Demolition to begin on second Cork Premier Inn following final approvals
Cork’s second Premier Inn hotel could soon be underway as the company behind the development gets the official go-ahead from Cork City Council to deliver the 174-room hotel.
Building on the success of its first hotel at Morrisons Quay, Whitbread PLC, the parent company to the famous brand, acquired a second Cork location at the former Leisureplex entertainment site on the corner of MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street in February 2024.
Having secured planning permission for the 174-bedroom Premier Inn in October 2025, the company has spent the past year progressing the scheme through detailed design, planning compliance requirements and the various permits required to commence construction.
Representatives of Whitbread’s property team have now confirmed it now has all approvals required to proceed with the demolition of the vacant Leisureplex building, with O’Kelly Brothers Civil Engineering Ltd appointed to undertake the works.
The County Limerick-based contractor is expected to install site hoarding and temporary support structures during October before commencing demolition of the existing building walls and concrete slab in November.
Ground remediation works are then expected to begin before Christmas and continue into the early New Year before the site is handed over to a principal contractor at the end of January.
Whitbread is understood to be in advanced discussions with a shortlist of contractors to deliver the new hotel, with an appointment expected to be confirmed before Christmas.
Emma O’Shiel, Project and Programme Manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said:
“Securing all of the approvals needed to begin demolition is a major milestone for our second Premier Inn in Cork and marks the transition from planning into delivery.”
“The success of our first Cork hotel has exceeded expectations and reinforced our confidence in the city as an attractive destination for both business and leisure travellers. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in Cork as part of our wider growth ambitions across Ireland.”
“This development will transform the beloved Leisureplex site into a modern hotel that will create good jobs, welcome visitors to the city and support the continued regeneration of Cork’s Victorian Quarter. With demolition works now ready to begin, we’re looking forward to working with our construction partners to bring another Premier Inn to the city centre.”
When complete, the development will provide 174 Premier Inn bedrooms, including the brand’s popular ‘enhanced’ Premier Plus rooms . A guest-focused restaurant and bar will front onto Brian Boru Street, while the design will conserve elements of the former art deco Cinema façade, recognising the heritage of the location.
Whitbread has been investing heavily in the Republic of Ireland since launching Premier Inn brand’s expansion programme in 2018. The company now currently operates six trading hotels across Dublin and Cork with a further two flagship city-centre hotels in Dublin City Centre scheduled to open in early 2027
Across Ireland Whitbread is seeking to create a 5,000-bedroom Premier Inn network, with the company stating that half of this bedroom target is either trading, on-site or in the FTSE100 company’s secured development pipeline.
Image: CGI of the second Premier Inn in Cork (credit: Whitbread PLC).
