Planning application has been lodged by Chesway Ltd for a 40-bedroom townhouse-style hotel on Harcourt Terrace in Dublin.
Cork-based hotelier Frankie Whelehan, who is connected with the company, says the building will be a premium four-star hotel that will target corporate customers midweek and the leisure market at the weekend, offering "something a little bit different".
Speaking to The Irish Times, he said: "There are a lot of offices in the area and we’re very hopeful that the demand is there."
The proposed development consists of a new single-storey extension to the front and side, a first floor extension over the existing single-storey kitchen, demolition of the existing modern stair enclosure to the rear and the construction of a replacement stair core linked to the existing building at first- and second-floor levels.
It also proposed internal alterations to accommodate guest facilities, bedrooms, en-suites and their associated services, as well as fire upgrades, improved accessibility and repairs to the existing building fabric including facade, roof and windows.
Meanwhile, over in Ormond Quay in the capital, the building that formerly housed popular Dublin night spot Zanzibar has received bids from two parties for over €10 million, doubling the property's original €5 million guide price.
Final bids are due on 25 November which will be the third round of bidding for the property. It attracted strong interest from investors with CBRE conducting around 60 viewings after there was 100 expressions of interest in the property when it was first put on the market.
One unnamed source was not surprised at the high bids, telling The Irish Times, "It has hospitality screaming all over it . . . it’s all about the location, location, location."
