Plans have been lodged for a 100 bedroom Raglan Townhouse hotel for Baggot Street Upper in Dublin.
In the planning application, the Raglan Townhouse Hotel Ltd is seeking planning permission for the hotel at Nos, 46, 48 and 52 -54 Baggot Street Upper and at 46, 48, 50 and 52-54 Eastmoreland Lane, Dublin 4.
Along with the 100 bedroom hotel, the scheme will also include a café and bar at ground floor level.
The proposal involves changing the use of the upper floors of No.48 Upper Baggot Street from offices to hotel.
The proposal also involves changing the use of Nos 52-54Baggot Street Upper from bank branch to hotel, and constructing a new building to the rear of Nos 46, 48, 50 & 52-54Baggot Street Upper of four storeys.
Directors of Raglan Townhouse Hotel Ltd include Michael Roy Enright who is also a director of Wychwood Properties (TH) Ltd and Arie Van Der Veken.
The bid by Raglan Townhouse Hotel Ltd to develop a hotel for Baggot Street is the third attempt by hospitality firms in recent months to construct tourist accommodation for the area where securing planning permission from the Council is a major stumbling block
In August, an Eamon Waters firm, Peachbeach UC lodged plans for a 66 bedroom hotel and 23 apartments over six storeys for 15-16 Lower Baggot Street and this was refused last month by the City Council after an objection from the five star Merrion Hotel.
In July, the Council refused planning permission for a new luxury seven storey guest house planned for Lower Baggot Street.
The plan by the Corcoran family's Kilcolman Partnership for a 30 bedroom up-market guesthouse for 73 Lower Baggot Street that would include the change of use of existing offices to hotel and the addition of a seven storey block is currently on appeal to An Bord Pleanala.
In a separate application to the Council, OBA Chancery Ltd has lodged plans for a 599 bed space hostel for lands at Fegan's, 13-18, Chancery Street and 1-1a St. Michan's Place, Dublin 7,
OBA Chancery Ltd has lodged plans for an eight storey building to accommodate the 599 bed space hostel along with 12 residential units.
According to planning documents lodged with the Council "the proposed hostel will provide for a quality high end offer and will attract a diverse range of tourists, particularly budget-conscious and younger travellers for whom the current market is underserved, thereby increasing the number of visitors to the city".
The report by consultants Brock McCLure states that the tourist hostel will consist of 96. bedrooms accommodating 599 bedspaces in a mixture of accessible, twin and 4 - 10 no. person bedrooms from first to seventh floor level.
The ground and first floor levels will provide guest amenity areas such as a gym, cinema room, kitchen / dining area, laundry room, lounge / bar / café / co-working space.
The report states that "this tourist hostel is a quality high end development".
The planning report states that the scheme "will not include car parking facilities for either staff, guests, or residents given the site's city centre location and the excellent public transport facilities available in the proximity of the site".
The report adds that the proposed development "has been meticulously designed to balance urban density with a sensitive approach to its surroundings, ensuring minimal disruption to neighbouring properties while maximising the benefits for future occupants".
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
