Date for Dublin's Four Seasons

Four Seasons has announced an opening date for its delayed five-star hotel in Dublin.

Construction work is due to be finished by the end of the year, with the building scheduled to open in early February - almost a year later than planned.

The 259-bedroom hotel, in the Ballsbridge area of the city, has been dogged with problems.

In August the receivers were called in after the developers, Simmonscourt Holdings and Harvard Properties, ran up huge building costs.

The following month Four Seasons said it was investing its own money in the hotel, which it will operate when open (Caterer, 14 September, page 8).

General manager John Brennan said: "Obviously, we are disappointed we could not open on time. It has caused problems."

Guests who had booked to stay at the hotel had to be moved to other hotels.