UK hospitality company Whitbread PLC has filed a planning application to convert the Leisureplex site in Cork City Centre into a 173-room Premier Inn hotel. If the proposal is sanctioned, the new establishment will be the company’s second Premier Inn in Cork, fulfilling the city’s bedroom requirement.
Whitbread bought the site at the junction of MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street in February 2024, shortly after opening its first hotel at Morrison Quay south of the city centre.
Planning permission for a 171-bedroom hotel was granted in January 2021, and Whitbread’s planned hotel aligns with the approved development in terms of building height, scale, and character.
The intended structure comprises a one, five, and seven-storey building complete with a licensed restaurant, public bar, and reception area on the ground floor. The current facade of the former postal sorting office will be preserved and repaired as part of the new design. Upon completion, around 40 team members, primarily from the local area, are expected to be employed at the hotel.
Whitbread’s Development Manager for Ireland, Matt Gent, expressed confidence in the chosen site, citing its central location and proximity to public transport, businesses, and amenities. The proposal aims to enhance the Victorian Quarter of the City Centre with a high-quality hotel building that aligns with the Premier Inn brand.
Whitbread has been operating Premier Inn hotels in Ireland since 2007, with its first establishment in Dublin City Centre opening in November 2021. Currently, the company operates six hotels in Ireland and sees potential for up to 5,000 Premier Inn rooms in the country.
The company’s commitment to achieving zero direct emissions by 2040 will be reflected in the new hotel, powered entirely by renewable electricity. The building has been designed to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM energy rating.
