THE DOYLE Collection hotel group has made a number of senior staff redundant at its head office in Ballsbridge.

The heads of human resources, marketing, and sales and revenue management were all made redundant earlier this month by the hotel chain, which was formerly known as Jurys Doyle.

It is understood that two other staff were also let go. Forty staff now work at its head office.

No comment was available from the company but the move reflects both the difficult trading environment for the hotel sector in Ireland and the fact that the company has slimmed down since it was taken private in 2005.

The Doyle Collection group, which is owned by members of the Doyle and Beatty families, consists of 11, mostly four-star, hotels in Ireland, Britain and the United States.

By contrast, Jurys Doyle comprised 30 hotels, including its three-star Jurys Inns.

The spokeswoman said the functions that have been made redundant would be absorbed into the individual hotels.

It rebranded as the Doyle Collection 12 months ago as part of a reorganisation that involved a €200 million revamp of its hotels.

In 2008, Doyle Hotels (Holdings) Ltd made an operating profit of €10.6 million on turnover of €98.1 million.

But it was dragged into the red by a number of execeptional costs, including €12 million for redundancy and other reorganisation costs.

Its total loss for the year amounted to €29.2 million.