Hotel EBITDAR per available room : Dublin vs Regional Hotels
Ireland's hotel sector has plenty to be positive about. Occupancy remains strong nationally, demand from domestic and international visitors continues to hold up, and hotels across the country, from Dublin's city centre to the regions, are performing well in a competitive market. But when you look at hotel profitability, a clear and consistent pattern emerges between Dublin and Regional Ireland, one that has is vital for how regional hotels manage costs and maximise revenue.
Here is what we will cover:
What the Crowe hotel industry reports tell us about Dublin and Regional Ireland
Hotel EBITDAR per available room: Dublin versus Regional Ireland
The revenue sales mix behind hotel profitability
ADR and RevPAR: comparing room rate performance
A smart opportunity in hotel energy efficiency
What Crowe’s Hotel Industry Reports Tell Us About Dublin and Regional Ireland
Crowe Ireland produce detailed benchmarking data on the performance of hotels across the country, drawing on their Annual Hotel Industry Survey and subsequent market briefings. Their most recent Irish Hotel Market Briefing, presented alongside JLL in January 2026, offers a clear year-on-year comparison of how Dublin hotels are performing against hotels in Regional Ireland.
Both Dublin and Regional Ireland have shown resilience and recovery in recent years, with EBITDAR profit per room in both markets rebounding strongly from the disruption of 2020. That said, the data also shows a consistent gap between Dublin and Regional Ireland that is worth understanding, particularly for hotel owners and operators outside the capital looking to strengthen their margins.
Hotel EBITDAR per Available Room: Dublin versus Regional Ireland
Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, Amortisation and Rent, is one of the most widely used measures of hotel profitability, as it reflects how much a hotel is actually earning from its operations before financing and property costs come into play.
According to Crowe's Annual Hotel Surveys, Dublin hotels achieved an EBITDAR profit per available room margin of 30.9% in 2024 . Regional Ireland, by comparison, achieved an EBITDAR Profit per available room of 15.0% over the same period.
This is a consistent gap. Looking at the ten-year trend, Dublin's EBITDAR margin has generally sat in the 30 to 34% range in typical trading years, while Regional Ireland has generally sat in the mid-teens. In practical terms, Dublin hotels are converting roughly double the share of their revenue into profit compared to regional hotels. That does not mean regional hotels are underperforming, it simply means they are working with a tighter margin on every room sold, which makes cost efficiency an especially valuable lever for regional properties to pull.
The Revenue Sales Mix Behind Hotel Profitability
Part of the explanation for this margin gap lies in where hotel revenue actually comes from. In Dublin, approximately 35% of total hotel revenue comes from food and beverage and other departmental sources, with the remainder driven by room revenue. In Regional Ireland, that figure rises to approximately 56% of total revenue coming from food and beverage and other departmental sources.
This tells us something important about how regional hotels operate. With a smaller share of revenue coming from rooms alone, regional hotels rely much more heavily on their restaurants, bars, and other on-site services to build a viable, profitable business. Food and beverage is not simply a nice-to-have for a regional hotel, it is often central to the guest experience and to the hotel's overall commercial performance.
ADR and RevPAR: Comparing Room Rate Performance
Room performance metrics tell a similar story. According to Crowe and JLL's most recent figures, Dublin hotels recorded a 2025 estimated occupancy of 83.2%, an average daily rate (ADR) of €178, and a RevPAR (revenue per available room) of €148. Regional Ireland recorded occupancy of 72.8%, an ADR of €153, and a RevPAR of €112 over the same period.
Regional hotels are performing solidly here too, and the gap in ADR is smaller than the gap in occupancy, which speaks well of regional pricing power. But the combined effect of lower occupancy and a lower ADR means regional hotels are generating less revenue per available room than Dublin hotels, which reinforces why food and beverage plays such a central role in the regional hotel model, and why every operational cost matters just a little more outside the capital.
Hotel Energy management for regional hotels is a key profit conversion strategy
With food and beverage carrying so much of the revenue and profit story for regional hotels, it is worth remembering that kitchens, bars, and restaurants are also among the most energy-intensive parts of any hotel. Refrigeration, cooking equipment, and extended service hours all draw on energy throughout the day. That means this revenue stream for regional hotels carries larger operational costs.
Given the tighter margins regional hotels are working with, hotel energy efficiency offers is a vital way to protect profitability without affecting the guest experience. Simple steps, from energy management systems in hotels that track usage across kitchens and back-of-house areas, to more efficient kitchen equipment and smarter heating controls, can all help reduce hotel energy costs over time. For regional hotels in particular, where every percentage point of margin counts a little more, this is an opportunity well worth exploring.
At Watt Footprint, we help hotels across Ireland identify practical energy efficiency opportunities suited to how they actually operate. If that sounds useful for your property, we would be glad to have a conversation.
Hospitality Energy Efficiency
