HotelSectorThe now familiar hotel plus leisure complex combination has proved a winning formula once again at the Quality Hotel and leisure centre Limerick. The €35 million investment provides rooms plus business services, with a good location on Limerick's South Ring.
The complex opened at the end of August and is the latest from the Quality group, in turn part of Choice Hotels, which operates the Clarion, Quality and Comfort Inn hotel brands here.
Choice Hotels currently operates 18 properties in Ireland with two more hotels to open shortly. It is an international brand that is run by the local franchise holder, managing director Frankie Whelehan.
The new Limerick property hotel has delivered a jobs boost with 76 full-time staff employed and more to follow, according to the company. The group chose the location to be able to serve the widest possible area surrounding Limerick.
The property has 199 bedrooms, including 143 guest rooms, plus 26 two-bedroom suites and four one-bedroom suites. Power showers, tea and coffee facilities and satellite TV are features of these rooms.
The site is also catering for the business market, the goal being to offer ease-of-access via high speed ring roads and the related national network.
This makes it unnecessary to fight traffic into a city centre hotel in Limerick.
The hotel has 16 state-of-the-art meeting suites and there is free wi-fi access throughout the property's public areas.
With in-house catering facilities, it allows Quality Hotel & Leisure Centre Limerick to provide a complete service to the business client, says the company.
The leisure side of the property is the Club Vitae health and fitness club. The centrepiece is the 20-metre swimming pool, with accompanying steam room, Jacuzzi and fully equipped gym. It is staffed by fitness professionals who can provide advice and support for hotel guests but also for local clients making regular use of the club.
While access is free to guests, memberships are available on an annual basis for non-guests. There is plenty of secure parking (both underground and also adjacent to the hotel).
Much effort went into the design and finishing of the hotel. Arnold Leahy Architects was responsible for the overall design with interior design by Irish company, Millimetre Design.
The centrepiece of the hotel is its open atrium spanning five floors, complete with a dramatic five floor cubic chandelier.
