How an unyielding vision brought The Armada ashore

This year’s winners of the Local Business Award, the Armada Hotel at Spanish Point’s story is one of ambition, opportunity, sustainability and good old-fashioned entrepreneurship.

In recent months The Armada Hotel in west Co Clare won Local Business of the Year at The Irish Times Businessperson of the Year Awards, an award category sponsored by Bank of Ireland.

Armada Hotel, located in the picturesque Spanish Point, Co Clare, has established itself as one of Ireland’s premier hospitality destinations for over 55 years. Under the leadership of CEO John Burke, the hotel has demonstrated resilience, innovation, and a strong commitment to providing exceptional guest experiences.

Despite the economic challenges of recent years, Armada Hotel continued to invest in its long-term growth. A €3m redevelopment project, which created 100 new jobs, was a clear example of the hotel’s commitment to reinvestment and future-proofing its operations.

The business competed in the category against other successful Irish SMEs that included ATC Compute Transportation & Logistics, Fíbín Media Teo and National Beauty Distribution.

An unrelenting pursuit of excellence

There is something about the story of the Burkes of Spanish Point that centres on self-belief, blind faith and just going for it.

The Armada Hotel began life as a shebeen pub out the road from Milltown Malbay in 1968 when John’s father Johnny Burke wanted to buy a pub. But, because there were no available or affordable pubs to buy in the village, he discovered an old shebeen for sale at Spanish Point. There was something in his vision because the old shebeen was actually a remnant from what had been a 19^th century luxury spa hotel that attracted generations of Irish and English gentry but eventually became lost to time.

Zoom forward decades later and John – a man who in recent years conquered Everest – is running what is once again a luxury hotel with more than 100 rooms on the same site including those in a nearby luxury manor house. Not only that, but it is an outlier for sustainability having attained B Corp status in 2023, making it the first Irish hotel to ever do so thanks t its dedication to social and environmental responsibility.

In 2023, Armada Hotel reported record revenues of €13.23m, marking a 13% increase from €11.69m in 2022. Operating profits rose by 18% to €2m during the same period.

At the Irish Times Businessperson of the Year Awards in whcih The Armada Hotel emerged as Local Business of the Year were: Frank Minogue, general manager, Armada Hotel; Bernard Cahill, head of Impact and Brand at Armada Hotel; Bank of Ireland CEO of Corporate & Commercial Banking John Feeney and Noralynne Murrihy, director of Rooms at the Armada Hotel

The hotel has garnered several prestigious awards and accolades, underscoring its commitment to excellence, including Best Four-Star Hotel in Ireland (2023). At the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Awards, Armada Hotel was honoured as the best four-star hotel in the country, highlighting its exceptional hospitality and service. The hotel was also named Supreme Winner at the Gold Medal Awards (2019) in recognition its outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry.

“My dad wanted to buy a pub in Milltown Malbay, but the pubs were booming back then and none were available. He worked in the factory and he saved everything he had to get his hands on the old shebeen at Spanish Point. He said ‘I have a vision for that place. Wait and see, there will be a hotel out there’. Of course, people laughed at him. But that joke became a reality.”

Bit by bit, Johnny Burke added elements like a function room that doubled as a nightclub and made the location a key fixture for the revival of Irish music in the 1970s and 1980s. “My mum and dad were very hard-working and very committed. We lived above the pub as a family and in the 1980s he embarked on an extension and the first wedding, the first of many, took place in 1982.”

Rising to the challenge

Like all good entrepreneurs, Johnny Burke learned to work with what he had. Adding a lounge bar and attracting live music, he made use of the fact that he had ample parking unlike the bars in the nearby village and The Armada became a mainstay of the burgeoning country music scene that was gaining ground in Ireland at the time. The pub in time became a bed and breakfast and soon it was a popular wedding venue.

“When we started hosting weddings, the plan was to host 12 weddings a year. This year we are going to be doing 145 weddings on site this year,” John Burke said.

“PJ Murrihy, one of Ireland best-known singer-songwriters, was the first live act my dad ever booked after a customer recommended he give a young lad from down the road a chance. PJ comes back every July as part of our country music nights.

“Just to give you an idea of how things were back then, to advertise the venue my dad would cycle through Milltown Malbay shouting ‘there’s a hoolie on tonight.’”

The 1990s and 2000s were a period of expansion for The Armada, with the number of rooms growing to 61 in 2001, 86 by 2008 and today over 100 rooms across the properties as well as a camper van passion project.

During this period of expansion, John Burke trained in hotel management at Shannon College of Hotel Management. When his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Burke was thrown in at the deep end in 1999 as a fresh new graduate and had to learn the ropes.

The Armada Hotel has grown gradually over the years to become one of the most in-demand getaway locations in Ireland, making good use of its scenic location as well as providing outdoor activities that include hiking, golfing, and surfing.

During the Covid-19 pandemic the hotel pivoted to become a focal point for the staycation market. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Armada Hotel continued to invest in its long-term growth. A major €3m redevelopment project, which created 100 new jobs, was a clear example of the hotel’s commitment to reinvestment and future-proofing its operations. By diversifying its services and targeting a broader customer base, including corporate clients and event bookings, Armada Hotel successfully navigated the economic downturn and set the stage for recovery post-pandemic.

Today, Armada Hotel is recognised for its outstanding service, luxurious accommodations, and its vital role in the local economy.

To hear John Burke tell it, the Armada Hotel story is about survival against the odds. “Coming out of the financial crisis was really difficult for hotels across Ireland. We have spent the last few decades focusing on standards of customer care.”

During the lockdown period of the pandemic the business innovated, launching cocktail boxes and pre-prepared meal kits that were sold nationwide as well as a local food delivery service, a fish and chips truck, a coffee dock, a pizzeria … everything to keep the lights on.

“We absolutely thrived in that moment. For a few weeks it was grim with people being laid off and requests for wedding deposits to be returned and this was before there were Government supports available. To get cash flow going again we started selling food through the window. I remember at one point ringing my mother to run into town to buy frozen peas because we had run out because demand was so high.

“Our reaction to the challenge was to keep moving forward no matter what. And the amazing thing was the reaction we were getting. There was a huge sense of satisfaction. We went from struggling to fighting fit. It became a very powerful moment for the team.

“We have an amazingly loyal customer base and our customers believe in the brand. There’s real value and we enjoy the trust of the community, our regular guests as well as past wedding couples who really feel like we’re a part of their life. Every weekend, for example, we could have 10 or 12 wedding anniversaries coming to stay with us.”

Creativity and sustainability

Much of the innovation learned during the pandemic remains with the hotel to this day, including the outdoors coffee dock and a seafood truck. “We have really embraced the outdoors. When the weather is good we’ll have a DJ on the back lawn. It’s about creating positive experiences for people and enhancing their experiences. On a sunny day they can be outside enjoying an ice cream or sipping a porn star martini and watching the sun going down while the DJ plays nice tunes. It’s all about the experience.”

Under Burke’s leadership, The Armada has managed to double turnover since 2019. “There are setbacks but there are massive leaps forward as well. Our winter staff numbers are about 208 people on the payroll, whereas in 2019 it would have been 100 or less. We’ve invested in creating a lot of specialist roles. It’s about sustaining the momentum and we’re not looking to grow at an aggressive rate.

“But we are looking to become better and better at what we do. We want to grow our standards, grow our quality and hopefully as a result increase customer spend and that’s where our strategy is right now.

“Sustainability is at the heart of our vision. We are right beside the ocean and we were one of the first hotel businesses in Ireland to go entirely plastic-free in our rooms. Decarbonising the business is a huge project. We have invested in air to water and air to air systems, solar installations and we’ve converted two of our three kitchens to fully electric. This is not only better for the environment but it is safer for the team and creates a much better work environment.

“We have our own farm 2.5km up the road and we bring our own raw produce into the kitchen. Everything from composting coffee grounds to taking waste out of the system to growing vegetables we can bring into our own restaurant is key. Buying local is a huge part of our sustainability strategy. 80% of our suppliers would be local by B Corp standards.”

The Armada’s longstanding relationship with Bank of Ireland, Burke says is integral to how the business developed over the years and in particular its expansion of recent years. “They understand what we’re trying to achieve as a business and they are genuinely excited by our plans and supportive of our ambitions.”

‘We in Bank of Ireland are delighted to have been on this exciting journey with John and the team in the Armada Hotel since 2018,” said Mick Ryan, head of Business Banking, Mid-West, at Bank of Ireland.

“We have seen first-hand the level of hard work, commitment and attention to detail that goes into every business decision/direction John and the team embark upon. The emphasis on supporting local businesses and community is always first and foremost, as is the continuous enhancement of the Hotel experience for all of the Armada customers.

“This unrelenting pursuit of excellence combined with the breathtaking location that the Armada Hotel enjoys at Spanish Point is a winning formula for John and the proud team at Armada Hotel,” Ryan added.

Burke is mindful that he represents the next generation of The Armada and wants to protect his parents’ legacy.

“We want to constantly improve our product offering. We want to invest in our people and their skills and expertise. We value the people who’ve been with us on this journey and at the same time we want to introduce new talent and skills and creativity.”

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