Two iconic Southside hotels undergo major renovations

AS one door closes another has opened for two of the Southside’s most iconic hotels.

The Maldron Hotel Kevin Street recently celebrated its official reopening after a €26 million investment that took approximately 17 months to complete.

The hotel, which is owned and operated by Dalata Hotel Group, Ireland’s leading hotel operator, was officially opened by Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy and John Hennessy, Chairman of Dalata Hotel Group PLC.

The hotel is part of a multi-million-euro investment throughout the Maldron Hotel network in Ireland which includes extensions of two existing hotels while the group is also opening a new hotel in Cork.

Located on the corner of Kevin Street and New Street in Dublin 8 and boasting 137 bedrooms, the hotel is centrally located overlooking St Patrick’s Cathedral and just minutes’ walk from Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green shopping district.

Pat McCann, the CEO of Dalata Hotel Group said: “We are delighted to officially open our Maldron Hotel on Kevin Street. I’d like to thank Minister Murphy for taking the time to be part of our event.

“This hotel, situated in an exciting and vibrant part of the city, is an excellent addition to our Dublin portfolio and strengthens our position as market leader.

“As the Irish economy continues to grow, and with domestic and inbound tourism numbers expected to increase, our pipeline of rooms in both Dublin and regional Ireland means that we are well placed to cater for that growth.”

The opening of the hotel has also resulted in the creation of over 70 jobs with an investment of €26 million in the local area.

“We are enthusiastic about the prospects for this hotel and we look forward to partnering with our neighbours over the coming year,” Mr McCann added.

Designed with sustainability in mind, Maldron Hotel Kevin Street was constructed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification under the LEED 2009 for New Construction criteria, providing a modern, comfortable yet sustainable installation. 

Dalata successfully operates Ireland's two largest hotel brands, Clayton Hotels and Maldron Hotels across Ireland and the UK, as well as managing a small portfolio of partner properties. Some 28 of the hotels are owned by Dalata, nine hotels are operated under lease agreements and three are operated under management agreements. For the full year 2017, Dalata reported revenue of €348.5 million and a profit after tax of €68.3 million. 

Meanwhile, the Irish-owned and family-run O’Callaghan Collection announced last week that one of Dublin’s other best-known hotels, The Mont Clare, has temporarily closed its doors to allow for a major transformation.

It’s the final phase of an extensive programme of refurbishments that have already taken place across O’Callaghan Collection’s Dublin hotels including The Alex, The Green and The Davenport which has seen the group invest over €100 million to date across their portfolio of hotels in Dublin, Gibraltar and Cambridge, England.

 The hotel’s transformation will include a complete re-design of the interiors, with a new bar and winter garden, and extensive remodelling of the restaurant. The number of rooms will also increase from the current 74 rooms to 96.