Louis Fitzgerald family expands portfolio into Cork market with acquisition of the Imperial Hotel

The Louis Fitzgerald Group, one of the largest family-run hospitality groups in the country, has announced that its acquisition of the Imperial Hotel on South Mall is now complete.

The family business, headed by Louis Fitzgerald and now in its 54th year, has a longstanding track record of acquiring landmark properties.

The group includes the Arlington Hotel, Louis Fitzgerald Hotel and Joels Restaurant, An Poitin Stil, The Stag’s Head, Kehoes Pub, The Quays Bar Galway and most recently, Murphy’s Bar in Galway.

“We have been an admirer of the Imperial Hotel for some time,” Louis Fitzgerald said, commenting following the purchase.

“The hotel has an incredible history and has built a fantastic reputation as one of the country’s most luxurious and boutique city hotels to stay in.

“This is a credit to the team in place there, and we look forward to working with them to continue to innovate.” 

Mr Fitzgerald said the group had been looking for the right opportunity to expand into the Cork market for a number of years and said that the Imperial hotel, with its rich history, is a “great fit” for what the group stands for.

“Cork City is steeped in great culture and creativity and future developments in the pipeline are very exciting. We look forward to being a part of it.

“On a personal note, the Flynn family have been a pleasure to deal with throughout the process.

“It is very satisfying to see the Imperial move from one Irish family to another and to carry on its great heritage, particularly in a time when we see so many Irish hotels being bought by international investment funds,” he added.

The Imperial boasts a rich history and has welcomed high profile names over the past 200 years including actress Grace Kelly, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Michael Collins, and many others.

The new ownership has assured employees that their jobs are safe, and that they are committed to investing in the continued development of staff skills and expertise.

The Louis Fitzgerald Group has also assured guests that all vouchers will continue to be honoured.