The Killarney Park Hotel is one of the finest luxury hotels in Ireland. Perfectly located in the heart of Killarney town centre, set in mature grounds and framed by the legendary surroundings of Killarney National Park, this is a Five Star Hotel really like no other.

We were lucky enough to have a sit down with Marcus Treacy the Operations Manager of this luxury family run property, which is a member of leading hotels of the world.

What’s your background in Hospitality and what led you to this position?

Growing up in a family business, hospitality has been engrained into me from a young age, from when I was about 8 years old I was stocking the bar in the Ross Hotel (our sister property) and then I went onto working in the hotel for summers while I was in school. I was lucky enough to study in Shannon College of Hotel Management and completed a 4-year hotel management programme.

I worked in the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva as part of my placement and then I went onto the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York where I was Assistant Director of Food & Beverage. After New York I started to take the steps to move closer to home and was very lucky to join the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin as Director of Food & Beverage for 18 months before finally making the leap back to Killarney as operations manager of the Killarney Park Hotel.

Tell us a typical day in the life of an Operations Manager?

Operations in the Killarney Park Hotel is very hands on. My day would usually start at 7.30am, I would check in with Breakfast in the Garden Restaurant and meet & greet our guests, make sure that they all had a restful night’s sleep.

I would carry on my day meeting with all the HOD’s (heads of departments) and seeing the day’s tasks ahead and see if any department needs an extra set of hands. We would then have a look at any functions or meetings in the hotel.

I would spend most of the day on the floor for lunch making sure our regular guests are being taken care off as well as our hotel guests. The internal and external guests are extremely important to us all at the Killarney Park Hotel and we pride ourselves on service and positive guest experiences.

I would usually spend the afternoon in the office catching up on admin work and have a couple of hours at my desk.

Before I leave in the evening I would always check on dinner service and have a chat with guests who are having cocktails or a pre dinner drink.

What do you find most rewarding about the role of Operations Manager?

As the hotel is a family business and was opened by my parents Padraig and Janet Treacy 25 years ago, it is great to see the hotels continued success. We have recently been voted the best luxury hotel in Ireland by TripAdvisor and that is such a compliment for us as it is voted for by the guest.

Describe a perfect day in Killarney that you would recommend to guests?

I am personally very much a morning person so I would suggest a walk in the Killarney National Park which is located at the gates of our hotel. Then come back to the Garden Restaurant for a well-deserved breakfast. Head off for a drive to Dingle and visit the blasket islands or even see our very famous Fungi the Dolphin. In the evening, back to the Killarney Park Hotel for afternoon tea or a few pre-dinner cocktails, then stroll into town for Ceoil agus Craic!

How do you relax in your spare time?

I am an avid cyclist and have been from a young age so definitely getting on the bike is my down time. 

What’s your favourite dish in The Garden Bar?

The Fish Curry,  it is made from all local produce and would be my choice this week.

What part of your job do you most enjoy?

Again, it is a great feeling to be contributing to a family business that my parents have spent years building. Also, I enjoy the smaller more intimate environment of the Killarney Park Hotel as we have 69 bedrooms in total we really do try to meet & greet each guest throughout their stay with us.

What don’t you enjoy?

I am lucky enough to work in a profession that there is nothing that I don’t enjoy! The doors never close so if I had to pick one it would probably be that it is hard to switch off.

Is it challenging working in a family business?

I am very lucky that my parents, Padraig and Janet, and I have an excellent working relationship, they respect my position in the hotel and I respect them as owners so we have a mutual understanding of each other. At least for the moment they haven’t gotten rid of me and equally I haven’t gotten rid of them either!!

Who do you look to for inspiration?

In the hospitality sector, it would have to be Diarmiud Dwyer the hotel manager of the Waldorf Astoria, New York. Diarmuid worked in the Killarney Park Hotel before moving to New York. It is great to see how far someone can develop in a hotel and I am still in regular contact with Diarmuid and I would look at him as a mentor.