Planners reach verdict on multi-million euro expansion of Limerick hotel

A MULTI-MILLION euro expansion of Limerick city centre’s only five-star hotel has received conditional planning permission.

The Savoy Hotel, at Henry Street is set to increase the number of rooms it has in a move that will also change the face of neighbouring Bedford Row.

Around 40 full and part time roles in events and accommodation look set to be created following the decision by Limerick City and County Council.

Some 28 new rooms are expected to be opened as a result of this, there will be a new bar and cafe, plus an extension of the hotel’s popular winter garden, and units at the ground level of the building will be merged.

Two out-of-use units neighbouring the hotel - which formerly housed Techstar and Laura Ashley - will be merged to provide a licensed cafe and restaurant. These will be linked to the existing hotel, the only five-star accommodation provider in the city centre.

What was the Dealz store before its closure earlier this year at unit number seven will change to be used by the hotel to accommodate multi-media activities, a licensed bar area and meeting rooms. This will also be linked up to the other former retail units.

Kirkland Investments, which owns the buildings in question, has lodged the application, which also seeks to have the former shops at numbers four to eight Bedford Row being converted from retail use to hotel use and merged.

The upper floors of these, plus the upper floors of the planned restaurant and meeting facilities in Henry Street will be refitted for the 28 new bedrooms.

A new hotel canopy will extend from the main entrance of The Savoy Hotel at Henry Street up to its junction with Bedford Row.

The existing winter garden which adjoins the hotel bar at ground floor level is set for an extension under the proposals.

A number of shops have closed in succession in Bedford Row and Henry Street across the last year.

The Savoy Hotel and nearby George Hotel were taken over earlier this year, by Dublin hotel group, Moran Hospitality, a company founded by Athea man, the late Tom Moran. Permission was given subject to five conditions, including a ruling no work can take place outside the hours of 7am and 7pm weekdays.

The decision to approve the hotel comes despite an objection from another hotelier Peter Brazil, whose boutique accommodation business is based just yards from the Savoy.

Mr Brazil, co-proprietor of The Bedford Townhouse on Bedford Row, stated in a letter to council that he’s concerned about the proposed loss of retail space on Henry Street and Bedford Row.

He described the streets as being “in the very heart of Limerick city centre and within the city’s established retail area”.

Mr Brazil is the only person to have lodged a formal objection to the application from Kirkland Investments, which owns the Savoy complex. The Community Action Tenants Union (CATU), on behalf of residents of a neighbouring apartment complex, has also made a submission.

CATU was seeking conditions to minimise disruption to residents living beside the Savoy during and after the proposed expansion, citing concerns over noise, construction work and access.

Kirkland’s agents say the works will allow the Savoy to operate as a “more cohesive and sustainable city centre hospitality destination”, bringing existing retail space into hotel use.

Mr Brazil has “no objection” to additional hotel bedrooms on the upper floors, but opposes the proposed replacement of ground-floor retail premises.

Mr Brazil said allowing ground-floor retail space to be converted to hotel use “would be contrary to the objective of protecting and strengthening Limerick city centre as the primary retail centre of the region”.

“Once established retail frontage is converted to hotel accommodation, it can be extremely difficult to recover that retail floor space in the future,” he added.