Premier Inn, a renowned hotel operator, has submitted applications for building a 162-bedroom hotel at Sandyford business park. Further expansion plans are also set in motion for both Dublin and wider regions. The blueprints for the eight-story hotel on Arkle Rd were put forward by PI Hotels and Restaurants Ireland Ltd.
In a planning report presented to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council, Premier Inn’s vision to expand its footprint in Dublin and beyond was outlined. The aim is to provide quality, budget-friendly accommodation for both business professionals and tourists.
Whitbread owns Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK. In a document prepared by planning consultancy, Tom Phillips + Associates, it was stated that the inaugural Premier Inn hotel in Dublin was established in South Great George’s Street in November 2021. The innovative hotel was a €19 million revitalization of a long-abandoned, historic site.
Since then, four more hotels have sprung up in key locations in Dublin City including George’s Street, Newmarket Square, Castleforbes, and Gloucester Street South.
According to Sine Kelly from Tom Phillips + Associates, construction is already in progress on a new Premier Inn at Twilfit House, on Middle Abbey Street. Earlier this year, Premier Inn branched out of Dublin with their first hotel in Cork City.
Supporting the new hotel’s possibilities, Ms. Kelly highlighted that the proposed 162-bedroom hotel would be situated in a strategic and accessible location within the Sandyford business park. It is closely linked to several major transport networks, including the Luas, many bus routes, and the M50.
According to Ms Kelly, the project offers a favourable planning situation. The planned hotel will sit amongst offices, residential areas, and commercial properties in the Sandyford Business District, a key economic and commercial hub in south Dublin. Furthermore, Ms Kelly believes the new hotel’s central location in Sandyford would appeal to businesses in the area, thereby enhancing the range of available accommodation for business travellers.
Ms Kelly has remarked that the hotel will not only be an attractive site for the visitors of south county Dublin, but it could also lure those willing to explore further southeast as well as the broader Leinster area. She mentions that post the rejection of a proposal for an office establishment on Arkle Rd in 2008, critical infrastructural enhancements have permitted considerable development and facilitated other large-scale development plans in Sandyford. As a result, Ms Kelly comments that the problems cited in that rejection of the development on the concerned site no longer hold relevance. “The advancements have cemented Sandyford Business District’s stature as a crucial centre for economic growth, job creation, and linked development,” she conveyed. A verdict related to the application is expected to be announced next month.