Construction of new Cork Premier Inn to begin in early 2026

The company behind plans for a 174-room Premier Inn hotel on the site of the former Leisureplex say construction will get underway in the coming months.

The hotel on the corner of MacCurtain St and Brian Boru St will be the second Premier Inn in Cork. Whitbread plc, the hotel’s parent company, was granted permission for the new hotel by Cork City Council, with construction to begin in early 2026. That will be approximately two years after the opening of its first Cork hotel, on Morrison’s Quay.

The hotel will range from one to seven stories and contain 174 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. About 40 team members are expected to work at the hotel, with recruitment focused in the city.

“We have always felt very welcome in Cork, ever since we opened the doors to our first hotel in January 2024,” Matt Gent, the company’s development manager for Ireland, said.

“Securing a planning grant for a second hotel is wonderful news for us and our customers, and I’m grateful to everyone who has been involved in getting us to this stage.

“With our success here, I am hoping it won’t be long before I can share more positive news of our growth across the country and take another step in delivering against our ambitions for 5,000 Premier Inn rooms in Ireland.”

Mr Gent said that target is a key focus for the company. “A key ingredient to Premier Inn’s success is its wide customer appeal,” Mr Gent said. “The brand works equally well in popular towns and leisure locations as it does in global destinations such as Dublin, London, Berlin, and Dubai.

“It’s one of the reasons why we believe so strongly in the opportunity for Premier Inn in locations right across Ireland and why we uplifted our network target to 5,000 Premier Inn rooms and 11 target regional locations.”

Last summer, the business announced its ambition for a network of hotels across Ireland, seeking a presence in 11 regional locations, where it wishes to focus its expansion, alongside further growth in the capital. These include tourist hotspots such as Killarney, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Sligo, Tralee, and Westport, as well as growth in larger towns and cities.