Patrick Dempsey, former managing director of Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants, is to become a non-executive director of Dublin-based serviced apartment operator Staycity.
Dempsey joins Staycity at a time of significant growth for the company. Its current estate of apartments and aparthotels stands at 1,000 across eight European cities, but an active development pipeline will see this number rise to 1,800 by the end of 2016, with a further 1,500 underway.
Staycity intends to expand to some 10,000 apartments across Europe by 2020.
Staycity CEO Tom Walsh said: “It’s a real coup to secure Patrick as a member of our board of directors. His formidable experience and expertise will be of immense benefit to Staycity as we forge ahead with the expansion of our business.
“In addition to his board commitment, Patrick has agreed to give more time to working with me on strategy. As a result of a personal investment in the business, he will also become a minority shareholder.”
During his 10 years with Whitbread, which is a FTSE 50 company, Dempsey was credited with doubling the size of its Premier Inn brand to some 60,000 rooms, turning it into Britain’s largest and best-known hotel company.
His distinguished career in the hotel business began at Forte, where he become managing director of the Posthouse chain as well as the London Forte hotels division. In 2001 he was appointed CEO of Compass-owned Restaurant Associates UK & Ireland.
In 2004 Dempsey joined Whitbread as managing director of Marriott in the UK, becoming managing director for Premier Inn in 2005. In 2009 he was appointed managing director of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants as well as joining the main board as executive director.
Dempsey, one of the UK’s most highly respected hoteliers, was appointed OBE in 2012 for services to the industry.
“Staycity is one of the leading operators in the exciting and expanding serviced apartment sector,” commented Patrick Dempsey. “I am looking forward to getting to know the business further and helping take it forward to strengthen its foothold in Europe.”
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For further information please contact:
Linda Pettit, Tilburstow Media Partners
Linda@tilburstowmedia.co.uk
Tel: +44 13 4283 2866 / Mob: +44 79 7378 9853
About Staycity
Staycity is a privately held company with headquarters in Dublin, offering quality short-term apartment and aparthotel lettings in city centre locations. By Summer 2016, Staycity will operate over 1,800 apartments in 15 properties across 10 European cities including Birmingham, Dublin, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Covent Garden, London Heathrow, London Greenwich, Lyon, Manchester, Marseille, Paris and Amsterdam.
All properties feature 24-hour reception with many offering private car parking facilities on site as well as providing fully equipped kitchens with dining area, sitting area and bathroom. Additional apartment features include complimentary Wi-Fi access and flat screen TV while weekly housekeeping is also included. Ideal for both short and long term use, all properties come with a high emphasis on comfort and convenience.
In 2015 Staycity was inducted into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, having won a Certificate of Excellence award for its Birmingham (Arcadian Centre) and Dublin (Saint Augustine Street) locations for five consecutive years.
CEO Tom Walsh founded Staycity in 2004, with his brother Ger. www.staycity.com