Michael Davern Announced as New General Manager of The Marker Hotel
Formerly The K Club and Sandy Lane Resort
The Marker Hotel today announced the appointment of Michael Davern as its new General Manager. Michael takes over from Charlie Sheil who has been General Manager since the hotel opened its doors 2013. The Five Star property is located on Grand Canal Square in the heart of Dublin’s vibrant docklands.
With a career in hospitality spanning over 30 years, Michael Davern previously worked in Switzerland and the UK before joining the management team for the opening of the Five Star Kildare Hotel & Country Club now known as The K Club. After a decade of working in luxury resorts overseas Davern came back to The K Club in 2005 to become CEO & General Manager. He oversaw the successful staging of the Ryder Cup for the resort in 2006 achieving many other prestigious industry accolades until The K Club was sold in 2020.
Davern’s managerial experience includes a number of luxury international properties. In 1997 he was appointed General Manager at the Fancourt Hotel & Country Club in South Africa, a hotel popular with golfers. Fancourt was host to the prestigious Presidents Cup in 2003 and he oversaw the resorts hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Retreat there in 1999. Michael then moved to the Caribbean in 2002 to take up the role of General Manager at the world-famous Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados.
Speaking about his new role Davern said, “I am thrilled to be joining the team of The Marker and really looking forward to building on the success of this iconic landmark hotel and overseeing its re-brand to Anantara – a leading luxury hotel brand. The Marker is currently undergoing a significant upgrade of its bedrooms and suites, and we are excited to launch this and other additions to the hotel in the coming months.”
Davern’s industry accolades include being awarded Hotelier of the Year by Preferred Hotels & Resorts in 2016 and he was a long-standing member of their European and Global Advisory Board. He is also non-executive director of Fáilte Kildare and served on the economic advisory committee for County Kildare. Michael has used his recent short sabbatical to secure a certificate in Hotel Real Estate and Asset Management through Cornell University and a Master’s in Business and Hospitality through Shannon College of Hotel Management and NUI Galway.
The Marker celebrated being named the ‘Top Hotel in Ireland’ and one of the ‘Best Hotels in the World’ by the coveted Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2021 this month. A member of Leading Hotels of The World, this sleek contemporary landmark hotel overlooks the waterfront of Grand Canal Square. The award-winning brasserie showcases the best of modern Irish cuisine, while the rooftop bar draws crowds from across the city with its 360˚ views of the mountains and sea. The hotel has 187 guest rooms and suites and a luxurious spa with indoor infinity pool and extensive wet facilities. The Marker Hotel will become Anantara The Marker Dublin later in 2022, offering all the experiential luxury Anantara is renowned for.
For more information visit www.themarkerhotel.com
