Cheap hotels force small rivals to quit.(bed-and-breakfast property )(Brief Article)

ALMOST a fifth of Irish bed-and-breakfast property owners have quit the business in the past three years, it has been claimed.

Rising costs and aggressive competition from hotels have been blamed for the closure of 635 B&Bs and guesthouses since 2001.

Gulliver Ireland, the Republic's tourism information and reservations service, says the number of B&B and budget hotels competing for the same market has left many established businesses struggling.

Gulliver managing director Stewart Stephens said: "This is exacerbated by slack demand and heavy discounting.

"Hotels have much more options in terms of yield management and this can be seen in the …