Budget hotel chain Premier Inn has opened its first hotel in Cork.
The move also marks the first time Premier Inn – which is owned by the Whitbread Group – has opened a hotel in the Republic which is not in Dublin.
The 187-bedroom Cork City Centre Premier Inn – located at Morrisons’s Quay – is on the same site which once housed Cork’s famous Moore’s Hotel.
Premier Inn now operates more than 1,000 bedrooms in Ireland, across six properties. The group feels there is “significant potential” to expand across the country.
Matt Gent, Development Manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said:
“Premier Inn Cork is an important milestone for Whitbread in Ireland. The hotel gives us a presence outside of Dublin for the first time and sets us up for further growth in towns and cities across Ireland as we work to deliver a network of Premier Inns across the country.
“Looking at the new Cork City Centre Premier Inn and it’s hard not to be impressed by the quality of the development we have created with our partners Greenleaf, Warren Private and Elliott Group, and I have absolutely no doubt that the hotel will be a huge hit with our customers given the strength of Cork’s business economy and the amazing offer for leisure travellers in the city.
“We’ve grown a lot in the last twelve months in Ireland and we will keep working hard to expand our presence across the country as we respond to an undersupply of budget hotel rooms in Ireland.”
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, said:
“I’m delighted to welcome the Premier Inn to Cork with this multi-million euro investment and initial 40-strong workforce. Cork is the fastest growing city in Ireland and people from home and abroad are eager to visit so with that in mind, I wish the Premier Inn team every success with the opening.”
