Staycations to the rescue for historic Belmullet hotel
IN last Tuesday's print edition Tom Gillespie caught up with Dave Tyrell of the Western Strands Hotel in Belmullet about how his business has been impacted by Covid this year, staycations, and plans for the future. That story is featured below.
Of course, the new Level 3 restrictions have since come into operation and the business has had to close its doors for the second time this year to comply with government regulations.
The good news is that they continue to provide a takeaway menu on Fridays and Saturdays. You get keep up to date on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Western-Strands-100142801429494.
And there's lots to look forward too in the future, as Tom reports here:
THE Western Strands Hotel in the heart of Belmullet has a proud record covering five generations in the Erris capital.
Last November, the Main Street business was taken over by Co. Offaly native Dave Tyrrell, who has 15 years experience in Belmullet in the hospitality sector.
As well as the hotel, Dave also runs Wavesweeper Sea Adventures - a family run soft adventure company based on the Erris peninsula.
Dave told me: "After 15 years with the Broadhaven Hotel the opportunity came late last year to lease The Western Strands.
"I came in in November, got through Christmas, did a little bit of work on the place and then we were closed in March because of Covid-19.
"We got up and running for a bit of takeaway and after five or six weeks we realised this was more serious than we realised.
"But there were big promotions for staycations. We held our course and we opened up when we were permitted.
"We opened on the Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and then opened Thursday and into the weekend. We didn’t get a chance to draw our breaths until the beginning of September. We were fairly busy with food and staycations."
There are 10 bedrooms in the hotel, which employs a staff of 18.
Dave added: "There is a huge local loyalty to the hotel. We have put a beer garden out the back. We changed all the furniture around. We put a new bar counter in the lounge which was painted and wallpapered. However, the front bar hasn’t opened yet.
"The staycations this year has helped us.
"We should be an awful lot busier just it's a different busy. Our wet trade would be down but the food trade is up.
"We are coming into a quieter period now so we are pushing a new menu, including lobster civiche. The new menu has a focus on seafood.
"We have established quite a good name for cocktails with fresh fruit, with a big emphasis on presentation.
"It is uncharted territory now looking forward. We are trying to get our heads around Christmas now. We will be starting a Thursday night a month for cocktail making classes.
“We are putting a huge effort into a new website that will carry the two businesses and hopefully we will get them to work together.
"We hope to have a reception here next summer whereby we can have a consignee service where we can hire out soft boards, book activities and fishing trips."
Wavesweeper Sea Adventures offer a host of different experiences and cater for families and groups of all sizes and ages.
Dave continued: "Belmullet boasts 12 Discovery Points and we offer clients access to all of these points from the land and the sea."
Activities, he said, include island tours, sightseeing tours and thrill rides, or snorkelling in any of the secluded bays for an exciting adventure in a whole new world.
He went on: "Coasteering around the rugged Erris coastline offers thrill seekers a new high. Both Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven Bay are home to 39 different species of fish, including blue shark and tope. If reef fishing is what you are into, or you fancy chasing something bigger, we will take you to the marks only known to the locals. All our boats, guides and instructors are fully licensed and insured.
"We are in the process of finishing off the year and the beer garden will open on to an area where we have Wavesweeper Sea Adventures. We do all sorts of water activities - surfing lessons, kayaking, snorkelling, stand-up paddle boarding.
"We are covered by insurance to do rental and we have got a lot of new equipment, including buoyancy aids and helmets. We plan to have two dressing rooms and a shower room so we will be able to work the whole lot from here.
"We hope to have a reception here at the hotel next summer whereby we can have a consignee service where visitors can hire out equipment, book activities and fishing trips.