The shortage of hotel rooms in Dublin city centre has eased somewhat in recent weeks with the arrival to the market of the newly developed Travelodge Plus on Townsend Street. While the 393-bedroom hotel was to have opened for business in January of last year, that plan was put on hold when its owner, Tifco Hotel Group, signed a contract with the State to use the property to accommodate people seeking asylum in Ireland.
The deal with the International Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) division of the Department of Children, which is responsible for housing people seeking refuge in Ireland, saw Pumpkinspice Limited, a company set up by Tifco to develop the city centre hotel, paid about €20.5 million to house asylum seekers in 2022. The details in relation to the contract and the payment were first reported by The Irish Times on March 2nd, 2022, and on May 15th last respectively.
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The Travelodge Plus, near the quays, is understood to have cost about €100 million to build and is the second-biggest hotel in Dublin’s central city area. Designed by MCA Architects, the hotel’s 393 bedrooms include 175 of Travelodge’s newly introduced premium SuperRooms and a mix of room types. The hotel’s accommodation is complemented by a bar, restaurant and an outdoor terrace. The Townsend Street Travelodge Plus is one of 25 hotels owned or operated by Tifco Hotel Group in Ireland. Tifco’s Irish portfolio comprises 11 Travelodge hotels, the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport, Crowne Plaza Dundalk, Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown, Hard Rock Dublin, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel at Dublin Airport, and the private label hotel Arthaus Hotel Dublin.
Tifco also manages partner hotels the Clontarf Castle Hotel, Hilton Dublin Kilmainham, The Hendrick Dublin Smithfield, Kinsale Hotel & Spa, Hotel Killarney, Innisfallen Hotel Killarney, and the Clybaun Hotel Galway. It is one of the largest hotel groups in Ireland, with almost 3,000 bedrooms and almost 1,500 employees.
