Whitbread breaks ground on 229-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at Dublin's Clerys Quarter regeneration scheme

Whitbread PLC, the UK-headquartered owner of Premier Inn, has commenced construction of a flagship 229-bedroom hotel within Dublin's Clerys Quarter, marking a significant milestone in the company's accelerating Irish expansion strategy and in the broader regeneration of one of the capital's most storied city-centre sites.

Construction Ireland reported that Belfast-based construction and fit-out specialist Gilbert-Ash has been appointed principal contractor for the Earl Place development, just off O'Connell Street, where works will deliver an eight-storey building with a basement and roof, incorporating a ground-floor restaurant and reception.

Whitbread acquired the site in summer 2022 and secured full planning permission from Dublin City Council in June 2023. The hotel is due for completion in summer 2026 and will feature Premier Inn's latest-generation bedrooms, designed to achieve a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating in line with Whitbread's 'Force for Good' sustainability strategy.

Emma O'Shiel, project and programme manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said Dublin is "a vibrant, high-demand market for both domestic and international travellers," adding that the development would offer guests "an unbeatable city-centre location within one of Dublin's most iconic and interesting areas."

Gilbert-Ash project director Sean Doran noted the firm's ongoing relationship with Whitbread, describing the hotel as a key addition to the Clerys Quarter development and stating that the project will breathe new life into this historic location in the heart of the city.

Whitbread currently operates six hotel locations across Dublin and Cork, with more than 1,000 rooms available and a further 1,200 secured in its development pipeline. The group is targeting 5,000 Premier Inn rooms across eleven towns and cities throughout Ireland — expected to be fully open in 2026.

Discover the full details of the Clerys Quarter Premier Inn development and what it means for Dublin's construction pipeline.