Hotel group, Jurys Doyle, has released interim results for the six months to 30 June showing turnover down 6.5 per cent to 123.7m euros but pre-tax profits up 0.3 per cent to 25.2m euros.

The company said the results were satisfactory and achieved against a background of continued global economic and political uncertainty and the impact of SARS on long-haul traffic into London.

A further factor was the appreciation of the euro against both the US dollar and sterling, which resulted in lower euro translated profits.

Within the hotels division, the group’s 4 and 5-star sites in Ireland saw a small increase in overall occupancy levels, as did its hotels in Bristol and Cardiff. However, lower occupancy levels were experienced at its London hotels – compared with the same period last year – reflecting the weakness of the market in the capital generally.

The Jurys Inn division reported another good trading performance, with Irish occupancy levels remaining above 80 per cent. In the UK, occupancy levels were in line with those for the same period last year.

During the period, the company announced the sale of two Dublin hotels, Jurys Green Isle and Jurys Tara, which realised a combined pre-tax profit of Euro3.6m.

The 274-room Jurys Inn Newcastle opened on 14 February and trading up to the end of June was said to be "very satisfactory" with profit performance ahead of expectations.

In January, plans were announced for the opening in summer 2004 of a new 253-room Jurys Inn in Dublin’s Parnell Street and construction is now underway.

The following month the group announced an investment of 34m euro in a new 340-room Jurys Inn at London’s Heathrow Airport – scheduled to open in early 2005 – and in June plans were revealed for a new Jurys Inn in Southampton. The 257-room hotel is expected to open in early 2005.

Since the year end the new 321-room Jurys Inn at Glasgow opened on 22 August. The group is said to be "encouraged by the initial customer response".

Looking ahead to 2004, good progress is being made with the construction of new Jurys Inn developments in Leeds and Chelsea and with the 4-star Jurys Boston Hotel in the USA. These are all scheduled to open in the first half of the year.

The group anticipates that its performance in the second half of the year will be satisfactory. Details: www.jurysdoyle.com