Riverside marks 20 years in business
THERE were great celebrations at The Riverside Park Hotel yesterday as staff and management marked two decades at the centre of the Enniscorthy community.
The hotel is almost unrecognisable now from when it first opened its doors twenty years ago and owner Colm Neville has continually invested to upgrade facilities.
When the Riverside first began welcoming guests, it was a three star Fáilte Ireland Hotel with 60 bedrooms employing 60 people. Since then it has grown and grown and it is now one of the highest regarded four star hotels in the South East with 100 bedrooms and 204 staff.
Six years after opening, the Riverside Leisure Club was added along with the Alamo Steakhouse.
Staff numbers hit 100 in 2008 and the penthouse suite was added before the Riverside officially achieved four star status in 2011. Further major extensions followed in 2014 with the addition of 20 bedrooms and The Seamus Rafter Suite and last year this work continued with the expansion of the Prom Bar and another 22 bedrooms.
The hotel has been the scene of quite a bit of romance over the years as well and over 2,000 wedding couples have celebrated their big day there, the hotel recently scooping South East Wedding Venue of the Year for 2017 and completely transforming the magnificent Hilton Edwards Ballroom this year.
General Manager at the hotel Jim Maher said that they are delighted to have reached the twenty year mark and is delighted that there are still six members of staff at the hotel who have been there since the hotel opened.
‘We are really looking forward to celebrating this milestone,’ he said. ‘It is with great pride that we have grown our employee numbers from 60 to over 200 and we are delighted to be able to have six staff that have being here since the very minute the doors open until today - Head Chef Dave Anderson, Chefs Tom Croke, John Roche, Mary Pepper and Bar Supervisor Caroline Rowe.’
Jim says that the hotel has been lucky to have hard-working and dedicated staff over the years, as well as loyal customers who have been coming to the hotel at the side of the Slaney since ‘98. Over the coming months, the hotel is to have numerous celebratory offers and management hope that customers enjoy the festivities and look forward to welcoming them through the doors for another twenty years to come!