Ten years ago, on 3 March 2012, Anthony Moloney and his wife Deirdre, came back to Doolin in Co. Clare to take over the family hostel near the Cliffs of Moher. It was not a busy night, only three backpackers and takings of €43.05. Now the Doolin Hostel is the award-winning Doolin Inn by, “improving a little every day,” said Anthony.
The Doolin Inn – Congratulations on 10 Years
The couple started out with a little luck, a great opportunity, lots of reinvestment, and a lot of hard work. They revitalised the Doolin Hostel quickly into a top-class sustainable hostelling experience. By 2016 they took their next step and added 5,000sq ft extension and converted the main hostel into the Doolin Inn. Which is now a modern country house inn.
For the next couple of years, the focus was on increasing the quality from budget accommodation to a high-quality experience. By 2019, all rooms in both buildings were redeveloped with a sustainable approach to the standard of a 4-star guesthouse/family-run boutique hotel.
New Restaurant at Doolin Inn
With the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020, they met the challenge head-on and opened a restaurant on-site. The restaurant had a focus on flavour and friendly service, showcasing the best of what the Burren and Co. Clare has to offer, under the guidance of Chef Tomas Walsh from Ennis.
The Doolin Inn went from strength to strength, and has received many awards for their sustainable approach, customer service, and quality. In 2021 the Doolin Inn was rated in the Top 10 Inns in Ireland by Tripadvisor.
Starting as a team of two, the Doolin Inn now operates year-round with a team of 20. There are more projects and ambitions in the pipeline and the Doolin Inn is looking to hire and increase the team. The proudest achievement to date is creating year-round meaningful jobs for the Burren region. Doolin is famous for its traditional music and as the ferry port for the Aran Islands.
“As our business has grown, our team has grown with us, and our success is very much intertwined,” said Anthony. He, Deirdre, and the team are looking forward to the next 10 years and more. travel2ireland wishes them all the best for the future and continuing success in providing a first-class Irish welcome for visitors to Clare.
