between 200 and 400 rooms – only the Galway and Cork branches come in at under 150 beds.
The brand claims it offers four-star quality at three-star prices because of the introduction of its paid-for in-room high-speed internet, wifi in public areas and receptions staffed 24 hours – though bear in mind that budget brands such as Travelodge and Premier Inn also offer this. According to Harris, Jurys Inn established this identity in the marketplace after parting ways with the Doyle Group and being bought by Quinlan Private (now known as Avestus), now a joint owner with Oman Investment.
“We saw it needed repositioning in that mid-market space because the product really is good quality,” she says. “We wanted to express this to people who were new to the brand – to give them everything they’d expect from a higher standard of hotel but at a price point that allowed them to save money. It’s about investing in the things that matter – the quality of the bedrooms, having a good working space, wifi in all our hotels and spacious lobbies where people can have business meetings.”
Are they for business travellers?
Based on location alone, Jurys Inn is a real contender. Its Birmingham hotel is a five-minute walk from the 8,000-capacity International Convention Centre and the 321-room Glasgow hotel is next to the station. There are meeting rooms (270 in total) in all but five of the properties, and on its website bookers can select a hotel and immediately see a handy room capacity grid. The Milton Keynes property has the largest event capacity, with one room accommodating 400 delegates theatre-style. Some hotels have PCs for guest use, but this is not widespread.
Is there a loyalty scheme?
Jurys Rewards was relaunched at the end of last year for corporate bookers and there is an individual guest scheme by the same name. Bookers start earning after reserving 15 rooms in a year, with every night (booked at the corporate or best available rate) worth five points. They can be exchanged for free nights and high-street vouchers redeemable at shops and restaurants in the UK, including John Lewis and Marks and Spencer.
Individuals can earn for themselves, and for the corporate scheme if they sign up independently. There are three tier levels for individuals (who earn according to how much they spend – ten points for every pound), with ten separate stays in one year earning extra benefits such as free mineral water, discounts on food and drink and, for more than 40 stays, free internet.
Similar benefits are available to guests booking the new Superior rooms, launched in June across all properties. For £20 extra a night (the rate for a London room in October is £109) guests get free internet, early check-in, upper-floor rooms, an iron and ironing board, a free newspaper, free still and sparkling water, and 10 per cent off food and drink.
Tell me the good news…
The portfolio is constantly being upgraded, with the Manchester, Islington, Belfast and Custom House Dublin branches all refurbished in the past few years. Between 2009 and mid-2011, some £20 million was spent on upgrading the public areas and refreshing room décor in these properties, and the newly opened hotels. Facilities such as beds and desks have been left untouched to keep room rates down. The process is ongoing, and older hotels such as Birmingham and Croydon are having work done in their bedrooms. Refurbishments occur in some of the hotels each year to help keep them all at a similar standard.
The brand is committed to improving its carbon footprint and all of the hotels have been awarded a gold Green Tourism Business Scheme award (except Jurys Inn Limerick, which holds a silver award, and the Newcastle branch, which is awaiting grading). According to Harris, it’s not just about cost saving, although they are monitoring energy usage. “It’s about engaging [employees] in what we’re trying to do, so we can deliver strong results on recycling and local initiatives,” she says.
And the bad…
Internet is paid for, and although there is wifi in every hotel it’s only in the public spaces. The properties also lack business centres and PCs for public use. While all the hotels are city-centre, London could do with a more central property for business, such as in the City.
Future plans?
Wifi is being rolled out across all guestrooms and Harris tentatively predicts completion within a year – it will still be paid for, however. Expansion is also planned, with a Portsmouth hotel due to open next year and planning permission granted for an extension to the 229-room Islington branch that will roughly double the room count.
Otherwise, “it’s really about getting second and third sites in the bigger cities”, Harris says. It is looking to add rooms in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and is working on adding another London property (the location is under wraps).
Where can I learn more?
The website, jurysinns.com, is easy to navigate and facts and figures on meeting spaces are clearly visible. The link to the loyalty programme is in small print at the bottom of the homepage.
