NIALL GEOGHEGAN has stepped down as chief executive of the three-star Jurys Inns hotel chain, which is controlled by Irish investment group Quinlan Private, just 18 months after taking on the role.

In a surprise move, Mr Geoghegan said he planned to pursue other opportunities. "I have enjoyed my time with Jurys immensely but I now feel that I will benefit from a new challenge and, in this regard, I have identified other opportunities that I intend to pursue," he said.

"Having completed the bedding-down process since the acquisition and with the addition [recently] of Oman Investment Fund as a strategic shareholder, I now feel the time is right for me to move on.

"I am proud of the management team's achievement in growing the Jurys Inns brand over the years and I am grateful for the support of Quinlan Private over the past 18 months."

Jurys Inns has appointed John Brennan, currently director of hospitality and leisure at Quinlan Private Group, as interim chief executive.

He is a former regional vice-president of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts group and has overseen its Dublin property.

Jurys Inns said it has begun a recruitment process to identify a new chief executive to manage its portfolio of 23 three-star properties in Ireland and Britain, and to oversee its future expansion.

A former marketing director at Jurys Doyle, Mr Geoghegan succeeded Pat McCann as head of the hotel group when it was taken private in 2006.

Jurys Inns was sold last year for €1.165 billion to Quinlan Private and Mr Geoghegan moved with the business and became its first chief executive.

Barbara Cassani, executive chairman of Jurys Inns, said Mr Geoghegan had made a "very strong contribution" to the development of inns business.