Hospitality

Kilkenny hotel expects Jurassic attractions to be a monster draw

The owners of the Newpark Hotel has invested €250,000 in a group of life-size robotic dinosaurs, and sold €75,000-worth of tickets for the attraction in the first week of its launch

Niall Dunne, deputy general manager of Newpark Hotel and creative director of the Jurassic Park Project and Paul Beehan, general manager of Newpark Hotel: ‘It’s enhancing what’s already there.’ Picture: Vicky Comerford

The owners of a Kilkenny hotel are expecting to make back their €250,000 investment in a life-sized robotic dinosaur installation within months. The new attraction, which includes a robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and Stegosaurus among others, opened at the Newpark Hotel this weekend, creating 10 new jobs.

Paul Beehan, the hotel’s general manager, said the investment was driven by a need to continue evolving the product offering for customers.

“It’s enhancing what’s already there,” he ...