Noel Smyth’s Fitzwilliam Real Estate has been given the green light for a nine-storey, 245-bedroom “lean luxury” hotel above Arnotts in Dublin.
Dublin City Council has given the plans the go-ahead after concluding that the planned hotel “will contribute to the regeneration and will have a positive impact on the surrounding area”.
The council also stated the scheme is “unlikely to impact negatively on the amenities of properties in the vicinity”.
The proposal involves a two storeys with setbacks over Arnotts and a three-storey element with setbacks over Arnotts’ multistorey car park.
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The hotel proposal will involve the demolition and decommissioning of the top three open-air levels of Arnotts’ multistorey car park, resulting in the removal of 145 car spaces.
Planning documents lodged with the scheme stated Fitzwilliam Real Estate owns the department store’s “air rights”, allowing the firm to lodge the application for the above-Arnotts portion of the scheme.
Planning consultants for the hotel firm, Tom Phillips + Associates, told the council it is intended that Ruby Hotels will be the operator of the scheme.
Ruby Hotels are a Munich-based hotel group “who host a contemporary, affordable form of luxury style of hospitality”, according to Síne Kelly, an associate with Tom Phillips + Associates.
Ms Kelly said there are currently 15 Ruby Hotels premises in operation around Europe and an additional 18 under construction. She pointed out that Ruby Hotels “have ‘a lean luxury’ philosophy for streamlining their hotel layouts and space”.
Ms Kelly said that the partnership between the applicant and Ruby Hotels “has resulted in an enhancement of the hotel overall, with all elements now sized accordingly to suit the operations of Ruby Hotels”.
[ Noel Smyth appeals rejection of Arnotts build to rent schemeOpens in new window ]
Ms Kelly contended the proposed development will facilitate the provision of high-quality hotel development with an experienced, dedicated operator while significantly improving the character of the area and bringing a partially vacant building at 97 Middle Abbey Street back into full use.
The grant of planning permission follows the council refusing planning permission to Fitzwilliam Real Estate for a 12-storey, 159-unit build-to-rent scheme on the same site in January after the council pointed out that there is a general presumption against large scale residential developments which comprise of build-to-rent units.
The Noel Smyth firm did have an existing planning permission for a hotel at the site since 2018 but Covid-19 Government restrictions prevented the firm commencing the work “in a timely fashion”, necessitating the lodging of the new application.
