New Regulations for Hotels

New Rules for Hotels as of 1st August 2016

New Regulations for the Registration and Renewal of Hotels came into force on 1st August 2016 by virtue of the Registration and Renewal of Registration Regulations for Hotels 2016.

The Regulations are issued by Failte Ireland under powers it has in the Tourist Traffic Acts to regulate the hotel industry.  Under those Acts and business wishing to call itself a hotel must be registered with Failte Ireland and therefore must conform to these Regulations.

The main changes contained in the new 2016 Regulations are as follows:

• Reduced Minimum Size of Guest Bedroom

Double/ Twin Rooms now have a minimum size of 14 square metres, Triple Rooms have a minimum size of 18 square metres and single rooms have a minimum of 12.50 square metres. This represents a substantial reduction in the minimum size of room and reflects the need for additional hotel rooms, particularly in the Dublin area. There is also a level of detail introduced in relation to toilet facilities and the standard of same.

• Compliance with Legislation

The 2016 Regulations clearly set out the legislative and regulatory compliance requirements of Hotels including the need to comply with food legislation, planning legislation, building regulations, fire safety regulations, licencing law, health and safety law and the Water Services Act 2013.

• Provision of Food and Drinks

The previous requirement to supply dinner to guests has been replaced with a requirement to provide food and drinks. This requirement will provide more flexibility to Hotels in its catering facilities.

• Alterations

The 2016 Regulations provide that where building works have been carried out on the premises since 1992, a fire safety certificate must be provided along with a certificate of compliance from an architect or engineer when making an application for registration. Where there is a material alteration to the building, the new fire safety certificate along with the certificate of compliance must be submitted with the next renewal application to Failte Ireland.

The above changes show a desire to improve the flexibility of hotel businesses and the intention to ensure a greater degree of compliance with laws. It provides a greater degree of certainty for hotel owners and for those seeking to develop hotels.