Johnny Ronan’s RGRE property group has lodged plans for an eight-storey 288-bedroom aparthotel for Dublin’s docklands to be operated by Staycity.
The Ronan Group Real Estate (RGRE) entity Waterside Block 9 Developments Ltd had previously secured planning permission for an office block on the site.
Instead of proceeding with the offices, however, the company is seeking now to secure permission for the aparthotel at the same site at Waterfront South Central, City Block No 9, North Wall Quay and Mayor Street Upper, Dublin 1.
The site is located between the National Convention Centre and the 3Arena and a submission lodged with the planning documentation confirms that the proposal is designed for operation by Staycity, using its Wilde brand.
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The submission explains that Staycity is an Irish-owned international aparthotel operator, with 8,000-plus bedrooms in 21 cities, with 45 current/contracted properties. It states that “this extensive experience has informed the design evolution of the proposal”.
A planning report drawn up by Tom Phillips + Associates states that the aparthotel scheme will operate in a controlled and managed manner and will not give rise to unacceptable impacts on neighbouring amenities.
A separate visitor accommodation audit found that there was no existing over-concentration of aparthotel use in the vicinity, “with just nine existing hotels and one aparthotel within 1km of the subject site”.
Separately, An Coimisiún Pleanála has refused planning permission for a new seven-storey guest house planned for Lower Baggot Street.
This upholds a refusal by Dublin City Council in July 2024 to the Corcoran family’s The Kilcolman Partnership for a 30-bedroom upmarket guest house for 73 Lower Baggot Street. This would have involved a change of use of existing offices to hotel.
The family operate the four-star Perryville House in Kinsale, a member of Ireland’s Blue Book. A planning report lodged stated that members of the second generation of the Corcoran family had moved to Dublin and identified the Lower Baggot Street property as a sister business to Perryville House.
However, ACP has concluded that the construction of a five- to seven-storey hotel within the curtilage of a protected structure would be overly dominant.
Six parties lodged observations with An Coimisiún Pleanála opposing the scheme, including the Irish Georgian Society, Karyn and Mark Harty SC and the South Georgian Core Residents Association.
