New Premier Inn to be built on Leisureplex site on Cork's MacCurtain Street

A new Premier Inn is to open in Cork city as the council have granted permission for a hotel on the current Leisureplex site at the corner of MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street.

Whitbread PLC, the owner of Premier Inn, previously opened a 187-bedroom hotel on 29 January 2024 on Morrison’s Quay.

Whitbread acquired the McCurtain St site, which sits on the corner of MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street (T23 TE84), in February 2024 a month after it opened the doors to its first hotel in Cork.

The proposed development of the site will require of the demolition of the existing buildings on site but the retention of and modifications to the façade of the former postal sorting offices, as it is a protected structure.

The hotel will range from one to seven stories and contain 173 bedrooms as well as other facilities including a reception area, lobby, public bar, restaurant, kitchen, cold room, storage areas, administration and staff facilities and bicycle parking area.

In a statement to The Echo at the time of applying for permission, Whitbread PLC explained that an extant planning permission for a 171-bedroom hotel, granted in January 2021 on the site, “sets the precedent to redevelop the site into a hotel”.

They added that on opening, around 40 team members are expected to work at the hotel, with recruitment focused in the city.

Matt Gent, Development Manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said: “We opened a new Premier Inn at Morrisons Quay in Cork in January [2024] and quickly secured our second development opportunity to the east of the city centre a month after.

“The site we acquired, which is currently occupied by the Leisureplex entertainment complex, is a fantastic location for a hotel given its central location, public transport connections and many businesses and amenities located in the vicinity.

“Our proposal will create a high-quality new hotel building with an ancillary licensed restaurant and public bar, that will provide an attractive addition to MacCurtain Street and the Victorian Quarter of the City Centre.

“I’m proud of the proposed development we have submitted for planning, and I am certain our second hotel in Cork will trade well and will make a positive long-term contribution to the city.” One objection was submitted by an owner of a neighbouring apartment who expressed concern that his building would be damaged during the demolition, as well as about drainage and construction dust.

The council, who had initially requested further information from the applicant, decided last week to grant permission subject to 33 conditions.

The Echo contacted Whitbread PLC for comment.